How does jury duty work in San Diego County, and can I postpone it?

5 min read Checked November 3, 2026 Report a correction

A San Diego Superior Court summons is for one day or one trial: you usually call in or check online for five evenings on telephone standby, and if you report and aren't picked, you are usually done that day. You can postpone up to six months online at jwebsol.sdcourt.ca.gov or by phone at (619) 844-2800, and pay is $15 a day starting on day two plus 34 cents a mile one way.

Pay: $15/day
Postpone: Up to 6 months
Length: One day or one trial
Standby: 5 evenings

The short version

Jurors are paid $15 a day from the second day of service, plus 34 cents per mile for the one-way trip, by check 2-3 weeks later
You can postpone up to six months from your original date, online or by phone at (619) 844-2800, 24 hours a day
Parking is free at the Vista, El Cajon and Chula Vista courthouses; downtown at 1100 Union St. there is none and the court won't validate
Since SB 310, most people with a past felony can serve unless currently in custody, on parole or probation, or a felony-based registrant
If you were a sworn juror on a trial, you can ask to be excused from a new summons within three years

Jury duty in San Diego County is run by the Superior Court's Jury Commissioner, and most summonses end with a few evening check-ins and, at most, one day at the courthouse. The court pulls names from DMV records, the Registrar of Voters and the Franchise Tax Board; getting a new California license or registering to vote puts you on those lists. We read the court's jury help center and jury locations page on November 3, 2026.

What do I do when I get a jury summons in San Diego?

From postcard to courthouse

01
Find your juror ID on the summons
You need it to log in to the court's online juror portal at jwebsol.sdcourt.ca.gov or to use the phone system.
02
Decide: serve, postpone, transfer or ask to be excused
Do it online or on the back of the summons. To move to a closer courthouse, call (619) 844-2800, Monday to Thursday 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. or Friday 10 a.m.-noon.
03
Go on telephone standby
For five nights starting on your summons date, check after 5 p.m. to see whether your group must report the next day. Many groups are never called.
04
Report if called
Follow Step 2 on the back of your postcard for the time and place, and bring the summons.
05
Get proof for work
The court's help center explains how to get proof of service for your employer; give your employer reasonable notice before you serve.

How do I postpone or get excused from jury duty in San Diego?

Postpone vs. ask to be excused

	Postponement	Excuse
What it does	Moves your service to a later date	Releases you from this summons
Limit	Up to six months from your original date	Considered case by case
How	Online portal or (619) 844-2800, 24/7	Online portal or the back of the summons, mailed to P.O. Box 121531, San Diego, CA 92112
What you must show	Your juror ID	Why a postponement wouldn't solve the problem; for money, your employer, its phone and paid jury days
Will you hear back?	New date confirmed	Only if the excuse is denied

Postponement
What it does
Moves your service to a later date
Limit
Up to six months from your original date
How
Online portal or (619) 844-2800, 24/7
What you must show
Your juror ID
Will you hear back?
New date confirmed
Excuse
What it does
Releases you from this summons
Limit
Considered case by case
How
Online portal or the back of the summons, mailed to P.O. Box 121531, San Diego, CA 92112
What you must show
Why a postponement wouldn't solve the problem; for money, your employer, its phone and paid jury days
Will you hear back?
Only if the excuse is denied

An employer not paying you is not, by itself, a reason to be excused; the court calls minor work inconvenience not a legal reason, but extreme financial hardship can qualify if you explain it in detail. People over 70 still have to serve unless their health prevents it, in which case they can be permanently excused without a doctor's note. You must be a U.S. citizen, 18 or older, living in San Diego County, and not under a conservatorship.

An empty wood-paneled courtroom — San Diego jurors can postpone up to six months online or by phone.
Photo: Dragon White Munthe / Unsplash

How much does San Diego County pay for jury duty?

Jury pay and protections in San Diego Superior Court

Item	Amount or rule
Daily fee	$15 per day, starting on the second day
Mileage	34 cents per mile, one way from home
Transit option	Daily transit passes instead, at the Central Courthouse
When paid	Check mailed 2-3 weeks after service ends
Employer pay	Not required by law; check your company policy
Job protection	Labor Code 230(a): employer can't fire or discriminate if you give reasonable notice

Daily fee
$15 per day, starting on the second day
Mileage
34 cents per mile, one way from home
Transit option
Daily transit passes instead, at the Central Courthouse
When paid
Check mailed 2-3 weeks after service ends
Employer pay
Not required by law; check your company policy
Job protection
Labor Code 230(a): employer can't fire or discriminate if you give reasonable notice

Source: San Diego Superior Court Jury Services help center, checked Nov 3, 2026

Where are the jury courthouses in San Diego County?

The San Diego Central Courthouse tower downtown — The Central Courthouse at 1100 Union St. has no free parking; the court suggests transit. See the 2026 fare changes.
Photo: Gateman1997 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Is this still right?

We last checked this tip against its sources on November 3, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.

Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.

This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.

KEEP READING

SOURCES

Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.

PrimaryWill I be paid for jury service?
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
$15/day from day two, 34 cents/mile one way, transit passes, check in 2-3 weeks
PrimaryMay I postpone my jury service?
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
Up to six months; online or (619) 844-2800 24/7; two weeks before/after
PrimaryHow long is jury duty?
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
One day or one trial; trials 3-7 days; one-year exemption; three-year excuse
PrimaryWhat is telephonic standby?
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
Five nights after 5 p.m.
PrimaryMay I request an excuse?
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
Online or mail to P.O. Box 121531; explain why postponement won't help; notified only if denied
PrimaryAm I still required to serve if my employer won't pay me?
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
Employer pay not required; extreme financial hardship details
PrimaryWhat if my employer won't give me time off?
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
Labor Code 230(a)
PrimaryJury Locations
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
Four addresses, jury lounges, parking
PrimaryFelony conviction eligibility (SB 310)
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
Exceptions: incarcerated, on supervision, PC 290 felony registrants
PrimaryOver 70, who may serve, how did you get my name
Superior Court of California, County of San Diego · Checked November 3, 2026
Health-based permanent excuse without doctor's letter; related articles on eligibility and DMV/ROV/FTB source lists

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