The juror qualification questionnaire, explained
Last updated
What the jury questionnaire asks, why courts need it, how to answer it honestly, and what happens after you submit it.
Before a court can put you on a jury panel, it has to confirm you're legally qualified. That's the job of the qualification questionnaire. Sometimes it arrives with the summons, sometimes a few weeks before, and more and more it's online.
Why it matters
Courts draw names from lists such as voter rolls and driver's license records. Those lists include people who have moved, aren't citizens, are under 18, or are otherwise not eligible. The questionnaire filters them out before anyone makes a trip to the courthouse. It's also where you claim an exemption or ask to be excused.
Where to complete it
- Federal: the U.S. Courts say summoned jurors should visit the website of the district court that selected them and complete the questionnaire through that court's eJuror system.
- State: your summons will say. Alabama, for example, runs a statewide online juror qualification system where people who have been summoned register. Other states use county portals or paper forms. Our state directory links to each state's official page.
What it usually asks
For federal service, the questions track the legal qualifications listed by the U.S. Courts: citizenship, age, residence in the district for a year, English ability, any disqualifying condition, pending felony charges, and past felony convictions. You may also be asked for contact details, your occupation, and whether you belong to an exempt or excusable group. State forms are similar and may add questions about recent jury service.
Some courts also send a separate case-specific questionnaire to people selected for a particular trial. That one asks about your background and views that might affect a specific case.
Answer honestly
The questionnaire is an official court document, and false answers can have legal consequences. If a question doesn't fit your situation neatly, explain in the space provided or call the jury office. Honest answers that disqualify you are exactly what the process is for.
Privacy
Real questionnaires come from the court, through the address on your summons or the court's official website. The U.S. Courts warn that scammers impersonate courts to collect personal data by phone and email. If a "questionnaire" arrives by an unexpected email or text, check it with the court directly. See jury duty scams.
After you submit
If you're qualified, you'll get reporting instructions or a summons for a date. If you asked to postpone or be excused, wait for confirmation, and assume you're still expected until you hear back. Colorado's jury page, for example, provides an online disqualification request and a separate postponement request. See how to postpone jury duty.