How old is too old for jury duty in Washington? Here’s what state law says

Once you turn 18, you’re eligible to serve on a jury, as long as you meet a handful of other qualifications. But does jury duty ever end, or are U.S. citizens required to serve whenever they’re summoned for their entire adult lives?

According to a 2024 article from the American Association of Retired Persons, 41 states ease their jury duty requirements for the elderly, with some states allowing people to be excused from service as early as 65 years of age.

Here’s what Washington state law says on the topic.

WA requirements for serving on a jury

RCW 2.36.070 outlines five requirements that someone has to meet in order to be eligible for jury duty in Washington:

• Be 18 years of age or older

• Be a U.S. citizen

• Live in the county where you’re serving

• Be able to communicate in English

• Have never been convicted of a felony (if you have been convicted, you’re eligible again once you’ve had your civil rights restored)

Does WA have an age limit for jury duty?

Washington’s only age-related requirement for serving on a jury is that a potential juror is 18 years of age or older. There’s no mention of an age limit in state law and according to several counties’ policies, that means that no one can be excluded from jury duty because of old age alone.

According to the juror information page of Island County’s website, “the State of Washington does not exclude any citizen over the age of 18 from consideration based on age.” King and Clallam counties use similar wording on their websites.

People over 80 can be excused from jury duty

While there’s no age limit to serve on a jury in Washington, if someone 80 years of age or older is having trouble reporting to jury duty, they can get out of it fairly easily.

State law outlines a handful of reasons someone can be excused from jury duty. Included in the list is that people ages 80 and older can request to be excused due to health reasons. The court isn’t allowed to ask for a doctor’s note, and as long as the person needs to fill out a court-provided attestation form, state law requires that the request is granted.

Other reasons you can be excused from jury duty

In addition to age, you can be excused due to illness, or anything else that would cause you “undue hardship [or] extreme inconvenience,” according to the state code.

While it doesn’t take effect until January 2027, a bill recently approved by the state legislature allows people who are breastfeeding to request to be excused from jury duty or delay their service. The court can’t ask for a doctor’s note and must grant the request as long as an attestation form is submitted.

The court can make accommodations for most disabilities and for those caring for a dependent, so you most likely won’t be excused outright. Courts will also accommodate you in the case of a “real” emergency, like a sudden illness or a death in your family.

You won’t be excused from serving in order to go to work, since Washington requires employers to provide leave for jury duty. The state requires counties to pay jurors at least $10 a day, but some employers provide paid jury duty leave as well.

This story was originally published June 9, 2025 at 1:55 PM.