How to get excused from jury duty in Brevard County, Florida
The excusal routes Brevard County, Florida actually recognizes — what each one needs, who decides, and where it goes.
You write the request, and a Judge reads it — but the answer may be a postponement rather than an excusal. The Jury Department told this project on 10 September 2026 that the juror writes the request and sends it by mail or email, and that “sometimes the Judge will postpone the juror out several months to see if their situation changes.” Worth knowing before you write, because it changes what a good letter says. There is no form for hardship or for a medical excuse. Over 70 is a permanent excusal with no doctor’s note. And the detail that decides how much a medical letter is worth: an excuse is typically one year — but “if the doctor specifies it is a permanent condition, the Judge can permanently excuse them.” Nobody will ring your doctor to ask whether they meant permanent. Confirmed 10 September 2026. Worth a note only because the office typed its own address with a typo in its reply, and an earlier version of this page carried a third spelling with a full stop in it. [email protected] — one word, no full stop — is the one that works.
Your routes in Brevard County, Florida
Not qualified to serveIncluded — four grounds, and they are mandatory
Four disqualifications the county treats as mandatory under Fla. Stat. §§ 40.01 and 40.013. If one applies, the question of excusal never arises.
Brevard County Clerk of Court — juror portal, Excusals & Disqualifications. “Mandatory Juror Disqualifications (§ 40.01 and § 40.013, Fla. Stat.): Not a citizen of the United States of America; Not a resident of Brevard County, Florida; Currently under prosecution for a crime; Convicted felon, civil rights not restored.”
Residence is the one that catches people, because people move and the county is what matters, not the state. The portal wants the license or ID that shows the new address.
There is nothing here for us to sell you. These are facts, ticked on a form.
See the full detail →Residence is the one that catches people, because people move and the county is what matters, not the state. The portal wants the license or ID that shows the new address.
There is nothing here for us to sell you. These are facts, ticked on a form.
Parent of a young childIncluded — a child under six, and you are not in full-time work
A parent with custody of a child under six who is not employed full-time. The portal asks for the child’s birth certificate.
Brevard County Clerk of Court — juror portal, Excusals & Disqualifications. “Parent not working full-time with custody of a child under six (6) years of age.”
This ground did not appear in the office’s written answer — which described hardship, medical, age and postponement and stopped. It is on the county’s own portal, which is where the grounds actually live.
Note the employment half. Full-time work and a child under six together do not qualify you here; the ground is written for the parent who is at home with the child.
See the full detail →This ground did not appear in the office’s written answer — which described hardship, medical, age and postponement and stopped. It is on the county’s own portal, which is where the grounds actually live.
Note the employment half. Full-time work and a child under six together do not qualify you here; the ground is written for the parent who is at home with the child.
Caring for an incapacitated personIncluded — caring for someone who cannot care for themselves
Responsible for the care of someone medically or mentally unable to care for themselves. Needs a licensed physician’s written statement.
Brevard County Clerk of Court — juror portal, Excusals & Disqualifications. “Responsible for Care of Someone Mentally or Physically Unable to Care for Themselves — Please provide written statement by a licensed physician.”
The portal does not say what the statement has to say, and this project has not been told. It is presumably the cared-for person’s physician rather than yours, but that is an inference and it is not printed anywhere. One call to (321) 637-2018 before the appointment is worth more than a guess, because the letter is about somebody else’s health and cannot be un-sent.
See the full detail →The portal does not say what the statement has to say, and this project has not been told. It is presumably the cared-for person’s physician rather than yours, but that is an inference and it is not printed anywhere. One call to (321) 637-2018 before the appointment is worth more than a guess, because the letter is about somebody else’s health and cannot be un-sent.
Permanently incapable of caring for yourselfIncluded — permanent incapacity, with a physician’s statement
Named in the statute and on the portal, covering mental illness, intellectual disability, senility or other physical or mental incapacity. Needs a licensed physician’s written statement.
Brevard County Clerk of Court — juror portal, Excusals & Disqualifications. “Permanently Incapable of Caring for Self — Due to mental illness, intellectual disability, senility, or other physical/mental incapacity. Please provide written statement by a licensed physician.”
The word is permanently. This is not the ground for a condition you expect to recover from — for that, look at extreme hardship, or ask the office about a medical excusal, which Brevard handles by letter rather than by form.
See the full detail →The word is permanently. This is not the ground for a condition you expect to recover from — for that, look at extreme hardship, or ask the office about a medical excusal, which Brevard handles by letter rather than by form.
Pregnancy or recent birthIncluded — expectant, or within six months of giving birth
Two separate grounds on the portal: an expectant mother, and a woman who has given birth within the six months before her reporting date.
Brevard County Clerk of Court — juror portal, Excusals & Disqualifications. “Expectant mother” and “A woman who has given birth within the 6 months before the reporting date on the summons.”
The six months runs back from your reporting date, not from today. If your date is some way off, check which side of it you fall on before you rely on this ground.
Nothing to sell here. No document is asked for.
See the full detail →The six months runs back from your reporting date, not from today. If your date is some way off, check which side of it you fall on before you rely on this ground.
Nothing to sell here. No document is asked for.
Served recentlyIncluded — jury service in Brevard in the last 12 months
Served as a juror in Brevard County within the last 12 months. The portal asks for the location and dates.
Brevard County Clerk of Court — juror portal, Excusals & Disqualifications. “Served as a juror in Brevard County, Florida within the last 12 months.”
Brevard County specifically. The ground names this county; service elsewhere is not what it describes.
Have the courthouse and the dates to hand — the portal asks for both.
See the full detail →Brevard County specifically. The ground names this county; service elsewhere is not what it describes.
Have the courthouse and the dates to hand — the portal asks for both.
Full-time student aged 18 to 21Included — but only between 18 and 21
A narrow window: full-time student, and aged between 18 and 21. Twenty-two is outside it.
Brevard County Clerk of Court — juror portal, Excusals & Disqualifications. “Full-Time Student Between 18-21 Years of Age.”
Both halves are limits. Part-time study does not qualify, and neither does being 22 — a graduate student in their mid-twenties is outside this ground however full-time the course. If you are over 21, extreme hardship is the route to look at instead.
See the full detail →Both halves are limits. Part-time study does not qualify, and neither does being 22 — a graduate student in their mid-twenties is outside this ground however full-time the course. If you are over 21, extreme hardship is the route to look at instead.
Law enforcement officerIncluded — sworn officers with arresting authority
A law enforcement officer with arresting authority. The portal asks for the agency and badge number.
Brevard County Clerk of Court — juror portal, Excusals & Disqualifications. “Law Enforcement Officer, with arresting authority.”
The qualifier is arresting authority, not employment by an agency. The portal draws the line there, and it is the same line Broward draws with full-time sworn.
See the full detail →The qualifier is arresting authority, not employment by an agency. The portal draws the line there, and it is the same line Broward draws with full-time sworn.
Age 70 or olderIncluded — 70+, permanent, and no doctor involved
A permanent excusal, with no doctor’s note required.
Jury Department, Brevard County Clerk of Court — by email, 10 September 2026. “Over 70 a person can be permanently excused with no doctor’s note.”
Fourteen counties have now been asked whether age alone is enough, and the answers have gone fourteen different ways. One prints that age does not qualify a person at all. One sets it at 80 and wants a health reason. One sets it at 75. One works only if you file before the summons arrives; another forbids filing early.
Brevard is among the simplest, and the clause that makes it so is the second one: no doctor’s note. Several counties in this project route age through a medical test, and this one says in terms that it does not.
See the full detail →Fourteen counties have now been asked whether age alone is enough, and the answers have gone fourteen different ways. One prints that age does not qualify a person at all. One sets it at 80 and wants a health reason. One sets it at 75. One works only if you file before the summons arrives; another forbids filing early.
Brevard is among the simplest, and the clause that makes it so is the second one: no doctor’s note. Several counties in this project route age through a medical test, and this one says in terms that it does not.
PostponementIncluded — two, about 90 days each
Up to two postponements within a six-month period, typically about 90 days at a time — the office keeps the second in reserve in case the first date does not work either.
Jury Department, Brevard County Clerk of Court — by email, 10 September 2026. The portal publishes the rule, and it is tighter than the office’s description of its habit. “Jurors are entitled to two (2) postponements that together do not exceed six (6) months from the original summons date. You cannot reschedule within three (3) business days. You must choose a date that falls on a Monday (excluding court holidays).”
It has to be a Monday. Nothing in the office’s reply mentioned that, and nobody would guess it — it is the difference between a date that works and a form that comes back. And the six months runs from your original summons date, not from the date you are moving off.
Do not leave it to the last minute: you cannot reschedule within three business days of the date.
Here is how the office described its own practice, which is still worth knowing:
“A juror can be postponed for a total of 2 times within a 6 month period. Typically we postpone a juror [about] 90 days so we have another 90 days to work with if they can’t make the second date we give them.”
Read the reasoning the office gives, because it tells you how to ask. Brevard deliberately moves people about ninety days the first time so that a second ninety is still available inside the window. A juror who asks to be pushed to the far end of the six months may be spending both moves at once.
There is nothing here for us to sell you. It is a request, not an argument.
See the full detail →It has to be a Monday. Nothing in the office’s reply mentioned that, and nobody would guess it — it is the difference between a date that works and a form that comes back. And the six months runs from your original summons date, not from the date you are moving off.
Do not leave it to the last minute: you cannot reschedule within three business days of the date.
Here is how the office described its own practice, which is still worth knowing:
“A juror can be postponed for a total of 2 times within a 6 month period. Typically we postpone a juror [about] 90 days so we have another 90 days to work with if they can’t make the second date we give them.”
Read the reasoning the office gives, because it tells you how to ask. Brevard deliberately moves people about ninety days the first time so that a second ninety is still available inside the window. A juror who asks to be pushed to the far end of the six months may be spending both moves at once.
There is nothing here for us to sell you. It is a request, not an argument.
Medical excusalA letter from your doctor — and the word “permanent” decides how long it lasts
No form. A letter from a physician is typically enough. Whether it runs a year or forever depends on whether the doctor says the condition is permanent.
Jury Department, Brevard County Clerk of Court — by email, 10 September 2026. “There is not a form for that or a medical excuse. Typically for medical excuses a letter from a physician is fine.” And on how long it lasts: “If the excuse is granted it is typically for 1 year from the date of service. However some conditions are permanent so if the doctor specifies it is a permanent condition, the Judge can permanently excuse them.”
That second quotation is the reason this entry costs anything. There is no form here with a box to tick and no clerk who will follow up. The difference between an excusal that expires in twelve months and one that never does is a sentence your doctor either writes or does not — and a practice asked for “a note for jury duty” will not write it unprompted, because nobody told them it mattered.
This is now the fifth county in this project where a permanent excusal turns on the physician’s wording. The pattern is consistent enough to be worth stating plainly: if your condition is not going to improve, say so to your doctor before the letter is written, not after it is sent.
One caution that applies everywhere: Brevard has not said what the letter should or should not contain, and several counties in this project have said in terms that they want no diagnosis and no records. Ask the office before sending anything beyond the letter itself.
That second quotation is the reason this entry costs anything. There is no form here with a box to tick and no clerk who will follow up. The difference between an excusal that expires in twelve months and one that never does is a sentence your doctor either writes or does not — and a practice asked for “a note for jury duty” will not write it unprompted, because nobody told them it mattered.
This is now the fifth county in this project where a permanent excusal turns on the physician’s wording. The pattern is consistent enough to be worth stating plainly: if your condition is not going to improve, say so to your doctor before the letter is written, not after it is sent.
One caution that applies everywhere: Brevard has not said what the letter should or should not contain, and several counties in this project have said in terms that they want no diagnosis and no records. Ask the office before sending anything beyond the letter itself.
$9.97 · prepared for you, reviewed before you send it.
Prepare your What Your Doctor Needs to Write →Financial hardshipYou write it, a Judge reads it — and may postpone you instead
No form. You write the request and send it by mail or email, and a Judge decides. The office says the Judge sometimes responds by postponing you several months instead.
Jury Department, Brevard County Clerk of Court — by email, 10 September 2026. “The juror would write the request either mailing it in the mail to us or emailing us… Sometimes the Judge will postpone the juror out several months to see if their situation changes.” And: “There is not a form for that.”
The second sentence is the one that should shape your letter. Most counties in this project treat a hardship request as a yes-or-no. Brevard names a third outcome: a Judge may simply move you several months and wait. That is not a refusal, and for a great many people it is the right answer — but if it is not the right answer for you, the letter has to say why.
So write it knowing a Judge will be asking themselves whether time alone fixes this. If it does, ask for a postponement instead — you get two, of about ninety days each, and they cost nothing. If it does not, that is the most important sentence in your letter.
A granted excuse here typically runs one year from the date of service.
The office also told us how these usually turn out, and we are passing it on in its own words rather than ours. Asked what happens to a hardship request once it reaches the Judge, the Jury Department wrote on 10 September 2026 that “typically the Judge will grant” an excusal submitted to it.
That is the office describing what it sees, not a rule and not a promise. It is quoted here rather than paraphrased so you can weigh it yourself. Read it next to the other thing the same office said in the same reply — that the Judge “sometimes… will postpone the juror out several months to see if their situation changes.” Both sentences describe the same decision by the same person. Nobody can tell you which one you will get, and the deciding is the Judge’s alone.
The second sentence is the one that should shape your letter. Most counties in this project treat a hardship request as a yes-or-no. Brevard names a third outcome: a Judge may simply move you several months and wait. That is not a refusal, and for a great many people it is the right answer — but if it is not the right answer for you, the letter has to say why.
So write it knowing a Judge will be asking themselves whether time alone fixes this. If it does, ask for a postponement instead — you get two, of about ninety days each, and they cost nothing. If it does not, that is the most important sentence in your letter.
A granted excuse here typically runs one year from the date of service.
The office also told us how these usually turn out, and we are passing it on in its own words rather than ours. Asked what happens to a hardship request once it reaches the Judge, the Jury Department wrote on 10 September 2026 that “typically the Judge will grant” an excusal submitted to it.
That is the office describing what it sees, not a rule and not a promise. It is quoted here rather than paraphrased so you can weigh it yourself. Read it next to the other thing the same office said in the same reply — that the Judge “sometimes… will postpone the juror out several months to see if their situation changes.” Both sentences describe the same decision by the same person. Nobody can tell you which one you will get, and the deciding is the Judge’s alone.
$19.97 · prepared for you, reviewed before you send it.
Prepare your Hardship Letter →Contact the court
Jury Department, Brevard County Clerk of Court — Moore Justice CenterJury line: (321) 637-2018
Email [email protected]. Fax (321) 637-5482. (321) 218-5788 is recorded reporting information, not a question line — use the office number for anything that needs an answer. Confirmed 10 September 2026. Worth a note only because the office typed its own address with a typo in its reply, and an earlier version of this page carried a third spelling with a full stop in it. [email protected] — one word, no full stop — is the one that works.
Email [email protected]. Fax (321) 637-5482. (321) 218-5788 is recorded reporting information, not a question line — use the office number for anything that needs an answer. Confirmed 10 September 2026. Worth a note only because the office typed its own address with a typo in its reply, and an earlier version of this page carried a third spelling with a full stop in it. [email protected] — one word, no full stop — is the one that works.
Other counties
JuryFree prepares documents and guidance from the facts you provide. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice or guarantee any outcome. Court rules and deadlines vary by county and change over time — confirm with the court before you rely on anything here. Questions: [email protected].