How to get excused from jury duty in Cass County, Missouri
The excusal routes Cass County, Missouri actually recognizes — what each one needs, who decides, and where it goes.
Cass answers by pointing at its own published answers — the Jury Department was asked six questions and replied that they are all covered by the Frequently Asked Questions page on its Juror Information tab. That page settles three things. Anyone 70 and over may be permanently excused on request, which is stronger than almost anywhere else in this dataset. Financial hardship is not decided at the summons stage at all: “hardships are discussed during jury selection for trial,” and the same goes for self-employment. And the postponement is one, on request, with the date assigned for you — it goes automatically to the next term, so there is nothing to propose and nothing to argue. One more thing the page says that has nothing to do with excusal and is worth more than most of it: under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 494.460 your employer cannot make you use your own leave for responding to the summons, for jury selection, or for serving.
Your routes in Cass County, Missouri
Age 70 or olderIncluded — 70+, and it is permanent
Anyone 70 and over may be permanently excused, on request — by portal, email or telephone. Not for the term: permanently.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Frequently Asked Questions and Excusal Requests list, Juror Information. “Anyone 70 or over, upon request via portal, email or call in.” The county’s FAQ puts it the other way round and adds the floor: “You must be 21 years of age to serve as a juror. In Cass County, anyone 70 and over may be permanently excused, upon request.”
Two numbers, both worth noticing. The floor is 21 here, not 18 as it is in several other states in this dataset. And the ceiling is not an excusal for the year — it is permanent. Of the eight counties that have now answered this question, this is the only one that says so.
The phrasing is county-specific on its face: “In Cass County…” Do not carry it to a neighboring Missouri county without asking there.
See the full detail →Two numbers, both worth noticing. The floor is 21 here, not 18 as it is in several other states in this dataset. And the ceiling is not an excusal for the year — it is permanent. Of the eight counties that have now answered this question, this is the only one that says so.
The phrasing is county-specific on its face: “In Cass County…” Do not carry it to a neighboring Missouri county without asking there.
PostponementIncluded — one, and the date is assigned for you
One postponement, as of right, if you have not been postponed before. The new date goes automatically to the next term of service — you do not choose it.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Frequently Asked Questions, Juror Information. “Yes. If you have not previously been postponed. Upon timely request, individuals scheduled to appear for jury service have the right to postpone the date of their initial appearance for jury service one time. The postponement date will automatically go to the next term of service.”
There is nothing here for us to write for you, and that is the useful finding. A document that argued for a particular date would be arguing with a rule that assigns the date. Ask, and it is granted; ask twice and it is not.
So the decision is not how to ask but whether to. You have one, it moves you to the next term whatever that term looks like, and using it now means it is not available later.
See the full detail →There is nothing here for us to write for you, and that is the useful finding. A document that argued for a particular date would be arguing with a rule that assigns the date. Ask, and it is granted; ask twice and it is not.
So the decision is not how to ask but whether to. You have one, it moves you to the next term whatever that term looks like, and using it now means it is not available later.
Jury service in the last two yearsIncluded — 24 months, with proof
County or federal jury service within the last 24 months is an excusal. The office needs proof of service.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Frequently Asked Questions, Juror Information. “No. If you served County or Federal Jury Service within the last 24 months, we will just need proof of service information for excusal.”
Short and unconditional. The only work is on your side: find the proof. If you no longer have it, the court that summoned you can usually confirm the dates — ask them before you ask Cass, because “proof of service information” is the whole of what this turns on.
See the full detail →Short and unconditional. The only work is on your side: find the proof. If you no longer have it, the court that summoned you can usually confirm the dates — ask them before you ask Cass, because “proof of service information” is the whole of what this turns on.
Nursing motherIncluded — on request, with a physician’s letter
Any nursing mother may be excused on her own request. A letter from her physician is required, faxed to (816) 380-8225.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Frequently Asked Questions, Juror Information. “Yes, any nursing mother, upon her request, may be excused. A letter from your physician is required.”
Both halves matter. The excusal follows from the request — no hardship has to be shown — but the letter is stated as a requirement, so a request without one is incomplete.
What the county does not publish is what the letter must contain. That is worth one email before you take up your physician’s time, and it is also worth knowing that other counties in this project have said in terms that they want no clinical detail at all.
See the full detail →Both halves matter. The excusal follows from the request — no hardship has to be shown — but the letter is stated as a requirement, so a request without one is incomplete.
What the county does not publish is what the letter must contain. That is worth one email before you take up your physician’s time, and it is also worth knowing that other counties in this project have said in terms that they want no clinical detail at all.
Licensed health care providerIncluded — licensed health care providers
A person licensed as a health care provider under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 538.205 may be excused, on an uploaded or emailed state license showing name, active status and expiry.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Excusal Requests list and FAQ, Juror Information. The excusal list is the more precise of the two: “Licensed Healthcare Workers: you must upload your state license to the portal or email to [email protected]. We have to see your name, active status and expiration date.” The FAQ gives the statutory basis: “Any person licensed as a health care provider as such term is defined in Missouri Revised Statute 538.205, may be excused. You must provide your State License showing your active status, and expiration date.”
An unusual ground, and an unusually mechanical one: the county has tied it to a statutory definition and to a document you already hold. There is no letter to obtain and no case to make.
Send the license, not a description of it. The two things named — active status and expiry date — are exactly what a screenshot or scan of the license itself will show.
See the full detail →An unusual ground, and an unusually mechanical one: the county has tied it to a statutory definition and to a document you already hold. There is no letter to obtain and no case to make.
Send the license, not a description of it. The two things named — active status and expiry date — are exactly what a screenshot or scan of the license itself will show.
Disability or medical conditionIncluded — an SSDI letter, or your doctor faxes one
A social security disability benefit letter, uploaded or emailed. Or your doctor faxes a letter to (816) 380-8225. Either one, not both.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Excusal Requests list, Juror Information. “Disabled Person’s: requires social security disability benefit letter uploaded to portal or emailed to [email protected], or your doctor can fax a letter to 816-380-8225.”
Two roads, and the first one may already be in a drawer. An SSDI benefit letter is a document you were sent; it needs no appointment and no explanation. The doctor’s letter is the alternative for anyone who does not have one.
There is nothing here for us to sell you, and that is worth saying plainly: the county has not asked for an account of your condition, an argument, or a form of words. It has asked for a document you either hold or can request. What the letter must say is not published — if you are going the doctor route, one call to the office before the appointment is worth more than anything we could write.
Note the fax number. It is 816-380-8225, not the office’s general fax on 816-380-8195.
See the full detail →Two roads, and the first one may already be in a drawer. An SSDI benefit letter is a document you were sent; it needs no appointment and no explanation. The doctor’s letter is the alternative for anyone who does not have one.
There is nothing here for us to sell you, and that is worth saying plainly: the county has not asked for an account of your condition, an argument, or a form of words. It has asked for a document you either hold or can request. What the letter must say is not published — if you are going the doctor route, one call to the office before the appointment is worth more than anything we could write.
Note the fax number. It is 816-380-8225, not the office’s general fax on 816-380-8195.
No longer a Cass County residentIncluded — moved out, and five documents will prove it
If you have moved out of the county, any one of five documents settles it — photo ID, voter registration, property tax receipt, utility bill, or a lease or mortgage.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Excusal Requests list, Juror Information. “Non-Cass Residents: if you have moved out of the County, we will need one of the following documents uploaded to the portal, or emailed to [email protected]: Current photo ID with correct name and address; Current voter registration card; Property tax receipt; Utility bill with your name and address; Lease or mortgage contract.”
Five options, and you need one. That is unusually generous — many counties in this project name a single acceptable proof or none at all — and it means almost anyone who has genuinely moved can settle this from a folder or an email inbox in ten minutes.
The commonest way this goes wrong is the photo ID: people reach for the driving license first, and a license that still carries the old address is evidence against the request rather than for it. Pick the document that shows where you live now.
See the full detail →Five options, and you need one. That is unusually generous — many counties in this project name a single acceptable proof or none at all — and it means almost anyone who has genuinely moved can settle this from a folder or an email inbox in ten minutes.
The commonest way this goes wrong is the photo ID: people reach for the driving license first, and a license that still carries the old address is evidence against the request rather than for it. Pick the document that shows where you live now.
Full-time studentIncluded — acceptance letter or class schedule
Full-time students are excused on an acceptance letter or a class schedule, uploaded or emailed.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Excusal Requests list, Juror Information. “Full Time Student: We must have your acceptance letter or class schedule uploaded to the portal or emailed to [email protected].”
An excusal, not a postponement, and with no distance requirement attached — which is worth noticing, because other counties in this project only move a student to a later date, and one of them requires the student to live more than sixty miles from the courthouse before it will do even that.
Full-time is the only condition the county states. Send whichever of the two documents you can lay hands on today.
See the full detail →An excusal, not a postponement, and with no distance requirement attached — which is worth noticing, because other counties in this project only move a student to a later date, and one of them requires the student to live more than sixty miles from the courthouse before it will do even that.
Full-time is the only condition the county states. Send whichever of the two documents you can lay hands on today.
Active militaryIncluded — on current orders
Active military service, on current orders uploaded to the portal or emailed.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Excusal Requests list, Juror Information. “Active military, must have current orders uploaded to portal or emailed to [email protected].”
One document and one word doing the work: current. Everything else about your service is beside the point as far as this list is concerned.
See the full detail →One document and one word doing the work: current. Everything else about your service is beside the point as far as this list is concerned.
Employee of a religious institutionIncluded — but narrower than it first reads
An employee of a religious institution whose religious obligations or constraints prohibit jury service. The certification may come from their religious supervisor.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Excusal Requests list, Juror Information. “Any employee of a religious institution whose religious obligations or constraints prohibit them serving on a jury. The certification of the employment and the obligation or constraint may be provided by the employee’s religious supervisor.”
Narrower than the word “religious” suggests, and it is worth being precise about why. The ground is built on employment by a religious institution. A person with a sincerely held religious objection who works elsewhere does not come within it as written.
The useful half is who signs. You are not being asked to certify your own beliefs — the county says the certification may come from your religious supervisor, which puts both facts, the employment and the constraint, in the hands of someone whose office is to know them.
See the full detail →Narrower than the word “religious” suggests, and it is worth being precise about why. The ground is built on employment by a religious institution. A person with a sincerely held religious objection who works elsewhere does not come within it as written.
The useful half is who signs. You are not being asked to certify your own beliefs — the county says the certification may come from your religious supervisor, which puts both facts, the employment and the constraint, in the hands of someone whose office is to know them.
Not qualified to serveIncluded — no documents named
Two grounds the county lists without asking for proof: a felony conviction with rights not restored, and not understanding or speaking English.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Excusal Requests list, Juror Information. Two of the ten grounds on the county’s list are stated in a line each, with no proof asked for: “Convicted Felon, rights not restored” and “Someone who does not understand or speak the English language.”
Every other ground on that list names a document. These two do not, which suggests the office resolves them in conversation rather than on paper — but it is not a promise, and the office may ask.
If you are helping someone who does not read English, this is the entry that concerns them, and the request can be made by phone on (816) 380-8202.
See the full detail →Every other ground on that list names a document. These two do not, which suggests the office resolves them in conversation rather than on paper — but it is not a promise, and the office may ask.
If you are helping someone who does not read English, this is the entry that concerns them, and the request can be made by phone on (816) 380-8202.
Financial hardship or self-employmentNot decided at the summons stage — raised at jury selection
The court generally does not excuse for financial hardship when the summons goes out. Hardships are discussed during jury selection, and self-employment is treated the same way.
Cass County Circuit Clerk — published Frequently Asked Questions, Juror Information. “Because of the importance of assuring that individuals from throughout the community participate in the jury process, the Court generally does not excuse individuals based on financial hardship at the initial summons stage of the process. Instead, hardships are discussed during jury selection for trial. The same applies for self-employment.”
Note the word “generally.” This is not a statement that staff have no authority — it is a statement about where the court prefers to deal with it. The practical effect is the same: nothing is settled before the day.
The FAQ also sets out what happens if you simply do not turn up, and it is worth reading once before deciding anything: willful failure to appear is civil contempt, with a show-cause hearing, a fine of up to $500, possible community service “for a time no less than would have been spent in jury service,” and a re-summons.
Finally, the employer answer, which is the most useful sentence on the page: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 494.460 prohibits an employer from taking adverse action because you received or responded to a summons, and provides that “an employee may not be required to use available leave for time spent responding to a jury summons, time spent participating in the jury selection process, or time spent actually serving on a jury.” The law does not require your employer to pay your wages — but it cannot bill the time to your holiday.
Note the word “generally.” This is not a statement that staff have no authority — it is a statement about where the court prefers to deal with it. The practical effect is the same: nothing is settled before the day.
The FAQ also sets out what happens if you simply do not turn up, and it is worth reading once before deciding anything: willful failure to appear is civil contempt, with a show-cause hearing, a fine of up to $500, possible community service “for a time no less than would have been spent in jury service,” and a re-summons.
Finally, the employer answer, which is the most useful sentence on the page: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 494.460 prohibits an employer from taking adverse action because you received or responded to a summons, and provides that “an employee may not be required to use available leave for time spent responding to a jury summons, time spent participating in the jury selection process, or time spent actually serving on a jury.” The law does not require your employer to pay your wages — but it cannot bill the time to your holiday.
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Prepare your Talking Points for Judge →Contact the court
Jury Department, Cass County Circuit Clerk — 2501 W Mechanic St, Harrisonville, MO 64701Jury line: (816) 380-8202
Jury inbox [email protected], given by the office on 10 September 2026, which asks that email be used for a faster response. Fax (816) 380-8195, marked Attn: Jury. Note before you set off: cell phones and other electronic devices cannot be brought into the Justice Center, and the court provides neither childcare nor transport.
Jury inbox [email protected], given by the office on 10 September 2026, which asks that email be used for a faster response. Fax (816) 380-8195, marked Attn: Jury. Note before you set off: cell phones and other electronic devices cannot be brought into the Justice Center, and the court provides neither childcare nor transport.
Other counties
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