How to get excused from jury duty in Queens County, New York
The excusal routes Queens County, New York actually recognizes — what each one needs, who decides, and where it goes.
Queens keeps both doors open and commits to neither. The Chief Deputy County Clerk answered on 3 September 2026: “if a juror has concerns about completing service, they may appear for service and explain their circumstances to the court or they may contact our office in advance. Each situation is unique and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.” That is a real difference from the rest of the city — Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx all refuse to decide financial hardship before your date, and Queens does not refuse. But it promises nothing either, and publishes no criteria. What it does commit to is the postponement: one, of two to six months, without providing a reason. If timing is the problem, that is the whole answer and it costs nothing.
Your routes in Queens County, New York
Age exemptionUsually automatic
New York recognizes standard age-based accommodations — confirm your specific eligibility.
See the full detail →PostponementFree — and the only thing Queens actually commits to
One postponement of two to six months, with no reason required. Confirmed in writing by the Clerk’s Office.
Queens County Clerk’s Office — confirmed by email, 3 September 2026. “Jurors in Queens County may request one postponement of 2 to 6 months without providing a reason.” This is the one thing the office states without qualification, and for a great many people it is the entire solution: no letter, no argument, no documents, nothing to buy. Take it first and see whether the problem survives. Note the limit, though — it is one, and Queens is the New York county that publishes what happens next: additional postponements require an in-person submission with documentation. So spend it on a date that genuinely works.
See the full detail →Financial hardshipBoth routes open, neither guaranteed
Queens will look at a request sent in advance or hear it from you on the day. It states no criteria for either and reviews every case individually.
NY Judiciary Law § 517 / 22 NYCRR 128.6-a — as Queens applies it. The statutory test is whether service would significantly compromise your ability to support yourself or your dependents, and the Clerk’s Office pointed to § 517 directly. What it would not do is say how Queens decides: “they may appear for service and explain their circumstances to the court or they may contact our office in advance. Each situation is unique and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.” Read that as it is written. It is not the flat refusal Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx give — a request sent in advance will be looked at. But no criteria are published, no outcome is promised, and the office offers appearing in person as an equal alternative. On employer pay: under § 519 an employer of more than ten people may not withhold the first $72 of your daily wages for the first three days; beyond that, nothing is owed.
$19.97 · prepared for you, reviewed before you send it.
Prepare your Hardship Letter →Medical conditionHigh, with documentation
Physician's note accepted.
NY Judiciary Law § 517. Recognizes documented medical conditions as an excusal ground.
See the full detail →Contact the court
Jury Division, Queens County Clerk’s Office, 88-11 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica NY 11435Jury line: (718) 262-7200
The Clerk’s Office also answers on (718) 298-0604. It replied to this project by email within a week. Put your juror index number in anything you send.
The Clerk’s Office also answers on (718) 298-0604. It replied to this project by email within a week. Put your juror index number in anything you send.
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].