How to get excused from jury duty in Santa Clara County, California
The excusal routes Santa Clara County, California actually recognizes — what each one needs, who decides, and where it goes.
Santa Clara takes hardship on a form, and gives you a second chance if it fails. The Jury Commissioner’s Office confirmed the sequence on 4 September 2026: “you can fill out our request for hardship information within our website… prior to your jury summons week. If for some reason you do not qualify you can express your hardship to the Judge, if you are summoned.” That fallback matters — a refused request is not the end here, unlike most counties. Two practical limits: the form lives behind the eJuror login, so nobody outside the process can see what it asks; and a postponement moves you only 90 days.
Your routes in Santa Clara County, California
Age 70 or olderUsually automatic
California recognizes age 70+ as an automatic excuse in most counties — no letter or argument required.
See the full detail →Financial hardship — the request formFree — the county’s own form does this
Santa Clara takes hardship on a form inside its eJuror portal, filed before your summons week. There is no letter to send and nothing we could add to it.
Jury Commissioner’s Office, Santa Clara County — confirmed by email, 4 September 2026. In the office’s own words: “if you have a financial hardship, you can fill out our request for hardship information within our website… You can fill out the request prior to your jury summons week.” It is a form, filed in the portal, and it is free. We will not describe what it asks, because it sits behind a login keyed to your juror record and neither the county’s website nor its FAQ publishes the fields — so anyone telling you what is on that screen has not seen it either. File it early: the office ties the deadline to your summons week, not your report date. And note what the county does not ask for: no letter, no attachment, no documentation.
See the full detail →Financial hardship, raised with the JudgeThe fallback — if the form is refused
Santa Clara states that a juror who does not qualify on the form can still express the hardship to the Judge if summoned. A refused request is not the end here.
California Rule of Court 2.1008 — as Santa Clara applies it. California’s standard turns on an inability to meet necessary daily living expenses as a direct result of serving. Santa Clara applies it first on its own form, and then — unusually — a second time in person: “if for some reason you do not qualify you can express your hardship to the Judge, if you are summoned.” Most counties in this dataset offer one route or the other. Santa Clara offers the form, and keeps the courtroom open behind it.
$14.97 · prepared for you, reviewed before you send it.
Prepare your Talking Points for Judge →Caregiver or medical conditionHigh, with documentation
Physician's note or caregiver documentation accepted.
California Rule of Court 2.1008. Recognizes both caregiving obligations and physical or mental impairments, with documentation.
See the full detail →Contact the court
Jury Commissioner’s Office, Santa Clara County Superior Court, 191 N. First Street, San Jose CA 95113Jury line: (408) 808-6666
(408) 808-6666 is an automated line. Office hours Mon–Thu 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m., Fri 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. The [email protected] mailbox answers questions but does not accept excuse or postponement requests — those go through the portal at jury.scscourt.org.
(408) 808-6666 is an automated line. Office hours Mon–Thu 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m., Fri 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m. The [email protected] mailbox answers questions but does not accept excuse or postponement requests — those go through the portal at jury.scscourt.org.
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].