Does Jury Duty Pay for Mileage and Parking? Federal Yes, States Mostly Maybe

Q: How do I claim mileage and parking reimbursement?

Fill out the court's juror expense form, record round-trip mileage on the shortest direct route, attach parking receipts, and submit by the deadline.

Published October 3, 2026

The daily stipend is the number everyone quotes, but it is not the number that decides whether jury duty costs you money. A juror who drives 30 miles round trip and pays $18 to park near the courthouse can spend more getting there than the court pays them for showing up. So the practical question is not just what the stipend is. It is: does jury duty pay for mileage and parking?

The answer splits cleanly in two: federal courts, yes, and state courts, it depends on your state, sometimes down to the county.

Federal courts: mileage, tolls, and parking, plus $50 a day

Federal jurors are paid $50 per day of attendance under 28 U.S.C. 1871, rising to $60 per day after 10 days of service on a trial. On top of that, federal courts reimburse mileage for driving to and from the courthouse at a rate set by the General Services Administration, plus tolls, plus parking fees at the court's discretion. Bus fare and ferry tickets count too. Jurors who live far enough away to need an overnight stay can qualify for a subsistence allowance covering meals and lodging; in the Western District of Washington, for example, the threshold is 60 miles from the courthouse.

Here is what that looks like for a 5-day federal trial with a 30-mile round trip. The stipend is $250. Mileage at the federal rate adds up over 150 miles of driving, tolls and parking are reimbursed on top, and critically, these expense reimbursements are not taxable income. The daily pay is taxable and gets reported on your return, but the mileage check is just making you whole.

State courts: a patchwork with real gaps

State courts set their own rules, and the range is extreme. A few examples that show how different "it depends" can get:

Florida: nothing. Jurors get no pay for the first three days and $30 per day from day four, and the statute is explicit that jurors are "not entitled to additional reimbursement" for travel, parking, tolls, or meals. You cover your own gas, parking, and lunch every day.
Kentucky: $12.50 flat. Five dollars of attendance fee plus $7.50 of expense reimbursement meant to cover meals and parking, unchanged since 1978. There is no separate mileage reimbursement.
Connecticut: itemized. Part-time and unemployed jurors get out-of-pocket expenses for the first five days: round-trip mileage at $0.20 per mile, plus childcare and parking, totaling between $20 and $50 per day.
Minnesota: parking yes, with a twist. Jurors can request parking reimbursement, but the amount is subtracted from their attendance compensation. You get the parking back; you do not get it on top.

The pattern: most states reimburse something for travel, but the rates were often set decades ago and have not kept up with parking garage prices. And a handful of states reimburse nothing at all, which means the true cost of serving is the stipend minus your commute, and that math can go negative fast.

How to actually claim it

Do not leave the courthouse without asking. The claim process is usually a form handed out with your summons or at orientation: you record your mileage, attach parking receipts, and the check arrives by mail weeks later. Three things that trip people up:

Keep every receipt. Parking without a receipt is parking you paid for twice. Some courts accept a written declaration, but a receipt is never questioned.
Use the shortest direct route. Connecticut's rule is typical: mileage is calculated on the shortest, most direct route, not the one you actually drove.
Know which court summoned you. A federal summons and a state summons in the same city have completely different reimbursement rules. Your summons paperwork says which one you got.

One tax note: jury duty pay is taxable income, reported on Schedule 1 of Form 1040. But reimbursements for mileage, parking, and tolls are not taxable, since they cover costs you would not otherwise have incurred. If your employer requires you to turn over the jury fee, you can generally deduct the surrendered amount.

Frequently asked questions

Do I get paid mileage for jury duty?

In federal court, yes, at the GSA rate, plus tolls. In state court it varies: some states pay per-mile, some fold travel into a flat daily amount, and some, like Florida, pay nothing for travel.

Does jury duty cover parking?

Federal courts can reimburse parking at the court's discretion. State courts vary: Connecticut and Minnesota reimburse parking, Kentucky folds it into a flat $7.50 expense allowance, and Florida does not reimburse it at all.

Are jury duty reimbursements taxable?

The daily attendance fee is taxable income. Reimbursements for mileage, parking, and tolls are not taxable, because they only make you whole for costs of serving.

How do I claim mileage and parking reimbursement?

Fill out the juror expense form provided by the court, record your round-trip mileage on the shortest direct route, attach parking receipts, and submit before you leave or by the stated deadline. The check is typically mailed weeks later.

Estimate your total: use the Jury Duty Pay Calculator to see your state's daily rate plus travel.

Want more of these? I write one practical guide a week on money, health costs, and the tools that decode them. Subscribe free here.