Illinois jury pay is one of the more confusing state systems, because there is a state rule and then there is what your county actually does. How much does jury duty pay in Illinois? The statutory floor is $25 for the first day of service and $50 for each day after. Counties can set a higher rate by county board action. But counties also just set their own schedules, so the number on your summons letter is the number that matters.
Cook County, where Chicago sits, pays $17.50 a day. Lake County pays $5 a day for the first two days, $7.50 for the next three, and $10 a day after that, plus a $5 daily meal allowance and zip-code-based mileage. Jasper County pays the $25 and $50 state floor plus $1 per mile one way. Adams County pays $12.50 a day plus 25 cents a mile. You can see the problem with quoting a single Illinois number: the state gives a floor, and 102 counties do 102 different things.
How much does jury duty pay in Illinois: the parts that actually hit your wallet
The daily stipend is the least important number for most people. Your salary is. Illinois law does not require private employers to pay you while you serve, and it does require them to give you the time off and to not fire, threaten, or punish you for serving. That protection is real: 705 ILCS 305/4.1 bars retaliation against employees for jury service. But the paycheck protection is not there. Many Illinois employers pay anyway as a benefit, and some of those require you to sign over the court stipend. So the first call to make is not to the courthouse. It is to your HR department.
The second number is mileage, and Illinois is stingy on it. Unlike states with uniform reimbursement, Illinois leaves mileage to the counties. Some counties pay it, some do not, and the amounts are small, 25 cents to a dollar a mile. If you commute from the suburbs to the Daley Center every day of a two-week trial, the gas comes mostly out of your pocket. Jurors can also be reimbursed for day care costs if a judge orders it, which almost nobody knows.
One more Illinois quirk worth knowing: jurors can voluntarily waive the attendance fee, the transportation reimbursement, or both. Almost nobody does this, but the option exists, and it tells you something about how the state views the stipend. It is a token of civic duty, not compensation for lost wages. For most working people the daily fee will not come close to replacing a day's wages, which is why the employer conversation matters more than the state rate.
If you are called to federal court instead, the numbers change. Federal jurors in the Northern District of Illinois get $50 a day, with a possible bump to $60 a day for trials running longer than 10 days, at the judge's discretion. Federal service also comes with the federal employment protections: firing a permanent employee for serving on a federal jury carries a civil penalty up to $5,000 per violation, plus lost wages and reinstatement. The state and federal systems run side by side in the same city with different pay, different protections, and different courts.
Frequently asked questions
How much does jury duty pay in Illinois?
Illinois pays jurors $25 for the first day and $50 for each additional day. That is the statutory floor; counties can pay more. Some counties, like Cook County at $17.50 a day, set their own lower or higher rates, so check your county.
Does my employer have to pay me for jury duty in Illinois?
No. Illinois law does not require employers to pay your salary during jury service, though many do. Employers cannot fire or punish you for serving. If your employer does pay you, it may require you to turn over the court stipend.
Does Illinois pay mileage for jury duty?
Some counties do and some do not. Jasper County, for example, pays $1 per mile one way in addition to the daily rate. Illinois has no uniform statewide mileage reimbursement, so check your county's jury page.
Is jury duty pay taxable in Illinois?
Yes, like jury duty pay everywhere. Juror stipends are taxable income and must be reported on your federal tax return. If you turn the stipend over to your employer because it paid your salary, you can exclude it.
How much does federal jury duty pay in Illinois?
Federal jurors in the Northern District of Illinois receive $50 a day, with a possible increase to $60 per day for trials lasting more than 10 days at the judge's discretion.
Calculate your state: run the numbers for any state in the Jury Duty Pay Calculator, then keep reading: Employer Jury Duty Pay Requirements · Federal Jury Duty Pay Per Day · How Much Does Jury Duty Pay in Texas · Is Jury Duty Pay Taxable.
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