Can you be too old to serve on a jury in SC? Here’s what the law says

Jury duty can be an interesting way to serve your community or a real pain to your daily life, depending on your point of view.

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But there is a group of people who have a free get out of jury duty card — people older than 65, if they wish to be excused.

State law makes that exception. Potential jurors can decide for themselves if they want to serve.

Mississippi also sets the age at 65, Elder Law Answers website says. Exemptions are allowed in 36 states for ages 70 and above. That includes Hawaii, Arkansas, Maine, and South Dakota, which set the age at 80.

A bill introduced in 2025 in the South Carolina General Assembly would raise the age to 75, but it did not make it out of committee.

In South Carolina, there are several reasons you can be excused from jury duty, including if you are the primary caretaker of a disabled person or a person age 65 or older who cannot care for himself and people caring for a child under 7 years old who can’t find childcare.

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Also, people who work in a state prison or if you’ve served within the past two years.

Students or school employees can be transferred to another date outside the school year.

State law also sets the following disqualifications:

Not a U.S. citizen or resident of the county for which they’ve been called.

Less than a sixth-grade education, a mental or physical condition or anyone convicted in a state or federal court of a crime that carries a sentence of more than one year of imprisonment and who have not been pardoned or given amnesty for that conviction.

People who are a clerk of court, deputy clerk of court, constable, sheriff, commissioned law enforcement officer, probate judge, county commissioner, magistrate, or county officer, or who are employed in a courthouse.

Failing to show up for jury duty without a valid excuse is considered contempt of court and a judge can fine you or even order a bench warrant requiring law enforcement to bring you to court.

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