Does jury duty text you?

Updated October 28, 2026

Only if you signed up. Some courts, such as the Alaska Court System and the Los Angeles and Riverside superior courts in California, send jury reminder texts to people who opted in. Courts say they never text or call to threaten arrest for missed jury duty, ask for a fine or payment, or ask for your Social Security number. A jury duty text that does any of that is a scam.

When a court really texts you about jury duty

Your jury summons comes by mail. The federal courts say most contact between a court and a prospective juror is through the U.S. mail. After that, some courts offer text reminders, but only to jurors who sign up:

Court	What it texts	How you get them
Alaska Court System	One reminder before service starts (the Friday before for trial jurors), pointing you to the recorded message or your jury dashboard	Sign up on the online juror questionnaire
Riverside Superior Court (California)	Jury service notifications	Only if you opted in
Los Angeles Superior Court (California)	Jury service notifications	Only if you opted in

So a jury text can be real when it matches service you were actually summoned for, from a court you gave your number to. The Alaska Court System says its reminders are free and that no confidential information is sent by text.

What a real court never does by text

The FTC, the federal courts and the state courts that have warned about this scam say the same things:

No arrest threats. The FTC says real law enforcement never texts or emails arrest warrants. Riverside's court says it won't call or text residents threatening them with arrest.
No fines or payments. The federal court in Jacksonville, Florida, says no court or law enforcement agency will call or text you demanding money. The federal court in Idaho says it doesn't request any sort of payment from prospective jurors.
No personal or financial details. The federal courts say they don't require sensitive information by phone or email. Los Angeles's court says it will never ask for Social Security numbers, card details or bank information that way.
No rush to the courthouse. Riverside's and Los Angeles's courts say they won't pressure you to report immediately.

If you really missed jury service, the court sends a letter by mail and gives you a chance to explain, the federal court in Jacksonville says.

Signs a jury duty text is fake

It says you missed jury duty and there's a warrant, a fine or a deputy on the way. The Idaho federal court warns that scammers may text that deputies are coming to arrest you.
It asks you to pay, often by payment app, cryptocurrency, gift card, wire transfer or cash. The FTC says those payment methods are a sign of a scam.
It asks for your Social Security number, date of birth or bank details "to verify" you.
It leads to a phone call. In Las Vegas, a resident got a text about jury duty followed by a call from a fake officer who demanded cash for two $1,700 fines. The FTC says scammers also send a fake warrant by text after a call.
It's a "court date" reminder with a link for a case you know nothing about. Denver's sheriff warned about fake court-date reminder texts with a survey link that asked people to pay to opt out.
You never signed up for jury texts, or you haven't received a summons by mail.

Scammers may already know your name and address, and can make caller ID show a court or a sheriff's office. Neither proves the message is real.

How to check safely

Don't tap the link, reply or call back the number in the text. Look up your court's jury office yourself: use the phone number or website on your paper summons, or find the court on its official website. For federal courts, the U.S. Courts website has a court finder. The Idaho federal court says that if you're unsure whether you missed jury service, you can go to the courthouse and speak with jury staff.

If you already paid or shared details

You paid with a card: call your bank or card company right away, using the number on your card, and ask them to stop or reverse the charge.
You paid with a gift card, wire transfer, payment app or crypto: contact the company you used right away and tell them it was a scam. The FTC's guide What to do if you were scammed lists who to call for each payment method.
You tapped a link or shared your Social Security number or a code: follow what to do if you clicked a scam link, and if you shared a code, what to do if you gave someone a verification code.

Report it

Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block similar messages, then delete it. How to report spam texts on iPhone.
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Tell your local court's jury office or the clerk of the U.S. District Court near you, and your local police. The federal courts and several state courts ask people to do this.

Questions

Is the jury duty text message a scam?

If it says you missed jury duty, mentions a warrant or a fine, or asks you to pay or share personal details, yes. The FTC, the federal courts and several state courts say they don't contact people that way. A plain reminder about service you were summoned for, from a court you gave your number to, can be real.

Will jury duty text me if I missed it?

No. The federal court in Jacksonville, Florida, says a real missed-jury-duty notice comes by mail, and that no court will call or text you demanding money. The FTC says real law enforcement never texts or emails arrest warrants.

Do jury summons come by text?

No. The federal courts say most contact with a prospective juror is through the U.S. mail. Courts that offer texts use them for reminders after you're summoned and sign up.

What are jury duty text alerts?

Some courts let jurors sign up for text reminders, for example the day or the Friday before service starts. The Alaska Court System says its reminders are free and that no confidential information is sent by text. Check your summons or your court's jury website to see if yours offers them.

Sources

Facts checked October 28, 2026.