Jury Duty Pay in Oklahoma

About Jury Duty in Oklahoma

Oklahoma pays jurors $20 per day with a unique backup: the state’s “lengthy trial fund” kicks in after 10 days of service, increasing pay at the judge’s discretion. The Oklahoma Supreme Court has been actively vocal about the inadequacy of juror pay, noting in its 2024 State of the Judiciary address that low pay “undermines the constitutional right to a jury of one’s peers.”

How Jury Pay Works

Oklahoma uses a flat $20/day rate under Okla. Stat. tit. 38, § 83. Mileage reimbursement typically follows the federal GSA rate. The lengthy trial fund is a distinctive feature — after 10 days of service, a judge can authorize supplemental pay, though the amount and availability vary. In practice, very few Oklahoma trials last 10 days, so the fund is rarely triggered.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court’s Advocacy

Oklahoma’s highest court has been unusually outspoken about juror pay. The 2024 State of the Judiciary address explicitly linked low compensation to unrepresentative juries, arguing that $20/day effectively excludes hourly workers from serving. This kind of direct judicial advocacy is rare — most state supreme courts avoid legislative commentary — and it has given Oklahoma’s juror pay debate a higher profile than in most low-pay states.

Employer Obligations

Oklahoma employers are not required to pay wages during jury service but cannot fire or penalize employees. Oklahoma’s energy sector (Devon Energy, Continental Resources, Chesapeake) and its growing aerospace industry typically continue salary for permanent employees. Workers in retail, food service, and agriculture — significant sectors in Oklahoma — generally have no employer-provided jury pay.

Geographic Considerations

Oklahoma’s 77 counties range from Oklahoma County (Oklahoma City) and Tulsa County — the two metro anchors — to sparsely populated Panhandle counties. In western Oklahoma and the Panhandle, jurors may drive 40+ miles each way to the county courthouse. The mileage reimbursement (at the federal GSA rate) is a meaningful supplement for these rural jurors, whose travel costs often exceed their daily jury pay.

How Oklahoma Compares

Oklahoma’s $20/day equals Minnesota’s $20/day but falls well below Texas’s $40/day rate from day 2 onward (Texas pays $6 for day 1). Neighboring Arkansas pays $50/day — more than double — and Kansas pays just $10/day. The regional variation is stark: an Oklahoma juror in Tulsa earns $20/day while a juror across the border in Arkansas earns $50/day for the same civic service, a disparity that has not gone unnoticed by Oklahoma’s judiciary. Federal jurors in Oklahoma’s three districts receive $50/day.

Statute: 28 Okla. Stat. § 86 (compensation); 38 Okla. Stat. § 34 (employment protection) — Official source