Jury Duty Pay in Vermont

About Jury Duty in Vermont

Vermont pays jurors $30 per day — well above the national median — and is one of the few states that pays jurors specifically for travel time in addition to attendance. The state’s small size (14 counties, roughly 640,000 people) creates a uniquely intimate jury experience.

How Jury Pay Works

Vermont uses a flat $30/day rate under Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 32, § 1471. The state reimburses round-trip mileage at the state rate, and notably pays jurors for travel time — a rare provision that acknowledges the time burden of rural driving. Vermont is a “one day or one trial” state. There is no employer mandate to pay wages.

The Travel Time Provision

Vermont’s payment for travel time is almost unique among US states. Most states reimburse mileage (a vehicle expense) but do not compensate jurors for the time spent traveling to and from the courthouse. Vermont treats travel time as part of the jury service obligation and pays for it. In a state where a rural juror might drive 45 minutes each way through Green Mountain passes, this provision adds meaningful compensation.

The travel time payment reflects Vermont’s recognition that jury service isn’t just the hours spent in court — it’s the full time commitment from leaving home to returning. This holistic approach is characteristic of Vermont’s generally thoughtful civic infrastructure.

Small State, Intimate Courts

Vermont’s 14 counties and small population create jury pools where potential jurors often have some connection to the case, the attorneys, or the court staff. This is more akin to rural counties in large states than to the anonymous jury pools of major cities. Vermont’s judiciary has developed voir dire practices adapted to this intimacy — thorough enough to identify conflicts, but respectful of the community fabric that makes the state’s jury system work.

How Vermont Compares

Vermont’s $30/day exceeds neighboring New Hampshire’s $10/day and Maine’s $15/day. Within New England, only Massachusetts ($50/day + employer mandate) and Connecticut ($135.52/day + employer mandate) pay more. The Vermont-New Hampshire contrast — $30 vs. $10 across the Connecticut River — illustrates how state policy can diverge dramatically in adjacent jurisdictions separated by nothing more than a bridge. Federal jurors in Vermont’s single district receive $50/day. Vermont’s travel time compensation makes its effective rate higher than the nominal $30 figure suggests.

Statute: 32 V.S.A. § 1511 — Official source