Jury Commission

To Qualify for Jury Duty You Must Complete a Jury Questionnaire.

TAP/CLICK – GAVEL FOR JUROR PORTAL

Please review the following information clear to the bottom of the page for information about reporting for your Jury Duty.

You can also access your Jury Questionnaire through a browser at: https://www.courts.mo.gov/jurorportal
Log in with the juror ID# on your summons and your date of birth.
Completing the online questionnaire will determine whether or not you QUALIFY to serve as a juror during your required term of jury service.
You may Request a paper Questionnaire from the Howell County Circuit Clerks Civil office. 417-256-3741 when prompted, select 1 for the Civil Office and then 2 for Jury Duty.
After you have Qualified to serve; You are to appear on the REPORT DATE AND TIME for your Panel (A, B or C) as indicated on your Summons. (Also see report dates below.)
Please Note: Most report times are no later than 8:30 a.m.
Make sure to sign up for text or email notifications to stay informed about any changes to your report date.

CURRENT REPORTING DATES AND TIMES


September & October Jurors:	November & December Jurors:
Panel A: Thank you for your Service. You no longer need to report.	Panel A: Tuesday, Nov. 18th at 8am
Panel B: Thank you for your Service. You no longer need to report.	Panel B: Wednesday, Nov. 12th at 8am

UPDATED AS OF 10/28/2025 AT 4:49PM CST

To avoid unnecessary appearances, verify your report date and time AFTER 5:00pm the evening BEFORE your report date. Doing so will keep you from appearing unnecessarily for Jury Duty. Check this website or call the Jury Information line at (417) 256-7505 to confirm your report date or time. The Jury Schedules change often; all potential Jurors can expect multiple changes to their reporting dates during the two (2) month term of service.

Courthouse doors open promptly at 8:00am
Please bring your summons with you when reporting for jury selection.
Make sure to complete your juror response online using the gavel link provided above, or you can pick up a paper copy at the Circuit Clerk’s Civil Office in the Courthouse.
If you haven’t received official notice of being disqualified or excused, you need to appear on the report date for your panel.

Weather Closure: The courthouse rarely closes due to weather! If it does, you will be notified, provided you opted in for text or email notifications on the jury questionnaire. If courthouse personnel are allowed to access the building, this webpage will be updated with weather closing notifications prominently displayed at the top.

Thank you for your willingness to aid in the process of the Judicial system. We recognize that jury duty is time-consuming and often an imposition on our jurors, but it is one of the highest forms of civic duty we as citizens can perform for our country. We hope that you find your service to be of value. I know the courthouse personnel certainly value the time and effort that you sacrifice to serve this county as a Juror.

Jury Service: Hallmark of the American System of Justice

Few activities in our civic life provide such direct contact with our democracy as jury service. Besides voting, nothing is so active and participatory in nature. In fact, Thomas Jefferson believed that serving on a jury is more important than voting.

Report to the:

HOWELL COUNTY COURTHOUSE,

WEST DOOR ENTRANCE

Howell County, Missouri, Courthouse in West Plains

Security Protocol

Be Advised: – All PATRONS entering the courthouse are subject to search by security staff…WEAPONS and BAGS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE COURTHOUSE. All knives will be confiscated and not returned. CELL PHONES AND SMART WATCHES ARE NOT TO BE IN THE COURTROOMS, PLEASE DO NOT BRING THEM FOR JURY DUTY.

Dress Code

APPROPRIATE DRESS IS REQUIRED FOR JURY DUTY. (Think Business Casual) ALL SHORTS, TANK TOPS, GRAPHIC TEE SHIRTS, PAJAMAS, OR HATS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED PAST SECURITY. No excuses will be given if you arrive with inappropriate attire. The temperature in the courthouse lobby varies with the weather, but the courtrooms are consistently kept much cooler.

ADA Compliant

Access to jury service is available to all individuals with a disability as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you need accommodations for a disability or special dietary needs, please call (417) 256-3741 during office hours, Monday – Friday 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M., at least one week in advance of your report date. The phone number can also be used for emergencies while you are serving in the courthouse.

Howell County Jury Information

For other frequently asked questions and items of interest, be sure to check out our FAQ page by clicking on this link Jury Duty FAQs

Overview

The Office of State Courts Administrator in Jefferson City creates the Master Jury Lists for our local Jury pools from The Secretary of States, Voter Registration files AND The Department of Revenue Driver’s License files, which might not be updated with your latest address. Answering the qualification questions will help you update them.

The Summons Card Identifiers

Jury summons cards are typically mailed a month before a scheduled reporting date. To make the check-in process run smoothly, please bring your summons with you each time you report.

The Court and County: The Circuit Court of Howell County, Missouri
The Website to submit your Jury Response and/or check your Report Date and Time: https://www.howellcounty.net/jury-commission (Found on the front and back of your Summons)
The Juror ID: 9-digit number on the mid-left front of your Summons under the bar code.
The two-month term of Jury Service: Examples: JAN-FEB; MAR-APR, MAY-JUN; etc. (Does NOT mean a trial will last two months. You must be available to report for Jury Duty during that time.
The first report date for Jury Selection: Mid-front of summons below Juror ID. (Typically during the first week of the first month of your Term of Service.)
What Panel you are on: Bold lettering on the left-front of summons. (A, B, or C)
The Jury Information Phone Line: Black block; bottom-front of summons.

The Jury Qualification Process:

Is simply first, completing the necessary Questions; and then, getting the necessary information to the court if you need to be excused or disqualified after your questionnaire has been completed, either online or by paper version.

How to qualify as a Juror:

Complete the online bio and questionnaire or contact the Circuit Clerk’s Civil office to complete the paper version. The Jury Duty qualification process must be completed within 10 days of receiving your summons.

Questionnaire:

Please be aware the questions are designed to help YOU and the Court know about your circumstances so, judgments can be made to excuse or disqualify you as early as possible. If you get denied an excuse before your Report Date, the Judge or Court may require more information, and you will be able to answer in person during the Jury Selection (See below).

Juror Reporting:

Before showing up for Jury Duty: You must complete the Qualification form within 10 days of receiving your summons. Either through the online form found on the website, or the paper version obtained from the Circuit Clerks Civil Office. 417-256-3741; Option 1, then Option 2.
Term of Service: Howell County Jurors are “on call” for two months. (That does NOT mean a trial will last two months. It means, you need to be available to report for jury duty during that time. Keep in mind, you may need to appear multiple report dates within your term of service.)
How to verify your Report Date and Time: To minimize the inconvenience to our jurors’ lives; You are encouraged to call the recorded Howell County Jury information line or check this website the night before your report date, to ensure that there has been no change in the reporting instructions. Sometimes the Court cancels jury trials for various reasons and jurors can determine this by following the call-in or website instructions.
Please bring your summons with you each time you report for jury duty.

Jury Selection:

During jury selection (the date you report) you will have the chance to explain to the Court any hardships or previous obligations you may have that would interfere with that specific trial date. If you tried to get excused prior to jury selection date, and were denied, you will still have an opportunity to explain your circumstances in person to the court.

Medical Excuses:

If you are requesting a disqualification or excusal due to mental health or medical reasons, or because you are a 24-hour caregiver for someone with a medical or mental reason, you MUST provide a doctor’s excuse. ALL MEDICIAL EXCUSES ARE DUE TWO WEEKS BEFORE YOUR FIRST REPORT DATE. Your diagnosis or medical records are NOT required. However, the Doctor’s recommendation is essential. In other words, all requests that do not have an associated doctor’s note will be denied.

You may submit your Doctor’s excuse by:

uploading them through Juror Portal: https://www.courts.mo.gov/jurorportal,
hand delivering them to the courthouse: 106 Courthouse, West Plains, MO 65775,
have your doctor’s office fax your excuse directly to the Jury Commission:417-256-4650

We would like to take this opportunity to thank YOU for your service and cooperation and hope this website will provide quick and easy access to information on upcoming jury trials during your 2 Months of Jury Duty. We update this website and our phone service regularly; feel free to check back as often as needed.