What you need to know

Each year, the Ontario Provincial Jury Centre mails the Mandatory Jury Eligibility Form (questionnaire) to over 850,000 people living in Ontario to determine if they are eligible for jury duty and prepare for jury trials for the following year.

Individuals are selected randomly to receive the questionnaire from a “source list” containing the names and addresses of people who meet the following criteria:

  • Canadian citizens
  • 18 years or older by the end of the current year
  • reside in Ontario
  • registered under OHIP

This questionnaire determines if you are eligible to receive a summons and be called for jury selection.

The source list is provided by the Minister of Health from the OHIP database based on their records. If you wish to have juror information updated for future years (for example, if a person has moved or passed away), you may contact ServiceOntario about updating its records.

If you have any questions about answering specific questions on the questionnaire, you can find additional information here.

Receiving a Mandatory Jury Eligibility Form

If you receive a questionnaire, this is not a summons and does not mean that you are required to go to court. It is intended to determine if you are eligible for the following year's jury roll.

After you complete and submit the questionnaire, if your answers to your questionnaire show you to be eligible, you may receive a summons to attend on a specific date in the future.

Ways to complete the Mandatory Jury Eligibility Form

If you receive a letter in the mail asking you to complete the questionnaire, you must complete the questionnaire online or request a paper version.

Online options

There are two ways to complete the questionnaire. You can either:

  • complete the form online
  • scan the QR code on your letter to access the form

Paper request options

If you cannot complete the form online, you may request a paper questionnaire by:

30 days to complete the form

You will have 30 days to complete and mail back the questionnaire from the date you receive the paper version.

  • Do not request a paper form if you have already submitted the questionnaire online.
  • Do not complete or return a paper questionnaire if you already completed it online.
  • Do not drop off the questionnaire at your local courthouse or at the Provincial Jury Centre.
  • Do not mail or include anything else with the questionnaire. Medical documentation is not required.
If you lose your return envelope

Mail the completed paper questionnaire to:

  • Provincial Jury Centre
    P.O. Box 666, Station A
    Oshawa, ON
    L1H 9Z9

Accessible format

If you require an accessible version of the questionnaire, contact the Provincial Jury Centre within 10 days of receiving the letter either by:

If you can't complete the jury questionnaire yourself, you can have someone help you. The person helping you must indicate their relationship to you in the signature section.

Recipient is deceased

If the questionnaire recipient has died, we apologize for any distress receiving this document may have caused.

You don’t need to complete or return a jury questionnaire sent to a deceased person.

Potential juror names are randomly pulled from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) registration records at the beginning of each year. If you or the estate representative have not made OHIP aware, kindly contact ServiceOntario to have them cancel the individual’s health card.

Privacy legislation does not allow the Provincial Jury Centre to make any updates to ServiceOntario on your behalf.

Replace, cancel or change information on your health card.

Administrators of long-term care facilities and power of attorney

Anyone registered under the OHIP database is eligible to randomly receive a questionnaire, including but not limited to residents of long-term care facilities and persons under the care of a power of attorney. Recipients may need help to complete and submit the jury questionnaire.

Administrators of long-term care facilities

If you are the administrator at a Long-Term Care facility and a resident has received a questionnaire, and they are unable to complete the questionnaire, please take the following steps:

  1. Contact a family member or the power of attorney (POA) of the recipient and kindly ask them to complete the questionnaire.
  2. If directed by a family member or POA, an administrator may complete the questionnaire on the recipient's behalf.
  3. If the physical or mental condition of the recipient prevents them from being able to be a juror, even with an accommodation, kindly complete the questionnaire and ensure that the answer to the health question on the jury questionnaire be marked as "No".
  4. No medical documentation is required with respect to the recipient’s health concerns.
  5. When/if signing on behalf of the recipient, please enter name of long-term care and your name.

Power of attorney (POA)

If you have power of attorney or equivalent for the recipient, the following applies:

  • If you believe that the recipients mental or physical condition will prevent them from serving as a juror, you can answer "No" on their behalf to the health question on the questionnaire.
  • No medical documentation is required, with respect to the recipient’s heath concerns.
  • When signing on behalf of the recipient, please enter POA and your name.

General hardship concerns

If you have received a questionnaire, this is not a summons and does not mean that you are required to go to court. It is intended to determine eligibility for the following year's jury roll. Please do not submit a request for excusal or deferral if you receive this.

If you receive a summons, you can raise any hardship concerns (for example, employment, business, school, religion, finance, caregiving and travel) with the courthouse and the associated presiding judge.

If you contact the Provincial Jury centre to discuss a hardship, you will be directed to complete the questionnaire. Excusals and or deferral requests only apply if and when you receive a summons, in the future.

Only judges of the Superior Court of Justice can grant excusals.

30-day time frame and penalties

If you receive a questionnaire, you have 30 days from the date you receive it to complete it online or by mail.

Failure to respond to the questionnaire can result in penalties under the Juries Act (up to a $5,000 fine and/or up to 6 months in prison). If you are having difficulty submitting the completed questionnaire, please contact the Provincial Jury Centre for assistance.