diff --git a/jax/_src/dtypes.py b/jax/_src/dtypes.py
index 52cb3d87bbda..86e86e89e9d5 100644
--- a/jax/_src/dtypes.py
+++ b/jax/_src/dtypes.py
@@ -476,9 +476,17 @@ def _issubdtype_cached(a: type | np.dtype | ExtendedDType,
     np.dtype('complex64'),
     np.dtype('complex128'),
 ]
-_jax_types = _bool_types + _int_types + _float_types + _complex_types
-_jax_dtype_set = {float0, *_bool_types, *_int_types, *_float_types, *_complex_types}
 
+_string_types: list[JAXType] = []
+try:
+  import numpy.dtypes as np_dtypes
+  if hasattr(np_dtypes, 'StringDType'):
+    _string_types: list[JAXType] = [np_dtypes.StringDType()]  # type: ignore
+except ImportError:
+  np_dtypes = None  # type: ignore
+
+_jax_types = _bool_types + _int_types + _float_types + _complex_types + _string_types
+_jax_dtype_set = {float0, *_bool_types, *_int_types, *_float_types, *_complex_types, *_string_types}
 
 _dtype_kinds: dict[str, set] = {
   'bool': {*_bool_types},