Whether the courts are open today depends on which court you mean, and the only reliable way to confirm is to check that specific court’s own website or call its clerk’s office. Federal courts follow a fixed calendar of 11 statutory holidays, but state, county, and municipal courts each set their own schedules and can close on short notice for weather, emergencies, or local holidays the federal system doesn’t recognize.
How to Check a Court’s Status Right Now
Go to the official website of the specific court where your case is pending. When a court is closed or running on a reduced schedule, most post a banner or alert on the homepage with the reason and an expected reopening date. For federal courts, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts maintains a court-finder tool at uscourts.gov that links to every federal district, bankruptcy, and appellate court. For state and local courts, search the exact court name, such as “Superior Court of [County Name],” rather than something vague like “court near me.”
If you can’t get online, call the clerk’s office. Many courts keep a recorded status message that is updated the same morning a closure is announced. Some federal districts and state courts also offer email or text alert subscriptions that push emergency notices to your phone. These direct channels beat general news reports, which sometimes confuse a county government closure with a courthouse closure or miss the difference entirely.
Make Sure You’re Checking the Right Court
U.S. courts run on separate tracks. Federal courts handle cases involving federal law, including tax disputes, bankruptcy, and constitutional claims. State and local courts cover most criminal cases, family law, probate, traffic violations, and disputes under state law. County and municipal courts handle smaller matters like petty offenses and local ordinance violations.1USAGov. Federal, State, Territory, County, and Municipal Courts
A federal district court and the county superior court across the street are separate institutions with different websites, phone numbers, holiday calendars, and closure policies. A federal court closing has no effect on the state courthouse next door. If you’re unsure which court your case is in, check your paperwork. The court name appears on any summons, complaint, or notice you’ve received.
Federal Court Holidays in 2026
Federal courts close on 11 official holidays set by statute.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 6103 – Holidays The 2026 dates are:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
- Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.: Monday, January 19
- Washington’s Birthday: Monday, February 16
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth National Independence Day: Friday, June 19
- Independence Day: Saturday, July 4 (observed Friday, July 3)
- Labor Day: Monday, September 7
- Columbus Day: Monday, October 12
- Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26
- Christmas Day: Friday, December 25
When a holiday falls on a Saturday, federal courts close the preceding Friday. When it falls on a Sunday, they close the following Monday.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S. Code 6103 – Holidays
State and local courts often follow a different calendar. Some observe holidays that federal courts do not, such as Good Friday, Lincoln’s Birthday, or state-specific commemorations. The only way to confirm a scheduled closure at a state or local court is to check that court’s published calendar. Most courts operate Monday through Friday, roughly 8:30 or 9:00 AM to 4:30 or 5:00 PM, though clerk’s office public windows sometimes open later or close earlier than the building itself.
Weather and Emergency Closures
Severe weather, natural disasters, and other emergencies can close a courthouse with little warning. The chief judge or administrative head of a court typically has authority to order an emergency closure, and each court makes that call independently. A federal courthouse and a state courthouse in the same city may reach different conclusions about the same storm.
Courts push emergency information out through several channels at once: website banners, recorded phone messages, and sometimes local news broadcasts. If you have a hearing or a filing deadline on a day when a closure looks possible, check the court’s website first thing in the morning and again before you leave. Waiting until you’re at the locked front door is how people miss deadlines.
Government Shutdowns and Federal Courts
Federal government shutdowns don’t immediately close the federal judiciary. Federal courts initially keep running by drawing on court fee balances and other non-appropriated funds.3United States Courts. Judiciary To Remain Open Until Feb. 5 During the funding lapse that began in late January 2026, the judiciary announced it would maintain fully paid operations through February 4, 2026, using these reserve funds.
If a shutdown extends past those reserves, courts shift to limited operations. Under the Anti-Deficiency Act, only activities necessary to carry out constitutional functions, protect human life and property, or otherwise authorized by law may continue.4United States Courts. Judiciary Funding Runs Out; Only Limited Operations to Continue In practice:
- Federal judges continue serving and hearing cases involving constitutional functions.
- The electronic filing system (CM/ECF) stays online, so documents can still be filed electronically.
- Jury programs continue because their funding is separate from annual appropriations.
- Court staff performing excepted work do so without pay during the lapse.
- Each individual court decides its own operational specifics, including how cases and supervision will proceed.4United States Courts. Judiciary Funding Runs Out; Only Limited Operations to Continue
State courts are not affected by federal shutdowns. Their funding comes from state and local budgets, so a congressional impasse over federal spending has no bearing on your state courthouse.
Open Doesn’t Always Mean Fully Operational
A court can be technically open while running well below normal capacity. This happens during phased reopenings after emergencies, staffing shortages, shutdown contingency periods, and transitions between in-person and virtual operations. The clerk’s office might limit walk-in hours, certain case types might only be heard remotely, and non-emergency matters might be postponed indefinitely.
Reduced operations create real risk if you have a deadline. If the clerk’s window closes at 3:00 PM instead of the usual 5:00 PM and you show up at 4:00, your in-person filing won’t be accepted that day. Electronic filing systems generally operate around the clock regardless of building status. If your court uses e-filing, you can typically submit documents until 11:59 PM on the due date, though staff won’t process them until the next business day. For federal courts, you can check whether PACER and CM/ECF are experiencing maintenance or outages through the official PACER maintenance page.5PACER: Federal Court Records. PACER Maintenance
What Happens to Your Deadline If the Court Is Closed
Federal rules provide a safety net. If the clerk’s office is inaccessible on the last day of a filing period, the deadline automatically extends to the first accessible day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time The same protection exists in federal criminal cases7Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 45 – Computing and Extending Time and federal appellate courts.8Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 26 – Computing and Extending Time
“Inaccessible” covers more than a locked front door. A weather closure, a building evacuation, and even a prolonged technical failure of the electronic filing system can render the clerk’s office inaccessible for deadline purposes. If your filing period is measured in hours rather than days and the office becomes inaccessible during the final hour, the deadline extends to the same time on the next accessible business day.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time
Holiday deadlines follow the same logic. If the last day of a filing period lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period runs until the end of the next business day. The federal rules define “legal holiday” broadly to include all 11 holidays under federal statute, any day declared a holiday by the President or Congress, and, for post-event deadlines, any holiday recognized by the state where the federal court sits.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time
One exception catches people off guard. Jurisdictional deadlines cannot be extended by the court for any reason. If a statute itself sets a hard deadline, rather than a court rule or scheduling order, a closure may not save a late filing. When you’re unsure whether your deadline is jurisdictional, treat it as though it cannot be extended and file as early as possible. Most state courts follow rules similar to the federal approach, rolling deadlines that fall on closure days to the next business day, but the specifics vary and you should confirm with your state court’s rules of procedure.