Federal law names eleven legal public holidays each year under 5 U.S.C. § 6103. On these days, federal offices close, federal workers are paid, banks and the Postal Service shut down, and many legal and tax deadlines slide to the next business day. What federal holidays do not do is force any private employer to give you the day off or pay you extra for working it.
The Eleven Federal Holidays
- New Year’s Day — January 1
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. — third Monday in January
- Washington’s Birthday — third Monday in February
- Memorial Day — last Monday in May
- Juneteenth National Independence Day — June 19
- Independence Day — July 4
- Labor Day — first Monday in September
- Columbus Day — second Monday in October
- Veterans Day — November 11
- Thanksgiving Day — fourth Thursday in November
- Christmas Day — December 25
Juneteenth is the newest of the eleven. President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, the first federal holiday added in nearly four decades.1GovInfo. Public Law 117-17 – Juneteenth National Independence Day Act “Washington’s Birthday” is the statutory name in February, though it is widely called Presidents’ Day.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays
2026 Federal Holiday Dates
The Office of Personnel Management publishes the observed dates each year.3U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays For 2026:
- 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
Independence Day is the only 2026 holiday that lands on a weekend, so most federal employees take Friday, July 3 off instead.
Why Some Holidays Shift to a Different Day
Five of the eleven holidays are fixed to calendar dates, which means they occasionally fall on Saturdays or Sundays. Section 6103(b) and Executive Order 11582 keep federal workers from losing a paid day off when that happens.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays5National Archives. Executive Order 11582 For an employee on a standard Monday-through-Friday schedule:
- A Saturday holiday is observed the Friday before.
- A Sunday holiday is observed the Monday after.
The shifted day counts as the holiday for pay and leave. Payroll treats it the same as if the holiday itself had landed on that weekday.
Holiday Pay for Federal Workers
A federal employee who is excused from work on a holiday receives basic pay for the hours they would otherwise have worked. For a full-time employee on a standard schedule that means eight hours; on a compressed schedule that runs 10-hour days, a holiday falling on a 10-hour day pays 10 hours. Part-time employees are paid for the non-overtime hours they were scheduled to work, up to eight, and get nothing if the holiday falls on a day they were not scheduled.6U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Fact Sheet: Federal Holidays – Work Schedules and Pay
A federal employee who is required to work on a holiday earns basic pay plus an equal amount of holiday premium pay, effectively double time, for up to eight non-overtime hours. Anything beyond that is paid at the applicable overtime rate.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 5546 – Pay for Sunday and Holiday Work8eCFR. 5 CFR 532.507 – Pay for Holiday Work An employee ordered in for holiday work is guaranteed at least two hours of premium pay even if the work takes less time.
Inauguration Day Is Different
January 20 every four years is a legal public holiday, but only for federal and D.C. government employees whose duty stations fall inside the Washington metropolitan area: the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland, and Arlington and Fairfax Counties along with the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax in Virginia.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays The point is to thin traffic on inauguration day.
The rules are tighter than for the eleven annual holidays. There is no substitute day if the inauguration falls on a nonworkday, and employees teleworking or traveling outside the covered area on that date do not get the holiday even when their permanent duty station is inside it.6U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Fact Sheet: Federal Holidays – Work Schedules and Pay The next one is January 20, 2029.
How Holidays Affect Tax and Court Deadlines
Federal holidays reach beyond office closures. Filing and payment deadlines that fall on a holiday generally roll to the next business day.
The IRS treats a due date that lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday as met if you file or pay on the next business day. The IRS definition of “legal holiday” includes holidays in the District of Columbia, which is why D.C. Emancipation Day on April 16 can push the national tax filing deadline even though it is not one of the eleven federal holidays. A statewide holiday can delay a filing deadline for residents of that state but does not move federal tax deposit due dates.9Internal Revenue Service. Tax Calendars (Publication 509)
Federal court deadlines work similarly. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6, when the last day of a filing period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period runs to the end of the next day that is none of those. Rule 6 counts all eleven federal holidays, any day the President or Congress declares a holiday, and, for deadlines measured after an event, any holiday declared by the state where the court sits. If the clerk’s office is physically inaccessible on the last day, the deadline extends to the next accessible non-holiday day.10Legal Information Institute. Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers
Private Employers Are Not Bound by Federal Holiday Law
This is the point that surprises people. Section 6103 covers federal employees and the D.C. government. It says nothing about private-sector workplaces.
No federal law requires a private employer to close on a federal holiday, give paid time off, or pay a premium for holiday work. The Department of Labor states plainly that the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require payment for time not worked, including holidays. Whether you get the day off or extra pay is determined by your employment contract, employee handbook, or collective bargaining agreement.11U.S. Department of Labor. Holiday Pay No state mandates private-sector premium pay for holiday work either.
Federal Contractors
Employees of companies performing federal service contracts sit in between. Most Service Contract Act wage determinations list named holidays for which the contractor must provide a paid day off or equivalent compensation, and a covered full-time employee generally receives up to eight hours of pay per named holiday. An employee who works on the holiday must receive that holiday pay on top of the regular daily wage. Which holidays are covered depends on the specific wage determination attached to the contract.12eCFR. 5 CFR Part 610 Subpart B – Holidays
Banks and Mail
Federal Reserve Banks observe the same eleven holidays, so commercial banks are almost always closed and electronic fund transfers can be delayed.13Federal Reserve System. Holiday Schedules The U.S. Postal Service suspends regular mail on all eleven days. Some Priority Mail Express package delivery may still run in certain areas, but standard letter and package delivery stops.