Banks in the United States will be closed on 11 days in 2026, following the Federal Reserve’s holiday schedule. The 2026 bank holidays run from New Year’s Day on Thursday, January 1 through Christmas Day on Friday, December 25. On each of those dates, branches lock their doors and the Federal Reserve’s settlement systems go offline, which pauses wire transfers, ACH payments, and check clearing until the next business day.
The 11 Bank Holidays in 2026
The Federal Reserve publishes its holiday calendar, the K.8 release, years in advance.1Federal Reserve Board. Holidays Observed – K.8 All 11 dates match the legal public holidays set by federal law.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 US Code 6103 – Holidays
- New Year’s Day — Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Monday, January 19
- Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day) — Monday, February 16
- Memorial Day — Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth National Independence Day — Friday, June 19
- Independence Day — Saturday, July 4
- 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
Federal Reserve Banks and their branches close on each of these dates, and nearly every private bank follows suit because the Fed’s electronic settlement rails are the backbone of day-to-day banking.3Federal Reserve Financial Services. Federal Reserve System Holiday Schedule
The Saturday July 4 Wrinkle
Independence Day in 2026 falls on a Saturday, and that creates an unusual situation worth noting. When a federal holiday lands on a Saturday, Federal Reserve Banks and their branches stay open the preceding Friday, so wires and other settlement services remain available. The Board of Governors offices in Washington, however, close that Friday.1Federal Reserve Board. Holidays Observed – K.8
What this means on the ground: the payment system will run normally on Friday, July 3, 2026. Some private banks may still choose to close that Friday as their observed holiday for employees. If you need branch service on July 3, call ahead.
What Still Works When Banks Are Closed
Branches close, but most of the tools you use day to day keep running. ATMs remain available for cash withdrawals and deposits. Mobile apps let you check balances, deposit checks by image, and move money between your own accounts. Online portals stay active for reviewing transactions and scheduling future transfers.
Peer-to-peer apps like Zelle and Venmo also keep working on holidays. Keep in mind that if the service relies on an underlying bank-to-bank settlement, that leg can be delayed to the next business day even when the app shows the money as sent.
FedNow Settles Even on Holidays
The FedNow Service, which launched in July 2023, is the one piece of Federal Reserve infrastructure that does not take holidays off. It operates on a 24-hour business day every day of the week, including weekends and federal holidays.4Federal Reserve Financial Services. FedNow Service Operating Hours If both your bank and the recipient’s bank participate, an instant transfer can settle in seconds on Christmas Day or any other holiday. Not every bank has joined yet, so check with yours before you count on it.
What Gets Delayed
Three categories of transactions pause entirely on each of the 11 holidays:
- Domestic wire transfers through Fedwire. A wire you initiate on a holiday will not move until the next business day.
- ACH transfers, including direct deposits and most electronic bill payments. ACH settlement resumes at 8:30 a.m. Eastern on the next banking day.5Federal Reserve Financial Services. FedACH Processing Schedule
- Check clearing, both paper and electronic.
Plan for one extra business day on anything you submit on or just before a holiday. A long weekend stretches that further. A transfer sent Friday evening ahead of a Monday holiday may not post until Tuesday morning.
Payday on a Bank Holiday
If your regular payday falls on a holiday, your direct deposit will usually arrive the business day before rather than the business day after. The industry convention is to move the deposit to the prior Friday or the last business day before the holiday, favoring the employee.6Nacha. The ABCs of ACH
So if you are normally paid on a Monday and the Monday in question is Columbus Day, October 12, 2026, your deposit should land on Friday, October 9. Not every employer follows the convention. Some push payroll to the next business day after the holiday. If you cut your spending close around paydays, confirm with your employer which approach they use before a long weekend lands on top of you.
Bills Due on a Bank Holiday
A bill due on a bank holiday does not automatically go late. Federal rules protect consumers who mail payments on days the bank cannot receive them. If your credit card payment is due on a federal holiday and the bank does not accept or receive mailed payments that day, a payment received before the cutoff on the next business day counts as on time. The cutoff cannot be set earlier than 5:00 p.m. on the due date.7HelpWithMyBank.gov. Why Is My Credit Card Payment Due on a Holiday?
That protection is specific to mailed payments. If you pay electronically and the bank accepts electronic payments on the holiday, your payment may still need to arrive by the original due date to be timely. Scheduling the payment a day or two before any holiday removes the uncertainty.
Mortgages tend to be more forgiving. Most servicers build in a grace period, commonly 15 days, before charging a late fee, so a holiday on your due date rarely matters.
Bank Holidays Are Not the Same as Market Holidays
Bank closures and stock market closures line up on most days but not all. A few 2026 mismatches to know:
- Good Friday, April 3, 2026. The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq close, but banks stay open because Good Friday is not a federal holiday.8NYSE. Holidays and Trading Hours
- Columbus Day, October 12, and Veterans Day, November 11. Banks close on both. The stock exchanges stay open for normal trading, so you can trade but you cannot send a wire or visit a branch.8NYSE. Holidays and Trading Hours
If you handle both brokerage and bank activity on the same day, check each schedule separately. One being open tells you nothing about the other.