The Federal Reserve’s list of bank holidays in 2026 includes 11 days when ACH transfers, wires, and check clearing pause between banks: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.1Federal Reserve Board. Holidays Observed On each of these days, money you send between institutions sits until the next business day, and that single fact drives most of what you need to plan around.
The 2026 Federal Reserve Holiday Calendar
These are the dates the Federal Reserve observes in 2026:1Federal Reserve Board. Holidays Observed
- 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
- 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
Private commercial banks are not federally required to close on these days. Each national bank sets its own customer hours.2eCFR. 12 CFR Part 7, Subpart C – National Bank and Federal Savings Association Operations In practice almost all banks follow the Federal Reserve’s schedule, because the payment rails they rely on are closed.
The Independence Day Weekend in 2026
Independence Day falls on Saturday, July 4, 2026. The weekend rule matters here: when a federal holiday lands on Saturday, Federal Reserve Banks and branches stay open the preceding Friday, so payment processing runs normally on Friday, July 3. Only the Board of Governors offices close that Friday, and that closure does not affect transaction settlement.1Federal Reserve Board. Holidays Observed When a holiday falls on Sunday, Federal Reserve offices close the following Monday, and that Monday becomes the bank holiday for payment purposes. No 2026 holiday falls on a Sunday.
What Stops Moving Between Banks
A “business day” in banking means Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. Any interbank transfer pending when a holiday begins stays pending until the next business day.
ACH Transfers and Direct Deposits
The Automated Clearing House network processes transactions around the clock on business days, but it settles them only when the Federal Reserve’s settlement service is open, and that service is closed on federal holidays and weekends.3Nacha. The ABCs of ACH If you start an ACH transfer late on Wednesday, November 25, 2026, and it misses the final settlement window before Thanksgiving, it will not settle until Friday, November 27.
Wire Transfers
The Fedwire Funds Service, which handles real-time wire transfers of up to just under $10 billion per transaction, operates Monday through Friday excluding Federal Reserve holidays.4Federal Register. Federal Reserve Action To Expand Fedwire Funds Service and National Settlement Service Operating Hours When Fedwire is closed, banks cannot complete wires. International transfers routed through U.S. dollar clearing systems stall whenever any bank in the chain is closed for a holiday.
Check Clearing
Check clearing depends on the National Settlement Service, which also does not operate on Federal Reserve holidays. Checks you deposit shortly before a holiday take longer to clear.5Federal Reserve Board. Federal Reserve Board Announces Expanded Operating Days for Fedwire Funds Service and National Settlement Service
What Still Works on a Bank Holiday
Branches close, but most self-service options keep running. ATMs still dispense cash and accept deposits. Mobile apps and online banking let you check balances and schedule payments. Transfers between accounts you hold at the same bank usually process instantly, because they don’t require interbank settlement.
Funds deposited at an ATM during a holiday follow the normal availability rules, but the clock starts on the next business day. Deposits at your own bank’s ATM generally must be available by the second business day; deposits at another bank’s ATM must be available by the fifth business day.6Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If I Deposit a Check Into an ATM, Are the Funds Available Right Away? A deposit made Friday evening at a non-proprietary ATM before a Monday holiday might not clear until the following Friday.
The FedNow Service, launched by the Federal Reserve in 2023, lets participating banks and credit unions send and receive payments within seconds, every day of the year, including bank holidays.7Federal Reserve Financial Services. FedNow Service Participants and Service Providers If both your bank and the recipient’s bank participate, holidays don’t delay the transfer. Not every institution has enrolled, so availability depends on who you bank with.
Deadlines That Shift Because of a Bank Holiday
Tax Filings and Payments
If a federal tax due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the IRS treats the filing or payment as timely if you complete it by the next day that is not a weekend or holiday. This covers estimated payments, payroll deposits, and annual returns. One quirk: the IRS also recognizes District of Columbia Emancipation Day (April 16), which can push the national April filing deadline even for taxpayers outside D.C., and that date does not appear on the Federal Reserve’s calendar.8Internal Revenue Service. Publication 509 – Tax Calendars
Court Filings
Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, when a filing deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline extends to the next day that is not a weekend or holiday. The same rule applies if the clerk’s office is inaccessible, including during severe weather.9Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time
Credit Card Payments
Under the Truth in Lending Act, if your card issuer does not accept payments by mail on the due date because of a bank holiday, a payment received the next business day cannot be treated as late.10eCFR. 12 CFR Part 226 – Truth in Lending, Regulation Z You are protected from late fees and negative reporting when a due date lands on a closure.
Payroll Timing Around Holidays
When a scheduled payday falls on a bank holiday, standard industry practice is to deliver direct deposits on the preceding Friday. Bill payments that land on a holiday are collected on the next business day instead. Both conventions favor the employee or consumer.3Nacha. The ABCs of ACH
Employers processing payroll through ACH need to submit files before the Federal Reserve’s cutoff times ahead of each holiday. The Federal Reserve publishes a FedACH holiday schedule with specific submission deadlines. For most Monday holidays, the final processing window closes early Saturday morning of the preceding weekend; for mid-week holidays, the cutoff is typically late the night before.11Federal Reserve Financial Services. Holiday Schedules Missing a cutoff can push deposits a day later than expected.
Federal law under the Fair Labor Standards Act does not require employers to provide paid holidays, holiday premium pay, or time off on holidays.12U.S. Department of Labor. Handy Reference Guide to the Fair Labor Standards Act Whether you receive holiday pay depends on your employer’s policy, your employment contract, or a collective bargaining agreement.
Planning Around the 2026 Calendar
The clusters that most often cause missed timing in 2026 are the back-to-back January holidays (New Year’s Day on Thursday the 1st and MLK Day on Monday the 19th), the Juneteenth-into-Fourth-of-July stretch in June and July, the Veterans Day Wednesday in the middle of a work week, and the Thanksgiving-Christmas run at year-end. If a transfer needs to arrive on a specific date near any of these, initiate it at least one full business day earlier than you normally would, confirm your bank’s ACH or wire cutoff, and consider whether FedNow is available for anything time-critical.