Alabama’s state holidays for 2026 are the 14 days set by Alabama Code Section 1-3-8, on which every state office and court closes. One holiday shifts this year: because July 4 falls on a Saturday, Independence Day is observed Friday, July 3.1Alabama State Personnel Department. State of Alabama 2026 Official State Holidays
The 2026 Dates
- New Year’s Day — Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee’s Birthday — Monday, January 19
- George Washington’s and Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday — Monday, February 16
- Mardi Gras (Mobile and Baldwin Counties only) — Tuesday, February 17
- Confederate Memorial Day — Monday, April 27
- National Memorial Day — Monday, May 25
- Jefferson Davis’ Birthday — Monday, June 1
- Juneteenth — Friday, June 19
- Independence Day (observed) — Friday, July 3
- Labor Day — Monday, September 7
- Columbus Day, Fraternal Day, and American Indian Heritage Day — Monday, October 12
- Veterans Day — Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day — Thursday, November 26
- Christmas Day — Friday, December 25
All dates come from the State Personnel Department’s official 2026 schedule.1Alabama State Personnel Department. State of Alabama 2026 Official State Holidays
The Only Weekend Shift in 2026
Section 1-3-8 shifts any holiday that lands on a weekend into the regular workweek. A Saturday holiday moves to the preceding Friday; a Sunday holiday moves to the following Monday.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Section 1-3-8 – Holidays Enumerated
In 2026 the only holiday this affects is Independence Day. July 4 is a Saturday, so state offices close Friday, July 3. Federal offices in Alabama follow the same approach for Saturday holidays and will also be closed that Friday.3U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays The shift moves the closure; it does not add an extra day.
Alabama Holidays You Might Not Expect
Several dates on the list don’t appear on the federal calendar or on most other state calendars. If you’re planning to do business with a state agency or court in Alabama, these are the ones that catch people off guard.
Confederate Memorial Day (Monday, April 27) and Jefferson Davis’ birthday (Monday, June 1) both close every state office statewide.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Section 1-3-8 – Holidays Enumerated License renewals, filings, and any in-person state business will have to wait until the next business day.
Alabama also combines observances that other states split. The third Monday in January covers Martin Luther King Jr.’s and Robert E. Lee’s birthdays together. The third Monday in February covers Washington and Jefferson rather than a generic Presidents’ Day. The second Monday in October covers three at once: Columbus Day, Fraternal Day, and American Indian Heritage Day. Each of these is one closure day, not two or three.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Section 1-3-8 – Holidays Enumerated
Mardi Gras Is Local
Mardi Gras (Tuesday, February 17, 2026) is an official state holiday only in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. State offices elsewhere in Alabama remain open. State employees outside those two counties receive one personal leave day per year in lieu, usable at their discretion.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Section 1-3-8 – Holidays Enumerated
What Actually Closes
The statute closes all state offices on every listed holiday.2Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Section 1-3-8 – Holidays Enumerated That covers executive agencies, the Department of Motor Vehicles, state courts, and legislative offices.
Banks are a separate question. Under Alabama banking law, a bank may lawfully conduct business on any legal holiday except Sunday, so each bank decides for itself whether to open or close.4Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Section 5-5A-32 – Closing of Banks Permitted on One Business Day of Each Week Check with your branch rather than assuming it tracks the state schedule.
Filing Deadlines That Land on a Holiday
A forward-counted deadline that would expire on a state holiday rolls to the next business day. In federal courts sitting in Alabama, Rule 6 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure extends any day-based deadline that would end on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday to the end of the next day that is none of those. The rule’s definition of legal holiday includes any day declared a holiday by the state where the district court sits, so Alabama’s state-specific dates count.5Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time The appellate rule works the same way when the clerk’s office is inaccessible on the last day for filing.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 26 – Computing and Extending Time
One catch: this treatment applies to forward-counted deadlines. If your deadline runs backward from a scheduled event, state holidays are not excluded from the count. When in doubt about a specific date, call the clerk’s office for that court before assuming the extension applies.
Private Employers Are Not Covered
Section 1-3-8 governs state government. It does not require private employers in Alabama to close or to give employees the day off, and no federal law requires holiday pay or premium pay for hours worked on a holiday. Under federal wage rules, pay for time not worked because of a holiday is a matter of agreement between the employer and employee.7eCFR. 29 CFR 778.219 – Pay for Forgoing Holidays and Unused Leave If your employer closes for Confederate Memorial Day or Jefferson Davis’ birthday, or pays extra for hours worked on Christmas, that’s company policy or a contract term, not state law.