Eleven federal holidays fall in California in 2026, starting with New Year’s Day on Thursday, January 1 and ending with Christmas on Friday, December 25. Federal offices, banks, post offices, and federal courts close on each one. Whether you personally get a paid day off is a different question, and the answer depends on who signs your paycheck.
The 2026 Federal Holiday Dates
Federal law sets eleven legal public holidays each year.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S.C. 6103 – Holidays For 2026, they land as follows:2U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California. 2026 Federal Holidays
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.: 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 (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
Why Independence Day Moves to July 3
July 4 falls on a Saturday in 2026, so the legal public holiday for people on a standard Monday-through-Friday schedule shifts to Friday, July 3. The rule works the other direction too: when a holiday lands on a Sunday, the observance moves to the following Monday.3U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays – In Lieu Of Determination For 2026, July 3 is the one date to flag on your calendar, because federal offices, banks, mail delivery, and federal courts all follow the shifted date rather than the actual July 4.
Do Private Employers Have to Give You the Day Off?
No. This catches people off guard every year, so it is worth stating plainly: California does not require private employers to give you paid time off, unpaid time off, or any premium pay for any holiday on the federal list.4Department of Industrial Relations. Frequently Asked Questions – Holidays Federal law does not require it either. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not mandate holiday pay of any kind.5U.S. Department of Labor. Holiday Pay
Your employer can stay open on Thanksgiving, schedule you for a full shift on Christmas, and pay you your usual hourly rate. The one thing that changes the picture is a written promise. If your employee handbook, employment contract, or union agreement says you get the day off or holiday pay, your employer has to honor that. Without such a policy, the California Department of Industrial Relations treats a holiday as an ordinary workday, and the hours count the same as any other day for overtime purposes.4Department of Industrial Relations. Frequently Asked Questions – Holidays
Public works projects are a narrow exception. Workers on publicly funded construction and similar trades are paid at prevailing wage rates tied to local collective bargaining agreements, and those rates often include holiday premiums on specific dates.6Department of Industrial Relations. Prevailing Wage Requirements If that is your situation, check the prevailing wage determination for your trade and county.
Federal and State Employees
Federal workers at California locations get paid time off for all eleven holidays. If an agency requires you to work the holiday, you earn holiday premium pay on top of your regular rate.7U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Holidays Work Schedules and Pay
California state employees follow a different list under Government Code section 19853, and it does not match the federal calendar exactly.8California Legislative Information. California Government Code 19853 Columbus Day is not a guaranteed paid day for state workers, and Juneteenth, Native American Day, Lunar New Year, Genocide Remembrance Day, and Diwali are not automatic either. State employees instead receive a personal holiday that can be used for one of those days. State workers do get the day after Thanksgiving as a paid holiday, which federal employees do not. A state employee required to work on a holiday earns straight-time pay plus eight hours of holiday credit.
Bank, Post Office, and Court Closures
Banks in California follow the Federal Reserve’s holiday schedule, and most commercial banks and credit unions close branches on each date on that list.9Federal Reserve Board. Holidays Observed – K.8 ATMs and mobile apps keep working, but wire transfers and interbank settlements pause until the next business day. A wire you send the day before a holiday will not clear until banks reopen.
The U.S. Postal Service observes the same eleven federal holidays, closes retail windows, and stops regular mail delivery.10United States Postal Service. USPS Holidays and Events On Friday, July 3, 2026, expect no mail delivery, because USPS treats the observed date as the holiday.
Court closures are where federal and state calendars part ways. Federal district and bankruptcy courts in California close on all eleven federal holidays, and filing deadlines that land on a court holiday roll to the next day the clerk’s office is open.2U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California. 2026 Federal Holidays California state courts close on a longer list, adding Lincoln Day on February 12, Cesar Chavez Day on March 31, Native American Day on the fourth Friday in September, and the day after Thanksgiving.11Judicial Branch of California. Court Holidays If you have a filing deadline, confirm which court system applies before relying on either calendar.
Tax and Filing Deadlines Near a Holiday
When a federal tax deadline falls on a weekend or legal holiday, you get until the next business day to file or pay.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S.C. 7503 – Time for Performance of Acts Where Last Day Falls on Saturday, Sunday, or Legal Holiday The statute also counts statewide legal holidays at IRS offices located in that state, so a California-specific holiday can push a deadline for filers whose IRS office is in California.
For 2026, the federal filing deadline is Wednesday, April 15, so no holiday adjustment applies.13Internal Revenue Service. When to File California’s personal return is also due April 15, 2026, with an automatic extension to October 15 for filing, though any payment is still due in April.14State of California Franchise Tax Board. Due Dates – Personal The Franchise Tax Board applies the same weekend-or-holiday rollover rule to business filers.15State of California Franchise Tax Board. Due Dates – Businesses
Religious Holidays Not on the Federal List
The federal calendar leaves out most religious observances. If your faith requires you to observe a day that is not on the list, both federal and California law require your employer to work with you.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for religious practices that conflict with work, unless doing so would place a substantial burden on the business.16U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Fact Sheet – Religious Accommodations in the Workplace Accommodations can include flexible scheduling, shift swaps, or excusing you from a specific duty. A written request is not required; making the employer aware of the conflict is enough.
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act defines religious observance broadly to include Sabbath and holy days plus reasonable travel time, and it sets a higher bar for employers claiming undue hardship than the federal standard.17California Legislative Information. California Government Code 12940 Retaliation for requesting a religious accommodation is illegal under both federal and state law.