California designates about 20 official state holidays under Government Code Section 6700, but whether any given date actually means a day off depends entirely on who employs you.1California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 6700 – Holidays State workers get a defined paid list, courts follow their own closure calendar, public schools have a third list, and private-sector employees have no legal right to any of them. The gap between “state holiday” and “paid day off” is the single thing that trips people up most.
The Full List of Official State Holidays
Section 6700 names every day California formally treats as a holiday:1California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 6700 – Holidays
- Every Sunday
- January 1, New Year’s Day
- Third Monday in January, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Lunar New Year (second new moon after the winter solstice, or the third if a leap month intervenes)
- February 12, Lincoln Day
- Third Monday in February, Presidents’ Day
- March 31, Cesar Chavez Day
- April 24, Genocide Remembrance Day
- Diwali (15th day of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar)
- Last Monday in May, Memorial Day
- June 19, Juneteenth
- July 4, Independence Day
- First Monday in September, Labor Day
- September 9, Admission Day
- Fourth Friday in September, Native American Day
- Second Monday in October, Columbus Day
- November 11, Veterans Day
- December 25, Christmas Day
- Good Friday, noon to 3 p.m. only
- Thanksgiving Day, and any date the President or Governor declares a public holiday
Three of those holidays carry a quiet limitation. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Lunar New Year, and Cesar Chavez Day do not automatically apply to cities, counties, or special districts; the local governing body has to adopt them by charter, ordinance, or resolution.1California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 6700 – Holidays Your county courthouse or city hall may be open on those dates even when state offices are closed.
2026 Observed Dates
State government offices will close on these days in 2026:2CalHR. State Holidays
- Thursday, January 1, New Year’s Day
- Monday, January 19, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Monday, February 16, Presidents’ Day
- Tuesday, March 31, Cesar Chavez Day
- Monday, May 25, Memorial Day
- Saturday, July 4, Independence Day (holiday credit only; offices open Friday)
- Monday, September 7, Labor Day
- Wednesday, November 11, Veterans Day
- Thursday, November 26, Thanksgiving Day
- Friday, November 27, day after Thanksgiving
- Friday, December 25, Christmas Day
Independence Day is the one to watch. Because July 4 lands on a Saturday, state offices do not close on Friday, July 3; employees receive holiday credit instead.2CalHR. State Holidays
What Happens When a Holiday Falls on a Weekend
California does not use a blanket Friday-or-Monday shift rule. The treatment depends on the holiday and the day of the week.
When New Year’s Day, Lincoln Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Independence Day, Admission Day, Veterans Day, or Christmas falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes the observed holiday.3Public.law. California Code Government Code 6701 – Holidays A parallel rule applies to state employees under their pay statute.4California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 19853 – Days and Hours of Work
Saturdays are different. Only Veterans Day automatically shifts to the preceding Friday when it lands on a Saturday.3Public.law. California Code Government Code 6701 – Holidays For every other Saturday holiday, state employees receive holiday credit rather than a replacement day off.2CalHR. State Holidays County boards of supervisors can designate an alternate day by ordinance, but there is no statewide default.
Cesar Chavez Day has its own flexibility clause. When March 31 falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, the Legislature may move its observance to the nearest Monday or Friday.3Public.law. California Code Government Code 6701 – Holidays In 2026, that means Monday the 30th or Friday the 27th is possible.
Which Holidays State Employees Are Actually Paid For
Government Code Section 19853 lists the holidays that state employees get as paid days off, and it is shorter than the full Section 6700 list. The guaranteed paid holidays are New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas, one personal holiday, and any day the Governor declares a public holiday.4California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 19853 – Days and Hours of Work
Five official state holidays are missing from that list: Lunar New Year, Genocide Remembrance Day, Diwali, Juneteenth, and Native American Day. State workers can trade their personal holiday for eight hours of holiday credit to observe any one of those dates.4California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 19853 – Days and Hours of Work The personal holiday can also go toward any holiday tied to the employee’s own religion, culture, or heritage.5CalHR. 2110 – Personal Holidays Every full-time state employee earns one personal holiday per fiscal year after completing six months of initial probation, and part-time workers get a prorated amount.
Employees required to work a paid holiday receive their regular pay plus eight hours of holiday credit to use later.4California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 19853 – Days and Hours of Work
Court Closures and Filing Deadlines
Courts have a separate holiday calendar. Every full-day Section 6700 holiday is a judicial holiday except Lunar New Year, Genocide Remembrance Day, Admission Day, and Columbus Day. Every Saturday and the day after Thanksgiving are judicial holidays as well.6California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 135 – Judicial Holidays
For most people the filing-deadline rule matters more than the closure list. When the last day to file a document or take a required legal action falls on a Saturday or any judicial holiday, the deadline automatically extends to the next day that is not a holiday.7California Legislative Information. California Code CCP 12a – Holiday Deadline Extensions The rule covers any deadline set by statute, ordinance, rule, or regulation. Count Saturdays as excluded days when you are working out a deadline near a holiday weekend.
Public School Closures
Public schools must close for their own mandatory list, which overlaps with but does not match the state employee list. Required closure days are New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Lincoln Day, Washington Day (Presidents’ Day), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.8California Legislative Information. California Code EDC 37220 – School Holidays
Schools also handle weekends differently from state offices. A Saturday closure holiday shifts to the preceding Friday, and a Sunday closure holiday shifts to the following Monday.8California Legislative Information. California Code EDC 37220 – School Holidays In 2026, that means districts will close Friday, July 3 even though state offices will not.
School boards can move most of these dates by resolution. Veterans Day is the exception; districts cannot waive the November 11 closure.8California Legislative Information. California Code EDC 37220 – School Holidays
What Private Employees Are Entitled To
No California law requires a private employer to close on a state holiday, give employees the day off, or pay a premium for working one.9Department of Industrial Relations. Holidays Work Thanksgiving or Christmas, and you are owed your regular rate plus any ordinary overtime for hours over eight in a day or 40 in a week. California has no holiday multiplier.
Any holiday pay, premium rate, or paid day off comes from the employer’s own policy, an employment contract, or a collective bargaining agreement.9Department of Industrial Relations. Holidays The employee handbook is the place to check. Many employers voluntarily provide paid holidays on the major dates, but nothing in state law forces them to.
Religious Observance Accommodations
Private employers do have to accommodate religious observances. Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, an employer must explore reasonable alternatives when an employee’s religious practice conflicts with a work schedule, including time off for holy days and travel to religious observances.10California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 12940 – Unlawful Employment Practices Denial is allowed only when the accommodation would create significant difficulty or expense, and retaliation against an employee who asks is illegal.
Paid Time Off to Vote
On statewide election days, employees who lack enough time outside work to vote can take up to two hours of paid leave at the start or end of their shift.11California Legislative Information. California Code ELEC 14000 – Voting Time Off Employees who know they will need the time must give at least two working days’ notice before the election.