California state holidays are the roughly 20 dates designated as legal holidays under Government Code Section 6700, though only about 11 of them translate into paid time off for state workers, and private employers aren’t required to observe any of them.1California Legislative Information. California Government Code 67002Department of Industrial Relations. Frequently Asked Questions – Holidays The gap between a date being on the legal list and a date being a day off is where most of the confusion starts, so it’s worth separating the two before you plan around any of them.
The Full List of Legal Holidays in California
Government Code Section 6700 recognizes the following as legal holidays statewide:1California Legislative Information. California Government Code 6700
- Every Sunday
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January)
- Lunar New Year (second new moon after the winter solstice, or the third in years with a lunar leap month)
- Lincoln Day (February 12)
- Presidents’ Day (third Monday in February)
- Cesar Chavez Day (March 31)
- Genocide Remembrance Day (April 24)
- Diwali (15th day of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar)
- Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
- Juneteenth (June 19)
- Independence Day (July 4)
- Labor Day (first Monday in September)
- Admission Day (September 9)
- Native American Day (fourth Friday in September)
- Columbus Day (second Monday in October)
- Veterans Day (November 11)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
- Good Friday (noon to 3 p.m. only)
- Any day declared a holiday by the President or the Governor
Being on this list makes a date a “legal holiday” for things like court deadlines and state government operations. It does not automatically make it a paid day off for anyone. Several of the newer additions, including Lunar New Year, Genocide Remembrance Day, and Diwali, don’t apply to cities, counties, or special districts unless the local governing body adopts them by ordinance or resolution.1California Legislative Information. California Government Code 6700
2026 Observed Holiday Dates
The California Secretary of State publishes observed dates each year. For 2026, the core state holidays fall on these days:3California Secretary of State. State Holidays
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 19
- Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 16
- Cesar Chavez Day: Tuesday, March 31
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
- Independence Day: Saturday, July 4 (state employees receive holiday credit rather than a Friday off)
- Labor Day: Monday, September 7
- Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26
- Day After Thanksgiving: Friday, November 27
- Christmas Day: Friday, December 25
Which Holidays Come With Paid Time Off
For state employees, Government Code Section 19853 is the statute that actually determines paid holidays. The list is shorter than Section 6700 and covers New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas Day.4California Legislative Information. California Government Code 19853 Each state employee also receives one personal holiday per year to use at their discretion.
Five additional dates from the Section 6700 list are available as an elective trade: Lunar New Year, Genocide Remembrance Day, Diwali, Juneteenth, or Native American Day. A state employee can swap their personal holiday for eight hours of holiday credit on one (and only one) of those dates.4California Legislative Information. California Government Code 198535California Department of Human Resources. Personal Holidays It isn’t extra leave; it’s an exchange.
Full-time state workers earn up to eight hours of holiday credit per holiday; part-time workers earn a prorated amount based on their time base. Holiday hours don’t count as “time worked” for overtime, so a midweek holiday doesn’t push you toward the overtime threshold.4California Legislative Information. California Government Code 19853
Private Sector Workers
California law doesn’t require private employers to give you a paid holiday, to close on any holiday, or to pay a premium for holiday work.2Department of Industrial Relations. Frequently Asked Questions – Holidays If your employer closes and pays you anyway, that comes from company policy, your employment agreement, or a union contract. Same with premium pay for working the day. Otherwise, you earn your regular hourly rate for hours worked, plus whatever daily or weekly overtime premium applies.
Federal law takes the same position. The Fair Labor Standards Act doesn’t require payment for time not worked on holidays and doesn’t mandate a premium for holiday shifts.6U.S. Department of Labor. Holiday Pay
Weekend Observation Rules
The Saturday and Sunday rules for state employees are not symmetrical, which catches a lot of people out.
When a state holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is the observed day off. When one falls on a Saturday, state employees receive holiday credit; they don’t get the preceding Friday off.7California Department of Human Resources. State Holidays The one exception is Veterans Day: if November 11 lands on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is observed.4California Legislative Information. California Government Code 19853
In 2026, this matters for Independence Day. July 4 is a Saturday, so state employees bank holiday credit rather than take Friday, July 3, off.
Federal rules are simpler. For federal employees, Saturday holidays shift to the preceding Friday and Sunday holidays shift to the following Monday, with no exceptions.8U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays Keep the mismatch in mind if you’re coordinating with both state and federal offices.
Court Closures and Filing Deadlines
California courts follow a closure schedule broader than the state employee list. In 2026, courts close on 14 days, including Lincoln’s Birthday (February 12), Juneteenth (June 19), and Native American Day (September 25), none of which are automatic paid days off for most state employees.9Judicial Branch of California. Court Holidays Courts also observe Independence Day on Friday, July 3, 2026, because July 4 is a Saturday.
When a filing deadline falls on a holiday or weekend, California’s Code of Civil Procedure extends it to the next day that isn’t.10California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 12a Federal courts in California apply a similar rule under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6, which also recognizes state-declared holidays.11Legal Information Institute. Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time The practical effect: a lesser-known California holiday like Admission Day on September 9 can extend a federal filing deadline if it closes the clerk’s office.
Public School Closures
California’s Education Code requires public K–12 schools to close on ten holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lincoln Day, Washington Day (Presidents’ Day), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.12California Legislative Information. California Education Code 37220 Schools also close on any day the President or Governor declares a holiday.
When a school holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday becomes the closure day. When it falls on a Sunday, schools close the following Monday. District boards have some flexibility to shift certain observance dates. A board can move Lincoln Day to any Monday or Friday in the same week, and when a federal holiday falls on a different date than the state calendar specifies, the board can pick which date to observe. Veterans Day is the one that can’t be shifted by resolution.
Banking and Mail Delivery
Federal and California holidays aren’t the same list, and the mismatches show up in banking and mail. The Federal Reserve closes on 11 holidays, including Columbus Day, which California courts recognize but state employees don’t automatically get off.13Federal Reserve Financial Services. Holiday Schedules Federal holidays don’t include Cesar Chavez Day, Admission Day, or Native American Day. When the Fed is closed, ACH transfers and wire payments don’t settle, so direct deposits and bill payments scheduled for those dates process the next business day.
The U.S. Postal Service suspends regular delivery on federal holidays.14United States Postal Service. Holidays and Events California-specific holidays like Cesar Chavez Day and Native American Day don’t affect banks or the postal service. Your bank will be open and your mail will arrive on those dates, even if the state office down the street is closed.