Yes. Missouri does recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday. June 19 was added to the state’s list of public holidays under Missouri Revised Statutes Section 9.010, and the designation took effect on August 28, 2022.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Title II, Chapter 9, Section 9-010 – Public Holidays Whether that recognition translates into a day off for you depends on who signs your paycheck.
The Statute That Makes It Official
RSMo Section 9.010 lists each of Missouri’s legal public holidays, and “the nineteenth day of June” now sits alongside entries like the Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving.1Missouri Revisor of Statutes. Missouri Revised Statutes Title II, Chapter 9, Section 9-010 – Public Holidays The same section includes a weekend-observance rule: when a listed holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is treated as the holiday. The statute does not include an explicit rule for holidays that fall on a Saturday, so the Missouri Office of Administration’s annual holiday schedule resolves that question for state workers.
If You Work for the State of Missouri
State employees get Juneteenth as a paid day off, the same as any other holiday in Section 9.010. When essential services require someone to work the holiday, the Office of Administration’s overtime and holiday-work policy governs the compensation. Employees who work on a state holiday can receive equal compensatory time off at a time their appointing authority approves, and depending on classification, the appointing authority may instead authorize straight-time pay for that compensatory time.2Missouri Office of Administration. Overtime and Holiday Work Policy A shift that begins on a state holiday counts entirely as holiday work, and a holiday is defined as a period of not more than eight hours. Corrections officers, highway patrol troopers, and other public-safety staff are the roles most likely to work the day and earn compensatory time.
If You Work in the Private Sector
This is where many people get the wrong impression. Missouri law does not require private employers to close on Juneteenth, pay you extra for working it, or give you the day off with pay. The Missouri Department of Labor states that vacation pay, holiday pay, and severance pay are benefits given at an employer’s discretion, with the only exception being a contract or agreement that establishes them.3Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Wages, Hours and Dismissal Rights
So check your employee handbook or your union contract. If Juneteenth is listed among paid holidays there, you are covered by that agreement. If it is not, your employer has no legal obligation to close or to pay a premium for the day. Workers who want the day off at a workplace that stays open generally need to use personal or vacation time.
Federal Recognition Covers Federal Workers in Missouri
Juneteenth is also a federal holiday. President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021, adding June 19 to the list of federal legal public holidays under 5 U.S.C. ยง 6103.4GovInfo. Public Law 117-17 – Juneteenth National Independence Day Act That means federal employees working in Missouri get the day off under federal law, while state employees get it off under RSMo 9.010.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays The two recognitions are independent, so one does not depend on the other.
What Closes on Juneteenth 2026
In 2026, June 19 falls on a Friday, so no weekend-observance question comes up. The Missouri Office of Administration’s published holiday calendar lists Juneteenth on Friday, June 19.6Missouri Office of Administration. State Holidays State offices, courts, and many local government offices will be closed, and federal offices in Missouri will close as well.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays Banks, private businesses, and services tied to those sectors vary. If you need to visit a government office, plan around the closure; if you need to know whether your workplace is observing the day, the answer is in your employer’s policy, not in the statute.