Yes, Juneteenth is a state holiday in New Jersey. It has been a legal public holiday and a paid holiday for state employees since Governor Phil Murphy signed P.L. 2020, Chapter 76 in September 2020, which placed “the third Friday in June, Juneteenth Day” on the state’s legal holiday list.1NJ Legislature. P.L. 2020, Chapter 76 In 2026, the holiday falls on Friday, June 19.
What Closes on Juneteenth in New Jersey
State Offices and the MVC
All state agencies observe the day as a closure. That includes the Motor Vehicle Commission and other state-run offices and administrative agencies.2NJ.gov. State Holidays State employees receive a paid day off.
Courts and Filing Deadlines
New Jersey courts treat Juneteenth as a legal holiday. The Judiciary’s 2025–2026 calendar lists Friday, June 19, 2026 as a legal holiday, with only emergent matters handled.3NJ Courts. Court Holidays and Recesses 2025-2026 Clerks’ offices are closed and no regular proceedings are scheduled.
If a filing deadline lands on Juneteenth, it automatically extends to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday. The court rules treat legal holidays the same as weekends for deadline-counting, so you don’t lose a day of your filing window.
Banks
Most banks close. The Federal Reserve lists June 19, 2026 among its observed holidays, which takes its payment systems offline and pulls nearly all banks with it.4Federal Reserve. Holidays Observed – K.8 Wire transfers, ACH payments, and check clearinghouse operations pause. ATMs and online banking still work, but anything that needs interbank settlement waits for the next business day.
The U.S. Postal Service does not deliver on Juneteenth and lists Friday, June 19, 2026 as a postal holiday. Post offices are also closed.5USPS About. Holidays and Events
Municipal Services
Towns and counties mostly follow the state’s lead, but not uniformly. Some suspend alternate-side parking, street cleaning, or garbage pickup; others keep them running on a modified schedule. Check your municipality’s website or call the clerk a few days ahead to confirm what’s open and what’s suspended.
Private Employers and Public Schools
New Jersey does not require private employers to close on Juneteenth or any other state holiday. There is also no state law requiring premium pay just because a workday falls on a holiday. The state’s wage and hour law requires time-and-a-half only when an employee works more than 40 hours in a week, regardless of whether any of those hours fall on a holiday.6Department of Labor & Workforce Development. Wage and Hour Compliance – Laws and Regulations Whether you get the day off, or get paid extra for working it, depends entirely on your employer’s policy or your union contract.
Public schools work the same way. Each district sets its own calendar, and closing for Juneteenth is a local decision rather than a state mandate. Some districts take the day; others don’t. Check the published calendar instead of assuming.
Third Friday or June 19? Watch the Date
New Jersey’s state holiday is anchored to the third Friday in June.7Justia. New Jersey Revised Statutes Title 36 – Section 36-1-1 – Legal Holidays8Government Publishing Office. Public Law 117-17 – Juneteenth National Independence Day Act9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays Those two dates are usually close but not always identical. In 2025, the state holiday fell on Friday, June 20, not June 19. In 2026, they line up: June 19 is the third Friday, so state offices, federal offices, courts, banks, and the Postal Service all close the same day.
In years when the two dates diverge, state employees in New Jersey get one day off and federal workers get a different one. If you deal with both systems, check the calendar each year rather than assuming they match.