Maryland state holidays in 2026 total 13 paid days, including Election Day, which appears because 2026 is a statewide general election year. State offices, courts, and MVA branches close on each one. The list is set by statute, and the Governor can add days by proclamation.
The 2026 Dates
The Maryland Department of Budget and Management publishes the observed dates each year, drawing from the calendar fixed in State Personnel and Pensions Section 9-201.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland State Personnel and Pensions Code Section 9-201 (2025) For 2026:2Maryland Department of Budget and Management. State Holidays for the Year 2026
- New Year’s Day — Thursday, January 1
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday — Monday, January 19
- Presidents’ Day — Monday, February 16
- Memorial Day — Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth National Independence Day — Friday, June 19
- Independence Day — Friday, July 3 (observed; July 4 falls on a Saturday)
- Labor Day — Monday, September 7
- Columbus Day — Monday, October 12
- Election Day — Tuesday, November 3
- Veterans’ Day — Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day — Thursday, November 26
- American Indian Heritage Day — Friday, November 27
- Christmas Day — Friday, December 25
The statute also treats any day the President or the Governor designates for a general cessation of business as an employee holiday, so additional closures can appear on short notice.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland State Personnel and Pensions Code Section 9-201 (2025)
Why Election Day Is on the 2026 List
Section 9-201 makes every statewide general election day an employee holiday.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland State Personnel and Pensions Code Section 9-201 (2025) Because 2026 is a midterm year, Tuesday, November 3 is a paid day off and state offices close. In odd-numbered years with no statewide general election, the day doesn’t appear on the calendar at all.
Weekend Observance
Holidays that fall on a Saturday shift to the preceding Friday; those falling on a Sunday move to the following Monday. That’s why Independence Day is observed on Friday, July 3, 2026. The Sunday-to-Monday rule is codified in the General Provisions Article, which governs how “legal holidays” are treated across the Maryland Code.3New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Code General Provisions 1-111 – Legal Holidays
What Closes
Every MVA branch and Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program station closes on each state holiday, along with other state agencies such as the Department of Labor, tax offices, and the Department of Health.4MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Holidays, Closings and Special Hours If you have an MVA appointment or need to pick up a title, work around those dates.
Maryland courts follow the same schedule and publish their own annual list.5Maryland Courts. Court Holidays When courts close, clerk’s offices can’t accept in-person filings and scheduled hearings are postponed.
How Holidays Change Filing Deadlines
Maryland Rule 1-203 controls how days are counted when a deadline lands on a holiday or weekend. For deadlines longer than seven days, every calendar day counts, including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. For deadlines of seven days or fewer, those days are skipped. Either way, if the last day of the period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the deadline extends to the next regular business day.6New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Rules Rule 1-203 – Time
Court filings get an extra safeguard. If the clerk’s office is closed or closes early on the last day of a period, the deadline rolls to the next day the office is fully open.6New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Rules Rule 1-203 – Time That matters most around Thanksgiving, when courts close Thursday and Friday back to back, and whenever the Governor declares an unexpected closure.
Federal deadlines follow a parallel rule. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6, if the last day of any period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the period runs to the end of the next day that isn’t one of those.7Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time The federal rule counts state holidays declared by the state where the district court sits, so Maryland’s state holidays can shift federal deadlines in Maryland’s district courts.
Private Employers Are Not Required to Observe These Days
Maryland’s holiday calendar governs state government. It does not require private employers to close, provide paid time off, or pay premium rates for holiday work.8Maryland Department of Labor. Breaks, Benefits and Days Off Holiday pay, time-and-a-half, and holiday bonuses are matters of employer policy or collective bargaining.
Federal law takes the same position. The Fair Labor Standards Act doesn’t require pay for time not worked on holidays, and it doesn’t mandate premium pay for holiday shifts unless weekly hours exceed 40. Many private employers voluntarily follow the federal schedule or a subset of it, but no state or federal law compels them to.
Where Maryland’s Calendar Differs From Federal and Banking Schedules
Maryland recognizes Election Day and American Indian Heritage Day; neither is a federal holiday. Federal offices, including post offices and Social Security Administration branches, stay open on both.
Banks generally follow the Federal Reserve’s schedule rather than the state’s. The Fed closes on Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, and other dates that overlap with Maryland’s list, but it doesn’t close for Election Day or American Indian Heritage Day. If you’re expecting a wire or direct deposit near those two dates, the banking calendar controls when funds settle, not the state calendar.