New Jersey state government offices close for 13 holidays in 2026, beginning with New Year’s Day on Thursday, January 1 and ending with Christmas Day on Friday, December 25. Two of those days, Good Friday and Election Day, are not federal holidays, so banks, post offices, and federal agencies will be open while state offices are shut. The NJ state holidays 2026 schedule below is the official calendar used by executive branch agencies, and it governs everything from MVC visits to court filings.
The 2026 New Jersey State Holiday Calendar
State agencies will be closed on the following dates in 2026:1NJ.gov. State Holidays
- New Year’s Day — Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Monday, January 19
- Presidents Day — Monday, February 16
- Good Friday — Friday, April 3
- Memorial Day — Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth — Friday, June 19
- Independence Day (observed) — Friday, July 3
- 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
- Christmas Day — Friday, December 25
The Days That Catch People Off Guard
Three things about this list surprise people every year. First, Good Friday is a full state closure in New Jersey but is not a federal holiday, so if you have business with a state office on April 3, you’ll have to wait. Second, Election Day (November 3) works the same way: state government shuts, but the rest of the country largely doesn’t.
Third, the Friday after Thanksgiving is not on the state’s official closure list. Many private employers treat it as a day off, which fuels the assumption that state offices follow suit. They don’t. State agencies are open for business on Friday, November 27, 2026.
One more quirk worth knowing: Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12 appears in the legal holiday statute, but a 2008 amendment explicitly states that it is not treated as a public holiday for purposes of conducting state government business. State offices stay open and employees report to work.2Justia. New Jersey Revised Statutes 36:1-1 – Legal Holidays The date has effect for certain legal purposes like negotiable instruments, but if you were planning around it as a closure, you can plan otherwise.
Note also that New Jersey’s Juneteenth is defined by statute as the third Friday in June, not fixed on June 19 like the federal version.2Justia. New Jersey Revised Statutes 36:1-1 – Legal Holidays In 2026 the two align on June 19, but in other years they may not.
How Weekend Holidays Get Observed
July 4, 2026 falls on a Saturday, so state offices will close on Friday, July 3 instead.1NJ.gov. State Holidays The statute establishes the reverse rule for Sundays: when a listed holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes the observed public holiday.2Justia. New Jersey Revised Statutes 36:1-1 – Legal Holidays Independence Day is the only 2026 holiday that triggers a shifted observation.
MVC Office Closures
Motor Vehicle Commission Licensing Centers and Vehicle Centers close on every one of the 13 state holidays listed above.3NJ.gov. NJ MVC Holidays Because MVC facilities are already closed on weekends, a mid-week holiday like Election Day (Tuesday) or Veterans Day (Wednesday) can compress an already tight schedule. If your registration or license is up for renewal near one of these dates, plan ahead.
Court Closures and Filing Deadlines
New Jersey courts close on every state holiday and handle only emergent matters (such as restraining orders and certain bail proceedings) on those days. Beyond the single-day closures, the Judiciary observes an extended recess from Monday, December 28 through Thursday, December 31, 2026, during which only emergent matters are heard.4NJ Courts. Order – Schedule of 2026-2027 Legal Holidays and Court Recesses Combined with Christmas Day on December 25 and New Year’s Day on January 1, 2027, the courts are effectively unavailable for routine business for over a week.
If a filing deadline lands on a holiday, New Jersey Court Rule 1:3 protects you. When the last day of a filing period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline automatically extends to the next day that isn’t one of those. For time periods shorter than seven days, Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays don’t count at all. This matters most around the late-December recess, where a deadline that technically falls on December 29 would push into the first regular business day of January 2027.
How NJ Holidays Can Move Your Federal Tax Deadline
Good Friday and Election Day aren’t federal holidays, but they can still shift federal tax deadlines for New Jersey residents. Under IRS rules, if a federal tax due date falls on a statewide legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day for individual filers who live in that state.5Internal Revenue Service. Publication 509 (2026), Tax Calendars So if a quarterly estimated payment or other individual filing deadline happened to land on Good Friday, April 3, New Jersey filers would get through Monday to file.
One limit: this extension does not apply to federal tax deposits, such as employment tax deposits made by businesses. Those due dates stand regardless of state holidays.5Internal Revenue Service. Publication 509 (2026), Tax Calendars
Private Employers Don’t Have to Follow This Calendar
State holidays close state offices, not private workplaces. New Jersey law does not require private employers to provide paid time off, premium pay, or any special compensation for work performed on a state holiday, and there is no state requirement for overtime or double-time on holidays.6NJ.gov. Wage and Hour Compliance FAQs (for Employers) Federal law is the same: the Fair Labor Standards Act does not mandate holiday pay or time off.7U.S. Department of Labor. Wages and the Fair Labor Standards Act Whether you get a state holiday off depends on your employer’s policy or your union contract.
If your employer does have an established holiday policy or your employment agreement promises holiday pay, the employer has to administer it consistently.6NJ.gov. Wage and Hour Compliance FAQs (for Employers)
Banks and Mail Follow the Federal Calendar
Banks and the postal service track the federal holiday schedule, not New Jersey’s. That means both will be open on Good Friday (April 3) and Election Day (November 3), even though state offices are closed. It also means banks close on the 11 federal holidays, and the Federal Reserve shuts down its payment processing on those days, so wire transfers, ACH deposits, and interbank transactions don’t settle.8Federal Reserve Financial Services. Federal Reserve System Holiday Schedule The U.S. Postal Service likewise suspends mail delivery on federal holidays.9USPS About. Holidays and Events If you’re waiting on a direct deposit or a mailed document, the federal calendar is the one that governs it.