California courts close on 14 judicial holidays each year plus every Saturday. If a filing deadline lands on one of those days, Code of Civil Procedure Section 12a pushes it to the next business day automatically. The list of California court holidays is set by statute and does not match the state’s general public holiday calendar, so a day off for state workers is not always a day the courthouse is locked.
2026 California Court Holiday Dates
The Judicial Branch of California publishes the official calendar each year.1Judicial Branch of California. Court Holidays For 2026, superior courts are closed on:
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 19
- Lincoln Day: Thursday, February 12
- Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 16
- Cesar Chavez Day: Tuesday, March 31
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth: Friday, June 19
- Independence Day (observed): Friday, July 3
- Labor Day: Monday, September 7
- Native American Day: Friday, September 25
- Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26
- Day After Thanksgiving: Friday, November 27
- Christmas Day: Friday, December 25
Two of these trip people up. Lincoln Day on February 12 is not a federal holiday and easy to miss. Native American Day, the fourth Friday in September, replaced Columbus Day on the judicial calendar; Columbus Day is explicitly excluded from court holidays under CCP 135 even though it remains on the state’s general holiday list.2California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 135
Several official state holidays are not court holidays at all. Courts stay open on Lunar New Year, Diwali, Genocide Remembrance Day (April 24), Admission Day (September 9), and Columbus Day.2California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 135 If you assumed every state holiday closed the courthouse, you might file a day late thinking you had an extension you never actually had.
What Happens When a Holiday Falls on a Weekend
California Rules of Court, Rule 1.11 handles the shift. A holiday that lands on a Saturday is observed the preceding Friday. A holiday on a Sunday is observed the following Monday.3Judicial Branch of California. Rule 1.11 – Holiday Falling on a Saturday or Sunday That is why July 4, 2026 shows as Friday, July 3 on the court calendar. Check the observed date on the official calendar rather than assuming closures track the calendar date.
How Court Holidays Extend Filing Deadlines
Code of Civil Procedure Section 12a extends any deadline that falls on a judicial holiday to the next day that is not a holiday. For this purpose, “holiday” includes every day listed in CCP 135 and every Saturday.4Justia. California Code of Civil Procedure – Preliminary Provisions – Section 12a
The extension is broad. Section 12a(b) applies it to motions for new trial, appeal deadlines under Section 921, and “all other provisions of law” requiring an act within a specified time, whether the deadline comes from a code, statute, ordinance, rule, or regulation.4Justia. California Code of Civil Procedure – Preliminary Provisions – Section 12a Statutes of limitations are covered by the same language.
One limit worth understanding: the extension only moves the deadline when the last day of the period lands on a holiday. It does not add extra days in the middle of a counting period just because holidays fell inside it. California Rules of Court, Rule 1.10 restates the same principle for deadlines set by the rules themselves.5Judicial Branch of California. Rule 1.10 – Time for Actions
E-filing systems accept documents on holidays and weekends, but a document filed on a closed day is typically processed and file-stamped on the next business day. If the deadline falls on a holiday, you have until the end of the next business day to file, electronically or in person. Cutting a limitations deadline close to a holiday is risky even with the extension available; file early when you can.
Criminal Arraignment Clock
Penal Code Section 825 requires an arrested person to be brought before a judge within 48 hours, but that 48-hour count excludes Sundays and judicial holidays. Someone arrested Wednesday evening before a Thursday holiday may not see a judge until the following Monday. Section 825 also carries a Wednesday rule: when the arrest occurs on a Wednesday after the court session ends and Wednesday is not a court holiday, arraignment must occur no later than Friday, provided Friday is not a holiday.6California Legislative Information. California Penal Code Section 825
Some counties run weekend or holiday arraignment sessions to cover this gap, but coverage varies. For anyone in custody over a holiday, the delay directly affects when a bail hearing can occur.
County Closures Beyond the Statewide Calendar
Individual superior courts can close or reduce services on days not on the statewide calendar. Government Code Section 68106 requires at least 60 days’ written notice for planned courtroom closures or reduced clerk’s office hours, posted at the courthouse, on the court’s website, and by electronic distribution to subscribers.7California Legislative Information. California Government Code Section 68106
Some courts schedule non-judicial days around holidays to stretch closures, for example closing the Monday before a Tuesday holiday. These do not appear on the statewide judicial holiday list.
Emergency closures work differently. Wildfires, earthquakes, and public health emergencies have shut California courts without advance notice. When a clerk’s office is physically inaccessible due to an emergency, filing deadlines generally extend to the first day the office reopens.
How to Verify Your Local Court’s Closures
Start with the statewide calendar on the Judicial Branch website, then check your local superior court’s site for county-specific closures and reduced-service days. Most courts maintain a holiday or closure page listing both statewide judicial holidays and any additional days the court will close or run limited operations. The Judicial Branch also maintains a directory of superior courts with links to local pages and reduced-service listings.8Judicial Branch of California. Reduced Court Services
For time-sensitive matters like restraining orders, courts typically designate a duty judge or department available even on holidays. Call the court’s main line for instructions on reaching that department.
Federal Courts Follow a Separate Calendar
If your case is in federal court, the holidays are not the same. Federal courts observe Columbus Day, which California state courts do not, and stay open on Lincoln Day, Cesar Chavez Day, and Native American Day, which California state courts observe. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6 defines “legal holiday” for federal deadline computation and lists the federal holidays separately.9Legal Information Institute (LII) / Cornell Law School. Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers The extension rule is similar in effect: count every day, but if the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day. Mixing up the two calendars when handling both state and federal matters is one of the more common ways to miss a filing.