California observes eleven federal holidays in 2026, starting with New Year’s Day on Thursday, January 1 and ending with Christmas Day on Friday, December 25. Federal offices, U.S. courts, post offices, and most banks close on each of these dates. Whether you personally get the day off with pay is a separate question, and the answer depends on who you work for.
The Eleven Federal Holidays in 2026
Federal law sets eleven legal public holidays each year.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 U.S.C. 6103 – Holidays In California, the 2026 observed dates are:2U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California. 2026 Federal Holidays
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Monday, January 19
- Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day): Monday, February 16
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
- Juneteenth National Independence Day: Friday, June 19
- Independence Day (observed): Friday, July 3
- Labor Day: Monday, September 7
- Columbus Day: Monday, October 12
- Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26
- Christmas Day: Friday, December 25
Why Independence Day Moves to July 3
July 4 falls on a Saturday in 2026, so the legal public holiday shifts to Friday, July 3 for employees on a Monday-through-Friday schedule. When a federal holiday lands on a Saturday, the preceding Friday becomes the observed date; when it lands on a Sunday, the following Monday does.3U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays – In Lieu Of Determination That is why federal courts, banks, and post offices in California will close on Friday, July 3, not Saturday, July 4.
What Closes on These Dates
Banks in California follow the Federal Reserve’s holiday calendar, and most commercial banks and credit unions close their branches on every date on that list.4Federal Reserve Board. Holidays Observed – K.8 ATMs and mobile apps keep working, but wire transfers and interbank settlements pause until the next business day. A wire you send the afternoon before a holiday won’t move until the next open day.
The U.S. Postal Service observes the same eleven federal holidays, closes post offices, and suspends regular mail delivery.5United States Postal Service. USPS Holidays and Events For 2026, that means no mail on Friday, July 3.
Federal courts in California, including the U.S. District Courts and Bankruptcy Courts, close on every federal holiday listed above.2U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California. 2026 Federal Holidays A federal filing deadline that lands on a court holiday automatically rolls to the next day the clerk’s office is open. California state courts run a different calendar, adding Lincoln Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Native American Day, and the day after Thanksgiving.6Judicial Branch of California. Court Holidays The two calendars diverge on several days a year, so confirm which court holds your case before relying on a closure.
Do You Get the Day Off with Pay?
This is where expectations and law often part ways.
Federal Employees
Federal workers stationed anywhere in California get paid time off for all eleven holidays. If your agency requires you to work, you earn holiday premium pay on top of your regular rate.7U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Holidays Work Schedules and Pay
California State Employees
State workers follow a separate list under Government Code section 19853, which does not perfectly track the federal calendar.8California Legislative Information. California Government Code 19853 Two differences matter. Columbus Day is not a guaranteed paid holiday for state employees. And Juneteenth, Native American Day, Lunar New Year, Genocide Remembrance Day, and Diwali are not automatic paid days off; state employees can pick one in place of the personal holiday granted under section 19854. State workers required to report on a paid holiday earn straight-time pay plus eight hours of holiday credit.
Private Sector Workers
California law does not require private employers to give you paid time off, unpaid time off, or premium pay for any holiday, federal or otherwise.9Department of Industrial Relations. Frequently Asked Questions – Holidays Federal law is the same. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require holiday pay.10U.S. Department of Labor. Holiday Pay Your employer can stay open on Thanksgiving, schedule you for Christmas, and pay you your usual rate.
The obligation appears only when your employer has made a promise. An employee handbook, a written policy, a contract, or a collective bargaining agreement that guarantees holiday pay or time off is enforceable. Absent a promise, hours worked on a holiday count the same as hours worked on any other day for overtime purposes.9Department of Industrial Relations. Frequently Asked Questions – Holidays
One narrow exception: workers on publicly funded California construction projects must be paid the prevailing wage rate, and those determinations often build in holiday premiums for specific dates.11Department of Industrial Relations. Prevailing Wage Requirements Check the prevailing wage determination for your trade and county if that applies to you.
California Adds Holidays the Federal List Skips
California Government Code section 6700 recognizes all the federal holidays and adds several more, including Lunar New Year, Lincoln Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Genocide Remembrance Day, Diwali, Admission Day, Native American Day, and Good Friday from noon to 3 p.m.12California Legislative Information. California Government Code 6700 – Holidays These state-recognized days do not close federal offices, federal courts, banks, or post offices in California. Most also do not automatically close city or county offices; the statute leaves several of them optional unless a local charter or governing body adopts them.
Deadlines That Shift Because of a Holiday
Federal tax deadlines that land on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday roll to the next business day.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S.C. 7503 – Time for Performance of Acts Where Last Day Falls on Saturday, Sunday, or Legal Holiday The federal rule also counts statewide legal holidays observed at IRS offices located in the state, so a California-only holiday can extend a federal deadline for filers whose IRS office is in California.
For 2026, the standard federal filing deadline is Wednesday, April 15, which is not a holiday, so no adjustment applies.14Internal Revenue Service. When to File California’s personal return deadline matches at April 15, 2026, and the state grants an automatic filing extension to October 15 without an application, though any payment owed is still due April 15.15State of California Franchise Tax Board. Due Dates – Personal The Franchise Tax Board applies the same weekend-and-holiday rollover rule to business filers.16State of California Franchise Tax Board. Due Dates – Businesses
Religious Holidays Not on the Federal List
The federal calendar covers Christmas and nothing else tied to a religious observance. If your faith requires you to observe days that are not on the list, both federal and California law require your employer to work with you on scheduling.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act requires reasonable accommodations for religious practices that conflict with work, unless the accommodation would create a substantial burden on the business.17U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Fact Sheet – Religious Accommodations in the Workplace Flexible scheduling, shift swaps, and excused duties are common examples. You do not need to submit a written request; putting your employer on notice of the conflict is enough.
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act goes further. It defines religious observance broadly, includes reasonable travel time, and requires employers to explore every available alternative before declaring an accommodation too burdensome.18California Legislative Information. California Government Code 12940 California’s undue-hardship threshold sits higher than the federal one, giving employers less room to refuse. Retaliation for requesting a religious accommodation is illegal under both federal and California law.