California recognizes nearly 20 legal holidays under Government Code Section 6700, but only 11 of those come with a paid day off for state employees, and private employers aren’t required by state law to observe any of them.1California Legislative Information. California Government Code 67002Department of Industrial Relations. Frequently Asked Questions – Holidays The gap between “legal holiday” and “paid day off” is where most confusion starts, so it helps to look at the full list first and then the narrower rules that decide what actually closes.
The Full List of Legal Holidays
Government Code Section 6700 designates the following as legal holidays throughout California:1California Legislative Information. California Government Code 6700
- Every Sunday
- New Year’s Day (January 1)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January)
- Lunar New Year (the second new moon after the winter solstice, or the third in years with a lunar leap month)
- Lincoln Day (February 12)
- Presidents’ Day (third Monday in February)
- Cesar Chavez Day (March 31)
- Genocide Remembrance Day (April 24)
- Diwali (15th day of the month of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar)
- Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
- Juneteenth (June 19)
- Independence Day (July 4)
- Labor Day (first Monday in September)
- Admission Day (September 9)
- Native American Day (fourth Friday in September)
- Columbus Day (second Monday in October)
- Veterans Day (November 11)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
- Good Friday (noon to 3 p.m. only)
- Any day declared a holiday by the President or the Governor
Being on this list makes a date a legal holiday for purposes like court deadlines and government operations. It does not, on its own, close anything or give anyone a paid day off. Several newer additions, including Lunar New Year, Genocide Remembrance Day, and Diwali, don’t apply to cities, counties, or special districts unless the local governing body adopts them by ordinance or resolution.1California Legislative Information. California Government Code 6700
2026 Observed Dates
The Secretary of State publishes the observed dates each year. For 2026, the core state holidays fall on these dates:3California Secretary of State. State Holidays
- New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 19
- Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 16
- Cesar Chavez Day: Tuesday, March 31
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 25
- Independence Day: Saturday, July 4 (state employees receive holiday credit; no Friday off)
- Labor Day: Monday, September 7
- Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 26
- Day After Thanksgiving: Friday, November 27
- Christmas Day: Friday, December 25
California courts close on additional days beyond this list, including Lincoln’s Birthday (February 12), Juneteenth (June 19), and Native American Day (September 25).4Judicial Branch of California. Court Holidays Courts also observe Independence Day on Friday, July 3, in 2026 because July 4 falls on a Saturday.
Which Holidays Are Paid for State Employees
Government Code Section 19853, not Section 6700, controls paid time off for state workers. The paid list is shorter: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Cesar Chavez Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.5California Legislative Information. California Government Code 19853 Each state employee also gets one personal holiday to use whenever they want.
Five holidays from the broader Section 6700 list are available as an elective trade. A state employee can exchange the personal holiday credit for eight hours of holiday credit on one of these dates: Lunar New Year, Genocide Remembrance Day, Diwali, Juneteenth, or Native American Day.5California Legislative Information. California Government Code 19853 It’s a swap, not extra time off, and only one date can be chosen.6California Department of Human Resources. Personal Holidays
Full-time employees earn up to eight hours of holiday credit per holiday; part-timers earn a prorated amount based on their time base. Holiday hours don’t count as “time worked” for overtime, so a holiday landing in the middle of your workweek doesn’t push you closer to the overtime threshold.5California Legislative Information. California Government Code 19853 State employees required to work a holiday receive their straight-time pay plus eight hours of holiday credit.
What Happens When a Holiday Falls on a Weekend
California’s weekend rules for state employees are not symmetrical, and this is where planning trips people up.
When a state holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed as the day off. When it falls on a Saturday, employees get holiday credit instead of a Friday off.7California Department of Human Resources. State Holidays Veterans Day is the one exception: when November 11 lands on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the observed holiday.5California Legislative Information. California Government Code 19853
This matters for Independence Day 2026. July 4 lands on a Saturday, so state employees bank holiday credit rather than take Friday off. Courts follow their own schedule and close on Friday, July 3.4Judicial Branch of California. Court Holidays
The federal government uses a simpler rule: Saturday holidays shift to the preceding Friday and Sunday holidays shift to the following Monday, uniformly.8U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays So a federal office and a California state office may observe the same holiday on different days.
Private Employers Have No Legal Obligation
California law doesn’t require private employers to give you a paid holiday, close on any holiday, or pay a premium for holiday work.2Department of Industrial Relations. Frequently Asked Questions – Holidays If your employer closes and pays you for the day, that comes from company policy, an employment agreement, or a union contract. Same for premium pay. Unless one of those sources applies, you earn your regular hourly rate for hours worked on a holiday, plus any overtime premium that kicks in beyond eight hours in a day or 40 in a week.
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act takes the same position. It doesn’t require holiday pay for time not worked, and it doesn’t mandate premium pay for holiday shifts.9U.S. Department of Labor. Holiday Pay When an employer voluntarily pays for an unworked holiday, that payment doesn’t count toward the “regular rate” used to calculate overtime.10eCFR. 29 CFR 778.219 – Pay for Forgoing Holidays and Unused Leave A premium rate paid for hours actually worked on a holiday, however, can count toward overtime obligations for the same workweek.
Court Filing Deadlines
California courts close on 14 days in 2026, including several dates that aren’t paid holidays for most state employees: Lincoln’s Birthday (February 12), Juneteenth (June 19), and Native American Day (September 25).4Judicial Branch of California. Court Holidays Courts also close on March 31 under a separate code provision.
When a filing deadline falls on a holiday, Saturday, or Sunday, the Code of Civil Procedure extends it to the next day that isn’t a holiday or weekend.11California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 12a Federal courts in California apply a similar rule under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6, which also recognizes state holidays declared by the state where the federal district court sits.12Legal Information Institute. Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time A state holiday you rarely think about, like Admission Day on September 9, can extend a federal filing deadline if it closes the clerk’s office.
Banking, Mail, and Schools
Federal and California holidays don’t line up, and the mismatches drive what actually closes. The Federal Reserve closes on 11 holidays, including Columbus Day, which state employees don’t automatically get off.13Federal Reserve Financial Services. Holiday Schedules The federal list doesn’t include Cesar Chavez Day, Admission Day, or Native American Day. When the Fed is closed, ACH transfers and wire payments don’t settle, so direct deposits and scheduled bill payments move to the next business day.
The U.S. Postal Service suspends regular delivery on federal holidays.14United States Postal Service. Holidays and Events California-only holidays like Cesar Chavez Day and Native American Day don’t affect banks or the mail. Your bank stays open and your mail arrives on those dates, even if the state office down the street is closed.
Public K–12 schools must close for ten designated holidays under the Education Code: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lincoln Day, Washington Day (Presidents’ Day), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.15California Legislative Information. California Education Code 37220 Schools also close on days declared a holiday by the President or Governor. When a school holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the closure day; when it falls on a Sunday, schools close the following Monday.