Florida does not recognize Juneteenth as a legal or paid state holiday. The Legislature designated June 19 as “Juneteenth Day” back in 1991, but that designation is purely commemorative: state offices stay open, state employees work a normal day, and state court filing deadlines do not shift. Federal offices in Florida are a different story, because Juneteenth is a federal public holiday and every federal operation in the state closes.
Florida’s Two Holiday Lists, and Why Juneteenth Is on Neither
Florida keeps two separate holiday lists in its statutes. Section 683.01 defines the state’s “legal holidays,” which govern court deadlines and commercial transactions. That list runs to 22 designated days, from New Year’s Day to Christmas, and it includes Confederate Memorial Day and the Birthday of Jefferson Davis. It does not include Juneteenth.1Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 683.01 – Legal Holidays
Section 110.117 is the second list, covering paid holidays for state employees. It names nine: New Year’s Day, the Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Juneteenth is absent here too.2Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 110.117 – Paid Holidays
What the 1991 Designation Actually Does
Section 683.21 designates June 19 as Juneteenth Day and authorizes the Governor to issue an annual proclamation calling attention to it.3Florida Senate. Florida CS for SB 490 – Juneteenth Day Governor DeSantis issued such a proclamation in 2020.4Florida Phoenix. FL Gov. DeSantis Juneteenth Proclamation Draws Attention to Confederate Holidays Still on the Books The designation carries no operational weight. It does not close offices, it does not trigger paid leave, and it does not move deadlines.
What Stays Open on June 19 in Florida
Because Juneteenth is missing from Section 110.117, state employees do not get a paid day off. State agency offices, including the DMV and other services Floridians deal with regularly, run on their normal schedule.5Florida Department of Management Services. State Holidays
State courts follow the same rule. Because June 19 is not on the Section 683.01 legal holiday list, filing deadlines that land on Juneteenth are not automatically extended.1Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 683.01 – Legal Holidays Individual counties and judicial circuits sometimes close their courthouses for Juneteenth as a local decision, but you cannot assume yours does without checking directly.
What Closes Anyway Because of Federal Law
Juneteenth is a federal legal public holiday under 5 U.S.C. ยง 6103, and federal operations in Florida close regardless of the state’s position.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays That means:
- Federal agency offices in Florida close, and federal employees get a paid day off.7U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Holidays Work Schedules and Pay
- The U.S. Postal Service does not deliver regular mail.8USPS. Holidays and Events
- U.S. District Courts and the Eleventh Circuit close, and federal filing deadlines roll to the next business day.
- Federal tax deadlines falling on Juneteenth move to the next business day.9Internal Revenue Service. Starting or Ending a Business
This creates an unusual split. A Florida state court can enforce a June 19 filing deadline while the federal courthouse across the street is dark. If you have deadlines in both systems near that date, check each calendar separately.
Banking, Markets, and Direct Deposits
The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ both close for Juneteenth, so there is no equity trading that day.10New York Stock Exchange. Holidays and Trading Hours11NASDAQ. US Equity and Options Markets Holiday Schedule 2026
The Federal Reserve observes Juneteenth as well. FedACH processing, which moves direct deposits and electronic transfers, pauses across the holiday.12Federal Reserve. Holiday Schedules Payroll deposits and scheduled ACH payments can arrive a day or two later than usual. Many bank branches close, though ATMs and online banking keep running.
Private Employers and Schools
Neither federal law nor Florida law requires a private employer to give workers a paid day off for Juneteenth. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require pay for time not worked, holidays included.13U.S. Department of Labor. Holiday Pay Whether you have the day off depends on your employer’s policy or your union contract. Working on Juneteenth also does not automatically trigger overtime; the FLSA only requires overtime once a non-exempt employee crosses 40 hours in a workweek.
Florida public schools set calendars through local school boards, and because June 19 falls in mid-June, most are already on summer break. Some private schools and employers do close voluntarily.
Failed Bills and How Florida Compares
Bills to move Juneteenth onto Florida’s holiday lists have been introduced and have not passed. CS for SB 490 in 2021, filed shortly after Juneteenth became a federal holiday, would have added June 19 to the state employee paid holiday list. It did not become law.3Florida Senate. Florida CS for SB 490 – Juneteenth Day Similar proposals in later sessions have also stalled.
As of 2024, at least 30 states and the District of Columbia had made Juneteenth a permanent paid or legal holiday through legislation or executive action. Florida remains in the minority that has not. Until the statutes change, June 19 is a regular working day for Florida state government.