Federal courts observe 11 holidays in 2026, and most state courts follow a similar but not identical calendar. If you have a filing deadline, a hearing, or any other court business, these are the dates to mark, along with the rule that automatically pushes a deadline forward when it lands on a closure day.
Federal Court Holiday Dates in 2026
Federal law designates 11 public holidays, and federal courts close on each.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays The 2026 dates are:2United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. 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 Is Observed on July 3
When a federal holiday’s calendar date lands on a Saturday, federal courts close the preceding Friday. When it falls on a Sunday, they close the following Monday.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 USC 6103 – Holidays In 2026, July 4 is a Saturday, so federal courts close Friday, July 3.2United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Federal Holidays
This catches people counting down a late-June or early-July deadline. The courthouse is dark on Friday, July 3, not on the actual Fourth of July. If you have business in that window, treat July 3 as the closure day.
What Happens When Your Deadline Falls on a Holiday
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6 gives you an automatic cushion. If the last day of any filing period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline rolls forward to the next day that is not one of those three.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers
The counting method is the same for any deadline length. You exclude the day that triggered the period, count every calendar day after that including weekends and holidays, and then check the final day. If it lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the extension kicks in.4Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers
Statutes of Limitations
The extension applies to statutes of limitations too, as long as the statute itself doesn’t prescribe its own method for computing time.4Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers Most limitations statutes just say “within two years” or similar, without specifying a counting rule, so Rule 6 fills the gap. If your last day to file suit lands on a federal court holiday, you get the next business day.
Even with that cushion, running a limitations clock down to the final day is risky. Courts can close for weather, e-filing systems can go down, and a technical failure at the wrong moment is unrecoverable.
Electronic Filing on Holidays
The courthouse closing does not mean you can’t file. Federal courts use the CM/ECF system, which generally stays available around the clock, including on weekends and holidays. The Federal Circuit has confirmed that electronic filing deadlines remain in effect and CM/ECF stays operational even when the courthouse closes.5U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Notice of Holiday Closures and Schedule Adjustments
For federal courts, the electronic filing deadline is midnight in the court’s time zone.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers If your deadline falls on a holiday, Rule 6 extends it automatically to the next business day, but you can still file electronically on the holiday itself if you want to. The extension is a safety net, not an obligation to wait.
State e-filing systems vary. Some treat a document transmitted on a holiday or weekend as filed on the next business day, meaning your transmission timestamp and your official filing date can be different. If a state court deadline is close, check that state’s e-filing rules rather than assuming the federal approach carries over.
State and Local Courts Set Their Own Calendars
State and local courts are not bound by the federal list. Each state sets its own schedule, and the differences are real. Some states observe holidays with no federal equivalent, such as Patriots’ Day in April, Cesar Chavez Day in March, Good Friday, or Mardi Gras. Others have dropped Columbus Day or renamed it Indigenous Peoples’ Day, sometimes changing whether it counts as a closure at all.
Most state courts do follow a “next business day” rule when a deadline expires on a holiday or weekend, though the rule numbers and wording differ. If you work across jurisdictions, a day your state court is open may be a day the federal courthouse is closed, or the reverse. There is no national calendar covering every court.
State Holidays Can Extend Federal Appeal Deadlines
Here is a wrinkle worth knowing in federal appeals. For federal appellate courts, “legal holiday” includes the 11 federal holidays, any day the President or Congress declares a holiday, and any holiday recognized by the state where the district court that issued the ruling sits or where the circuit clerk’s main office is located.6United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. FRAP 26 – Computing and Extending Time So a state holiday that federal courts normally ignore can still extend your federal appeal deadline.
Unscheduled Closures
Courts also close without warning for severe weather, power outages, public health emergencies, or security threats. Rule 6 covers this separately: if the clerk’s office is “inaccessible” on the last day for filing, the deadline extends to the first accessible day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.4Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. Rule 6 – Computing and Extending Time; Time for Motion Papers The rule intentionally does not define “inaccessible,” which lets courts apply it to floods, ice storms, evacuations, and similar events.
During prolonged emergencies, courts can go further. In the COVID-19 pandemic, state supreme courts issued orders suspending filing deadlines for weeks and treating later filings as timely. Federal courts have similar authority to extend deadlines during declared emergencies. If a court closes unexpectedly and you have a deadline, check the court’s website and phone line before anything else; there is likely an order in place protecting you, but you need to read its terms.
Confirming Your Court’s Schedule
Every federal and state court publishes its holiday calendar on its official website. For federal courts, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the individual circuit and district court sites post the full year. For state courts, look for a “Court Holidays” or “Court Calendar” page on the state judiciary’s site.
When in doubt, call the clerk’s office. That matters most for unscheduled closures that will not appear on any pre-published calendar. Courts usually update their homepage, phone recordings, and social media when an emergency closure happens. If a deadline is close and weather is in the forecast, a quick call can save you a trip and give you time to plan an electronic filing instead.