Legal Holidays

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19. Legal Holidays

The diversity of our country is reflected in the various holidays recognized by the individual states. While many holidays, including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day, are considered legal holidays in all states, others, such as Good Friday and Robert E. Lee’s Birthday, are recognized in only a handful, while a few are particular to only one state, for example Alaska Day and Pioneer Day.

The recognition of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday has sparked a great deal of controversy. In some of the states where it is recognized, it is not a paid holiday for state employees.

Due to the myriad local holidays in the states, only the major holidays are featured below for comparison.

Table 19: Legal Holidays
StateCode SectionHolidays
ALABAMA1-3-8New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Mardi Gras (Mobile & Baldwin Counties only); Washington’s and Jefferson’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Fraternal Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Jefferson Davis’ Birthday; Confederate Memorial Day; Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; American Indian Heritage Day
ALASKA44.12.010New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Alaska Day; Seward’s Day
ARIZONA1-301New Year’s Day; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Mother’s Day; Father’s Day; American Family Day; Constitution Commemoration Day
ARKANSAS1-5-101New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s and Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; Christmas; employee’s birthday; Washington’s birthday and Daisy Gatson Bates Day
CALIFORNIAGov. Code §6700 §19853 State EmployeesNew Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Good Friday; Admission Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Cesar Chavez Day
COLORADO24-11-101New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington-Lincoln Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Labor Day
CONNECTICUT§1-4New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
DELAWARETit. 1 §501New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Day of biennial general elections; Friday following Thanksgiving
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA§28-2701New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
FLORIDA110.117; 683.01; legal holidays-public holidaysNew Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas. Following are official holidays but not paid days off for state employees: Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Susan B. Anthony’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Shrove Tuesday; Good Friday; Pascua Florida Day; Confederate Memorial Day; Jefferson Davis’s Birthday; Columbus Day; Flag Day; Veterans Day
GEORGIA1-4-1; Ga. Gov. Memos dated 10/18/90 and 10/16/91New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; Christmas; Confederate Memorial Day; Washington’s Birthday is holiday but paid day off is taken by state employees at Christmastime; Friday after Thanksgiving is designated as paid day off in honor of Robert E. Lee’s Birthday
StateCode SectionHolidays
HAWAII8-1New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day; King Kamehameha Day; Election Day except primary election; Statehood Day
IDAHO73-108New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday and Idaho Human Rights Day; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
ILLINOIS205 ILCS 630/17New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Lincoln’s Birthday; Casimir Pulaski’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
INDIANA1-1-9-1, 2New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; day of any primary or general election for national, state, or city officials (Election Day)
IOWA1C.1, 1C.2New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday (public holiday but not paid day off for state employees); Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas; Lincoln’s Birthday (not paid day off for state empl.)
KANSAS§35-107New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
KENTUCKY2.110New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Jefferson Davis’s Birthday; Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Confederate Memorial Day; Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Birthday
LOUISIANA1:55New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Mardi Gras; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Good Friday; general election day in even numbered years; Also, governor has authority to declare following paid holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Confederate Memorial Day; Acadian Day; s/he must declare 2, including national Memorial Day every year; Battle of New Orleans; Huey P. Long Day; All Saints Day
MAINETit. 4, §1051; 20-A, §4802New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Patriot’s Day
MARYLANDArt. 1 §27New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Maryland Day; Defender’s Day; any day of general or congressional election
MASSACHUSETTSCh. 4 §7, cl. EighteenthNew Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Patriot’s Day
StateCode SectionHolidays
MICHIGAN435.101New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
MINNESOTA645.44 subd. 5New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day (not a holiday for executive branch); Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving (for executive branch); Christmas
MISSISSIPPI3-3-7New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s and Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis’s Birthday; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Confederate Memorial Day
MISSOURI9.010New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Truman Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
MONTANA1-1-216New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Lincoln’s and Washington’s Birthday; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veteran’s Day; Thanksgiving Day; Christmas Day; state general election day; Memorial Day; Independence Day
NEBRASKA25-2221New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Arbor Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; day after Thanksgiving; Christmas
NEVADA236.015New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving (Family Day); Christmas; Nevada Day
NEW HAMPSHIRE288:1, 2New Year’s Day; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Day
NEW JERSEY36:1-1, 1.2New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; any general election day
NEW MEXICO12-5-2New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
NEW YORKGen. Constr. Law §24, 25New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas Flag Day; any general election day
NORTH CAROLINA103-4New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Good Friday; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Memorial Day; Robert E. Lee’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Greek Independence Day; Anniversary of signing of Halifax Resolves; Confederate Memorial Day; Anniversary of Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence; Yom Kippur; Columbus Day; and the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in election years
StateCode SectionHolidays
NORTH DAKOTA1-03-01, 01.1New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; state offices close at noon on Christmas Eve
OHIO1.14New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
OKLAHOMATit. 25 §§82.1, 82.2New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas
OREGON187.010, 020New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
PENNSYLVANIATit. 44, §11New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Flag Day; Election Day
RHODE ISLAND25-1-1New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Rhode Island Independence Day; Victory Day; Election Day
SOUTH CAROLINA53-5-10New Year’s Day; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas; Day after Christmas; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Confederate Memorial Day
SOUTH DAKOTA1-5-1New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Native American Day
TENNESSEE15-1-101New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; any day set apart for county, state, or national elections throughout the state
TEXASU.T.C.A. Government Code §662.003New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; Christmas; day after Christmas; (Confederate Heroes Day; Texas Independence Day; San Jacinto Day; Emancipation Day in Texas; Lyndon Baines Johnson Day; state holidays)
UTAH63-13-2New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington and Lincoln Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Pioneer Day
VERMONTTit. 1 §371New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; Town Meeting Day; Bennington Battle Day
VIRGINIA2.2-3300New Year’s Day; Lee-Jackson Day; Washington’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus and Yorktown Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday
StateCode SectionHolidays
WASHINGTON1.16.050New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Friday after Thanksgiving; Christmas
WEST VIRGINIA2-2-1New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Columbus Day; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; West Virginia Day; any national, state, or other election day throughout any district or municipality
WISCONSIN995.20New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; President’s Day; Good Friday (11am-3pm observed for purpose of worship); Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; any primary election day in September; Columbus Day; any general election day in November; Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas
WYOMING8-4-101New Year’s Day; *Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday; *Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday; Memorial cDay; Independence Day; Labor Day; *Veterans Day; Thanksgiving; Christmas; *Wyoming Equality Day; *public school not dismissed except by order of board of trustees of the district

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