SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Arkansas State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/arkansas/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 1 Arkansas state holiday for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Arkansas Holidays 2026 Arkansas has 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in Arkansas | Holiday | Date | Day of week | Notes | Type | Paid by law? | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | New Year's Day | 2026-01-01 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 2026-01-19 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Easter Sunday | 2026-04-05 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Memorial Day | 2026-05-25 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Juneteenth | 2026-06-19 | Friday | Not an Arkansas state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Independence Day | 2026-07-04 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Labor Day | 2026-09-07 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Columbus Day | 2026-10-12 | Monday | Not an Arkansas state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Veterans Day | 2026-11-11 | Wednesday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Thanksgiving Day | 2026-11-26 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Day after Thanksgiving | 2026-11-27 | Friday | | Commonly given | Not required | | Christmas Eve | 2026-12-24 | Thursday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Christmas Day | 2026-12-25 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | New Year's Eve | 2026-12-31 | Thursday | | Commonly given | Not required | ## What employers need to know **Holiday pay follows your policy.** Arkansas's Division of Labor will only take a wage claim for holiday pay if the employee provides a company policy stating that holiday pay will be paid. Put your holiday pay rules in writing. **Working on a holiday.** Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require extra pay for work on a holiday unless the hours are overtime hours. **Holidays and overtime.** In Arkansas, overtime is due for hours actually worked over 40 in a workweek. Paid holiday hours don't count as hours worked for state or federal overtime. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Arkansas has no state law requiring payout of unused vacation when someone leaves. The employer's policy or employment contract decides whether earned, unused vacation is paid. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/arkansas/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** No Arkansas law requires private employers to provide sick leave, paid or unpaid, so employees have only the rights guaranteed by the federal FMLA. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/arkansas/#sick-leave-in-arkansas) Full rules: Arkansas leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/arkansas/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Arkansas. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Arkansas state offices close for: Christmas Eve. Take all 12 suggested PTO days and you get **46 days off across 11 breaks**, including 9 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Wednesday, December 23 off to get a 5-day break from December 23 to 27 (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). - Take Friday, January 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 1 to 4 (New Year's Day). - Take Friday, January 16 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 16 to 19 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). - Take Friday, February 13 off to get a 4-day weekend from February 13 to 16 (Washington's Birthday). - Take Friday, May 22 off to get a 4-day weekend from May 22 to 25 (Memorial Day). - Take Thursday, June 18 off to get a 4-day weekend from June 18 to 21 (Juneteenth). - Take Thursday, July 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from July 2 to 5 (Independence Day). - Take Friday, September 4 off to get a 4-day weekend from September 4 to 7 (Labor Day). - Take Friday, October 9 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 9 to 12 (Columbus Day). - Take Friday, November 27 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 26 to 29 (Thanksgiving Day). - Take Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 off to get a 5-day break from November 7 to 11 (Veterans Day). ## When US teams take time off The national pattern from Vacation Tracker data. We don't have enough Arkansas data for a state view yet. - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 2.5× a normal week - Jun 29 – Jul 5 (Week 27): 1.5× a normal week - Jul 6 – 12 (Week 28): 1.5× a normal week - Jul 27 – Aug 2 (Week 31): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 3 – 9 (Week 32): 1.5× a normal week ## How Arkansas holidays differ **State holidays.** Arkansas has 1 holiday of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 35 have more and 4 have fewer. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Arkansas state employees: Juneteenth and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Louisiana](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/louisiana/2026/): 8 holidays of its own - [Mississippi](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/mississippi/2026/): 1 holiday of its own - [Missouri](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/missouri/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Oklahoma](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/oklahoma/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Tennessee](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/tennessee/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Texas](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/texas/2026/): 10 holidays of its own Compare all 50 states and DC: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/2026/#compare ## Frequently asked questions Q: Do private employers in Arkansas have to give paid holidays? Arkansas's Division of Labor only accepts a holiday pay claim when the employee can show a company policy stating that holiday pay will be paid. So holiday pay comes from your policy, not from a state mandate. Q: What are the Arkansas state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Arkansas has the 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday: Christmas Eve (December 24). Juneteenth and Columbus Day are federal holidays, but not Arkansas state holidays. Q: Is Juneteenth an Arkansas state holiday? No. Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it isn't an Arkansas state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day an Arkansas state holiday? No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't an Arkansas state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Arkansas? No. It isn't an Arkansas state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27. Q: Do employers in Arkansas have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require extra pay for work on a holiday unless the hours are overtime hours. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Arkansas? No. Arkansas's labor department says hours paid for a holiday but not worked don't count as hours actually worked for state or federal overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Arkansas? Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. In 2026, Independence Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, July 3. ## Sources - Arkansas Secretary of State – 2026 State Holidays (Act 304 of 2001, amended by Act 561 of 2017): https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/uploads/holidays_2026.pdf - Arkansas DSAS/OPM Policy 52 – Holidays and Birthday Leave (eff. May 22, 2025): https://sas.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/52-Holidays-and-Birthday-Leave-5.23.2025.pdf - State Holiday Information – Arkansas Secretary of State: https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/about-the-office/news/state-holiday-calendar/ - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Wage Claims | Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing: https://labor.arkansas.gov/labor/labor-standards/wage-claims/ - Overtime Pay | U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/overtimepay - FAQs | Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing: https://labor.arkansas.gov/resources/faqs/ Holiday calendar data includes date-holidays (CC BY-SA 3.0), checked against the official sources above. Holiday dates come from public sources. Check your employment contract and the official sources above before you rely on them. CSV: https://vacationtracker.io/static/data/holiday-pages/united-states/arkansas-holidays-2026.csv