SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: California State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/california/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 3 California state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # California Holidays 2026 California has 11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in California | 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 | | Susan B. Anthony Day | 2026-02-15 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Farmworkers Day | 2026-03-31 | Tuesday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Easter Sunday | 2026-04-05 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Malcolm X Day | 2026-05-19 | Tuesday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Harvey Milk Day | 2026-05-22 | Friday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Memorial Day | 2026-05-25 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Juneteenth | 2026-06-19 | Friday | Not a paid California state holiday; state employees may elect holiday credit for it | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Independence Day | 2026-07-04 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3. California state offices don't move it to a weekday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Labor Day | 2026-09-07 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Native American Day (Not a paid state-employee holiday; state employees may elect holiday credit for it) | 2026-09-25 | Friday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Columbus Day | 2026-10-12 | Monday | Legal holiday under California Government Code 6700, but not a paid holiday for California state employees | 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 | | State | Not required for private employers | | Christmas Eve | 2026-12-24 | Thursday | | Commonly given | Not required | | 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 **Paid holidays.** California law doesn't require private employers to give paid holidays, close on any holiday, or give employees a particular holiday off. If you give paid holidays, that comes from your own policy, a union contract or an employment agreement. **Working on a holiday.** California employers don't have to pay a special premium for holiday work. The only premium required is overtime: 1.5 times the regular rate for work over 8 hours in a workday or 40 hours in a workweek, and double the regular rate for work over 12 hours in a workday. **Holidays and overtime.** In California, a paid holiday that isn't worked doesn't count as hours worked for overtime. Overtime depends on hours actually worked, not hours paid. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. California state offices don't move Independence Day to a weekday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** California requires employers to pay out earned, unused vacation when an employee leaves. Earned vacation is treated as wages, goes on the final paycheck and can't expire or be taken away. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/california/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** Every California employer, regardless of size, must provide paid sick leave. The minimum is 40 hours (5 days) a year, and the accrual rate is 1 hour for every 30 hours of work. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/california/#sick-leave-in-california) Full rules: California leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/california/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in California. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days California state offices close for: Farmworkers Day and Day after Thanksgiving. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get **50 days off across 12 breaks**, including 10 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Wednesday, November 25 off to get a 5-day break from November 25 to 29 (Thanksgiving Day and Day after Thanksgiving). - 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 Monday, March 30 off to get a 4-day weekend from March 28 to 31 (Farmworkers Day). - 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 Thursday, December 24 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 24 to 27 (Christmas Day). - Take Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10 off to get a 5-day break from November 7 to 11 (Veterans Day). ## When California teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most California employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 2.8× a normal week - Jul 6 – 12 (Week 28): 1.8× a normal week - Jun 29 – Jul 5 (Week 27): 1.8× a normal week - Jul 27 – Aug 2 (Week 31): 1.8× a normal week - Aug 31 – Sep 6 (Week 36): 1.6× a normal week ## How California holidays differ **State holidays.** California has 3 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 14 have more and 31 have fewer. **Only in California.** Only California has Farmworkers Day and Native American Day as holidays in 2026. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for California state employees: Juneteenth and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Arizona](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/arizona/2026/): no holidays of its own - [Nevada](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/nevada/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Oregon](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/oregon/2026/): 1 holiday 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 California have to give paid holidays? No. California law doesn't require private employers to give paid holidays. Paid holidays come from the employer's policy or practice, a collective bargaining agreement, or an employment agreement. Q: What are the California state holidays in 2026? In 2026, California has the 11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays: Farmworkers Day (March 31), Native American Day (September 25) and Day after Thanksgiving (November 27). Q: Is Juneteenth a California state holiday? Partly. Juneteenth is a federal holiday. Not a paid California state holiday. State employees may elect holiday credit for it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a California state holiday? Partly. Columbus Day is a federal holiday. Legal holiday under California Government Code 6700, but not a paid holiday for California state employees. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in California? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a California state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in California have to pay extra for working on a holiday? No special holiday premium is required in California. Employers must still pay overtime on a holiday as on any other day: 1.5 times the regular rate over 8 hours in a workday or 40 in a workweek, and double the regular rate over 12 hours in a workday. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in California? No. In California, holiday pay for a day not worked doesn't count as hours worked when working out overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in California? 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. California state offices don't move Independence Day to a weekday. ## Sources - State Holidays - CalHR: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/about-calhr/divisions-programs/personnel-management/leave-benefits/state-holidays/ - State Holidays - California Secretary of State: https://www.sos.ca.gov/state-holidays - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - California DIR (Labor Commissioner): Holidays FAQ: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_holidays.htm - California DIR (Labor Commissioner): Overtime FAQ: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_overtime.htm 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/california-holidays-2026.csv