SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Florida State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/florida/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 3 Florida state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Florida Holidays 2026 Florida 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 Florida | 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 (Legal holiday under s.683.01 but not a paid holiday; state offices stay open) | 2026-02-15 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday | Proclaimed a Florida state holiday for 2026 by the Governor | 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 a Florida state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | State office closure (Independence Day) (State offices closed by the Governor for the Independence Day weekend (2026 only)) | 2026-07-02 | Thursday | | State | 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 | | State office closure (Independence Day) (State offices closed by the Governor for the Independence Day weekend (2026 only)) | 2026-07-06 | Monday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Labor Day | 2026-09-07 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Columbus Day | 2026-10-12 | Monday | Legal holiday under Fla. Stat. 683.01, but not a paid holiday for Florida 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.** Under federal law (the FLSA), employers don't have to pay for holidays not worked. Holiday pay is a matter of agreement between employer and employee. **Working on a holiday.** Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require overtime or premium pay for work on a holiday as such. Overtime is owed to covered non-exempt employees for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. **Domestic violence leave.** Florida employers with 50 or more employees must let employees with 3+ months' service take up to 3 working days of leave in any 12-month period if they or a family or household member is a victim of domestic or sexual violence. The leave can be paid or unpaid, at the employer's discretion. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** No Florida statute addresses paying out accrued vacation at termination. Payout depends on the employer's written policy or agreement. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/florida/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** Florida has no law requiring employers to provide sick leave, paid or unpaid. Employers with 50 or more employees must follow federal FMLA, which allows up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/florida/#sick-leave-in-florida) Full rules: Florida leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/florida/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Florida. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Florida state offices close for: State office closure (Independence Day) and Day After Thanksgiving. Take all 12 suggested PTO days and you get **48 days off across 11 breaks**, including 8 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Wednesday, July 1 off to get a 6-day break from July 1 to 6 (State office closure (Independence Day) and Independence Day). - 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 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 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 Florida teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most Florida employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 2.1× a normal week - Jun 15 – 21 (Week 25): 1.9× a normal week - Dec 29 – Jan 4 (Week 1): 1.6× a normal week - Jun 8 – 14 (Week 24): 1.6× a normal week - Jul 20 – 26 (Week 30): 1.6× a normal week ## How Florida holidays differ **State holidays.** Florida 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 Florida.** Only Florida has State office closure (Independence Day) as a holiday in 2026. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Florida state employees: Juneteenth and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Alabama](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/alabama/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Georgia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/georgia/2026/): 2 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 Florida have to give paid holidays? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require pay for holidays not worked. Paid holidays are a matter of agreement between employer and employee. Q: What are the Florida state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Florida has the 11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays: State office closure (Independence Day) (July 2), State office closure (Independence Day) (July 6) and Day After Thanksgiving (November 27). Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but not a Florida state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth a Florida state holiday? No. Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Florida state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Florida state holiday? Partly. Columbus Day is a federal holiday. Legal holiday under Fla. Stat. 683.01, but not a paid holiday for Florida state employees. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Florida? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Florida state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in Florida have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Not under federal law. The FLSA doesn't require overtime pay for work on holidays as such; covered non-exempt employees get time and a half for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Florida? Not under federal law. Under the FLSA, paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked and doesn't have to be counted toward overtime. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Florida? 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 - State Holidays - Florida Department of Management Services: https://www.dms.myflorida.com/workforce_operations/human_resource_management/for_state_personnel_system_hr_practitioners/state_holidays - Fla. Stat. 110.117 Paid holidays (state employees): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/110.117 - Fla. Stat. 683.01 Legal holidays: https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/683.01 - Governor announces additional days off for state employees (July 2 & 6, 2026): https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2026/governor-ron-desantis-announces-additional-days-state-employees-america-celebrates - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Holiday Pay | U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/holidays - Fact Sheet #23: Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA | U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/23-flsa-overtime-pay - Florida Statutes s. 741.313, Unlawful action against employees seeking protection (The Florida Senate): https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/741.313 - FLSA Hours Worked Advisor: Holidays, Vacations and Sick Time | U.S. Department of Labor: https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/whd/flsa/hoursworked/screenEE14.asp 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/florida-holidays-2026.csv