Georgia Holidays 2026
Georgia has 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026
11 federal holidays, 2 state holidays and 1 commonly given in 2026.
11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays in 2026.
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All 2026 holidays in Georgia
16 days listed| Month | Date | Holiday | Type | Paid by law? | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1Thu | New Year's Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 19Mon | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| February | 16Mon | Washington's BirthdayGeorgia state offices observe it on Thursday, December 24 instead | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| April | 3Fri | State HolidayKnown as Confederate Memorial Day prior to 2016 | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 5Sun | Easter Sunday | Observance | Not a day off | ||
| May | 25Mon | Memorial Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| June | 19Fri | Juneteenth | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| July | 4Sat | Independence DayFalls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3 | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| September | 7Mon | Labor Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| October | 12Mon | Columbus Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| November | 11Wed | Veterans Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 26Thu | Thanksgiving Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 27Fri | State HolidayKnown as Robert E. Lee's Birthday prior to 2016 | State | Not required for private employers | ||
| December | 24Thu | Washington's BirthdayGeorgia state offices observe Washington's Birthday in December | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 25Fri | Christmas Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 31Thu | New Year's Eve | Commonly given | Not required |
Georgia 2026 is already addedImport Georgia's 2026 holidays into Vacation Tracker automatically, in one click
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What employers need to know
Paid leave
The Georgia Department of Labor says neither federal nor Georgia law requires employers to provide vacation, sick or personal leave.
Working on a holiday
The Georgia Department of Labor notes that federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require overtime pay for work on holidays or weekends. Overtime is owed only when the hours worked count as overtime.
Holidays and overtime
Under federal law (the FLSA), paid holiday, vacation and sick time off isn't hours worked, so Georgia employers don't have to count it toward the 40 hours that trigger overtime.
Holidays that fall on a weekend
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday.
Unused vacation when someone leaves
No Georgia law requires employers to pay out accrued vacation at termination. An employer must pay it only if the company's policy or contract requires it.
From our Georgia leave laws guideMaximize your PTO in 2026
These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Georgia. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Georgia state offices close for: State Holiday (April 3), State Holiday (November 27) and Washington's Birthday (December 24). Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get 51 days off across 12 breaks, including 9 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar.
- Federal
- State
- Commonly given
- Suggested PTO day
- Weekend
- Today
January 2026
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026
May 2026
June 2026
July 2026
August 2026
September 2026
October 2026
November 2026
December 2026
When Georgia teams take time off
The 5 weeks when the most Georgia employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week.
- Dec 21 – 27Week 52 2.6× a normal week2.6×
- Jul 6 – 12Week 28 2.1× a normal week2.1×
- Sep 21 – 27Week 39 1.8× a normal week1.8×
- Jul 13 – 19Week 29 1.6× a normal week1.6×
- Jun 15 – 21Week 25 1.5× a normal week1.5×
How Georgia holidays differ
State holidays
Georgia has 2 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 20 have more and 16 have fewer.
Federal holidays
Georgia state offices observe Washington's Birthday on December 24.
Neighboring states in 2026
- Alabama4 holidays of its own
- Florida3 holidays of its own
- North Carolina4 holidays of its own
- South Carolina4 holidays of its own
- Tennessee4 holidays of its own
Sources
- State of Georgia Holiday Schedule (Team Georgia; Governor's memo dates for 2026 and 2027)
- Governor Kemp 2027 State Holidays memo
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays
- Individuals FAQs - Fair Labor Standards Act | Georgia Department of Labor
- DOL-224 Employer Handbook | Georgia Department of Labor
- elaws - FLSA Hours Worked Advisor (U.S. Department of Labor)
- Holiday Pay | U.S. Department of Labor
Holiday calendar data includes date-holidays (CC BY-SA 3.0), checked against the official sources above.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. Holiday dates come from public sources. Check your employment contract and the official sources above before you rely on them.
Frequently asked questions
Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require pay for holidays that aren't worked; it's a matter of agreement between employer and employee. Check your own policy or contracts for any holiday pay you've promised in Georgia.
In 2026, Georgia has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: State Holiday (April 3) and State Holiday (November 27). Georgia state offices observe Washington's Birthday on Thursday, December 24 instead of its federal date.
Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Georgia state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19.
Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and a Georgia state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12.
Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Georgia state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it.
Not under federal law. The Georgia Department of Labor notes the FLSA doesn't require overtime pay for work on holidays unless overtime is worked on those days, i.e. more than 40 hours in the workweek.
Not under federal law. Paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked under the FLSA, so Georgia employers don't have to count it toward the 40 hours that trigger overtime.
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.