SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Kansas State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/kansas/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 2 Kansas state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Kansas Holidays 2026 Kansas 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. ## All 2026 holidays in Kansas | 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 | | Presidents' Day (Legal holiday under K.S.A. 35-107, but state offices are open) | 2026-02-16 | Monday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday | Not a Kansas state holiday | 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 | | 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 | Legal holiday under K.S.A. 35-107, but not a paid holiday for Kansas 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 (Designated by the Governor for state employees) | 2026-11-27 | Friday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Christmas Eve (Designated by the Governor for state employees in 2026) | 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 **Paid holidays.** Kansas law doesn't require employers to offer holiday pay. Paid holidays are a benefit the employer chooses to give. **Working on a holiday.** Asked whether overtime is due for work on Sundays or holidays, the Kansas Department of Labor points to the weekly rule: under federal law, overtime is due once an employee has worked 40 hours in a week, unless a written contract says otherwise. **Overtime: 46 or 40 hours.** Kansas state law requires overtime after 46 hours worked in a week, while federal law requires it after 40. Which rule applies to your business depends on its annual revenue and interstate commerce. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** No Kansas law requires employers to pay out accrued vacation when employment ends. Vacation pay follows the employer's policy or practice, and a policy can let employees earn vacation pay only once they reach an anniversary date. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/kansas/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** Kansas employers aren't required to provide paid or unpaid sick leave, except for federal FMLA's up to 12 weeks unpaid. An employer that sets a sick leave policy in its handbook must comply with it. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/kansas/#sick-leave-in-kansas) Full rules: Kansas leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/kansas/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Kansas. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Kansas state offices close for: Day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. Take all 12 suggested PTO days and you get **47 days off across 11 breaks**, including 8 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 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 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 Kansas 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 Kansas holidays differ **State holidays.** Kansas 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.** Not a paid day off for Kansas state employees: Washington's Birthday and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Colorado](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/colorado/2026/): 3 holidays of its own - [Missouri](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/missouri/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Nebraska](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/nebraska/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Oklahoma](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/oklahoma/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 Kansas have to give paid holidays? No. The Kansas Department of Labor says the law doesn't require employers to offer holiday pay. Q: What are the Kansas state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Kansas has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: Day after Thanksgiving (November 27) and Christmas Eve (December 24). Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday, but not a Kansas state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth a Kansas state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Kansas state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Kansas state holiday? Partly. Columbus Day is a federal holiday. Legal holiday under K.S.A. 35-107, but not a paid holiday for Kansas state employees. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Kansas? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Kansas state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in Kansas have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Not just because it's a holiday. The Kansas Department of Labor answers the holiday overtime question with the weekly rule: under federal law, overtime is due once an employee has worked 40 hours in a week, unless a written contract says otherwise. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Kansas? No, under federal law (the FLSA). Paid time off for a holiday isn't hours worked, so it doesn't have to be counted toward the hours that trigger overtime. Kansas guidance also counts overtime by hours worked: 46 in a week under state law, 40 under federal law. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Kansas? 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 - Holidays for 2026 - Kansas Department of Administration (Executive Branch employees): https://admin.ks.gov/offices/personnel-services/agency-information/holidays-for-state-of-kansas-executive-branch-employees/holidays-for-2026 - K.S.A. 35-107 Legal public holidays designated: https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch35/035_001_0007.html - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Workplace Laws FAQs | Kansas Department of Labor: https://www.dol.ks.gov/employers/workplace-laws/workplace-laws-faqs - 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/kansas-holidays-2026.csv