SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Kentucky State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/kentucky/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 5 Kentucky state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Kentucky Holidays 2026 Kentucky has 11 federal holidays and 5 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in Kentucky | Holiday | Date | Day of week | Notes | Type | Paid by law? | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | New Year's Day | 2026-01-01 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Day after New Year's Day (State employee holiday) | 2026-01-02 | Friday | | State | 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 | Not a Kentucky state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Good Friday (Half-day holiday for state employees) | 2026-04-03 | Friday | | State | 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 KRS 2.110, but not a paid holiday for Kentucky 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 | | 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 | | State | Not required for private employers | ## What employers need to know **Holiday pay.** Holiday pay isn't required by Kentucky law. Private employers decide whether to offer paid holidays. **Working on a holiday.** Under Kentucky's overtime regulation, employers don't have to pay overtime just because work falls on a holiday, a weekend or a regular day of rest. **Holidays and overtime.** Kentucky's overtime regulation says overtime need not be paid unless more than 40 hours are actually worked in the workweek. Separately, KRS 337.050 requires time and a half for work on the seventh day when an employer lets an employee work seven days in one workweek. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Kentucky law does not require vacation payout at termination, but employers that offer vested vacation pay must pay it to departing employees. Whether and when vacation vests depends on company policy or a written agreement. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/kentucky/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** Kentucky has no state sick leave law and doesn't require private employers to provide paid or unpaid sick leave. Eligible employers must comply with federal FMLA. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/kentucky/#sick-leave-in-kentucky) Full rules: Kentucky leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/kentucky/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Kentucky. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Kentucky state offices close for: Day after New Year's Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get **53 days off across 12 breaks**, including 7 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Monday, January 5 off to get a 5-day break from January 1 to 5 (New Year's Day and Day after New Year's Day). - 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 Wednesday, December 30 off to get a 5-day break from December 30 to January 3 (New Year's Eve and 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky holidays differ **State holidays.** Kentucky has 5 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 3 have more and 46 have fewer. **Shared with a few states.** Day after New Year's Day is also a state holiday in Louisiana and Tennessee. New Year's Eve is also a state holiday in Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Kentucky state employees: Washington's Birthday and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Illinois](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/illinois/2026/): 3 holidays of its own - [Indiana](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/indiana/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Missouri](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/missouri/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Ohio](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/ohio/2026/): no holidays of its own - [Tennessee](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/tennessee/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Virginia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/virginia/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [West Virginia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/west-virginia/2026/): 6 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 Kentucky have to give paid holidays? No. Holiday pay is not required by Kentucky law. Q: What are the Kentucky state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Kentucky has the 11 federal holidays and 5 state holidays: Day after New Year's Day (January 2), Good Friday (April 3), Day after Thanksgiving (November 27), Christmas Eve (December 24) and New Year's Eve (December 31). Washington's Birthday is a federal holiday, but not a Kentucky state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth a Kentucky state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Kentucky state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Kentucky state holiday? Partly. Columbus Day is a federal holiday. Legal holiday under KRS 2.110, but not a paid holiday for Kentucky state employees. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Kentucky? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a Kentucky state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in Kentucky have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Not under Kentucky's overtime rules. The state's overtime regulation says employers aren't required to pay overtime for work on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays or regular days of rest. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Kentucky? No. Kentucky's overtime regulation says overtime need not be paid unless more than 40 hours are actually worked in the workweek, and paid holiday time off isn't time actually worked. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Kentucky? 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 - Personnel Memo 25-18: 2026 Holidays for State Personnel (Kentucky Personnel Cabinet): https://extranet.personnel.ky.gov/Personnel%20Memos/2025-18.pdf - KRS 2.110 Public holidays: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=46 - Holidays & Leave - Kentucky Personnel Cabinet: https://personnel.ky.gov/holidays-and-leave - KRS 18A.190 Holidays for state personnel: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=1386 - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Wages and Hours | Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet: https://elc.ky.gov/workplace-standards/Pages/Wages-and-Hours.aspx - 803 KAR 1:061, Overtime pay requirements (Kentucky Legislative Research Commission): https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/803/001/061/ 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/kentucky-holidays-2026.csv