SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Kentucky State Holidays 2027: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/kentucky/2027/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 3 Kentucky state holidays for 2027, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Kentucky Holidays 2027 Kentucky has 11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays in 2027. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2027 holidays in Kentucky | Holiday | Date | Day of week | Notes | Type | Paid by law? | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | New Year's Day | 2027-01-01 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | 2027-01-18 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Washington's Birthday | 2027-02-15 | Monday | Not a Kentucky state holiday | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Good Friday (Half-day holiday for state employees (KRS 18A.190)) | 2027-03-26 | Friday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Easter Sunday | 2027-03-28 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Memorial Day | 2027-05-31 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Juneteenth | 2027-06-19 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jun 18 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Independence Day | 2027-07-04 | Sunday | Falls on a Sunday. Observed Mon Jul 5 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Labor Day | 2027-09-06 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Columbus Day | 2027-10-11 | Monday | Legal holiday under KRS 2.110, but not a paid holiday for Kentucky state employees | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Veterans Day | 2027-11-11 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Thanksgiving Day | 2027-11-25 | Thursday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Day after Thanksgiving | 2027-11-26 | Friday | | Commonly given | Not required | | Christmas Eve | 2027-12-24 | Friday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Christmas Day | 2027-12-25 | Saturday | Falls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Dec 24 | Federal | Not required for private employers | | New Year's Day (observed) (Observed for New Year's Day on Sat Jan 1, 2028) | 2027-12-31 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | New Year's Eve | 2027-12-31 | Friday | | 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 2027 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: Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Take all 12 suggested PTO days and you get **49 days off across 12 breaks**, including 11 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Monday, January 4 off to get a 5-day break from December 31 to January 4 (New Year's Eve and New Year's Day). - Take Friday, January 15 off to get a 4-day weekend from January 15 to 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). - Take Friday, February 12 off to get a 4-day weekend from February 12 to 15 (Washington's Birthday). - Take Friday, May 28 off to get a 4-day weekend from May 28 to 31 (Memorial Day). - Take Thursday, June 17 off to get a 4-day weekend from June 17 to 20 (Juneteenth). - Take Friday, July 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from July 2 to 5 (Independence Day). - Take Friday, September 3 off to get a 4-day weekend from September 3 to 6 (Labor Day). - Take Friday, October 8 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 8 to 11 (Columbus Day). - Take Friday, November 12 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 11 to 14 (Veterans Day). - Take Friday, November 26 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 25 to 28 (Thanksgiving Day). - Take Thursday, December 23 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 23 to 26 (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). - Take Thursday, December 30 off to get a 4-day weekend from December 30 to January 2 (New Year's Day and New Year's Eve). ## 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 27 – Jan 2 (Week 52): 2.5× a normal week - Jul 5 – 11 (Week 27): 1.5× a normal week - Jul 12 – 18 (Week 28): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 2 – 8 (Week 31): 1.5× a normal week - Aug 9 – 15 (Week 32): 1.5× a normal week ## How Kentucky holidays differ **State holidays.** Kentucky has 3 holidays of its own in 2027 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 6 have more and 39 have fewer. **Shared with a few states.** Christmas Eve is also a state holiday in Arkansas, Michigan, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. New Year's Eve is also a state holiday in Michigan and Wisconsin. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Kentucky state employees: Washington's Birthday and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2027: - [Illinois](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/illinois/2027/): 2 holidays of its own - [Indiana](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/indiana/2027/): 4 holidays of its own - [Missouri](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/missouri/2027/): 2 holidays of its own - [Ohio](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/ohio/2027/): no holidays of its own - [Tennessee](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/tennessee/2027/): 1 holiday of its own - [Virginia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/virginia/2027/): 4 holidays of its own - [West Virginia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/west-virginia/2027/): 2 holidays of its own Compare all 50 states and DC: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/2027/#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 2027? In 2027, Kentucky has the 11 federal holidays and 3 state holidays: Good Friday (March 26), 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 2027 it falls on Saturday, June 19, and federal offices observe it on Friday, June 18. 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 2027 it falls on Monday, October 11. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Kentucky? No. It isn't a Kentucky state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2027 it falls on Friday, November 26. 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 2027, Juneteenth falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, June 18; Independence Day falls on a Sunday and is observed on Monday, July 5; Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, December 24. ## 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-2027.csv