SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Missouri State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/missouri/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 2 Missouri state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Missouri Holidays 2026 Missouri 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 Missouri | 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 | | Lincoln's Birthday | 2026-02-12 | Thursday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Easter Sunday | 2026-04-05 | Sunday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Truman Day | 2026-05-08 | Friday | | State | Not required for private employers | | 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 | | 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 | | Commonly given | Not required | | 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 **Holiday pay.** Missouri law doesn't require private employers to provide holiday pay. Paid holidays are a benefit you offer at your discretion, so follow your written policy or agreement. **Holidays and overtime.** In Missouri, overtime of at least 1.5 times the regular rate starts once an employee works more than 40 hours in a workweek, not more than 8 hours in a day. **Paid sick leave.** Missouri employers aren't required to offer paid sick leave or other paid fringe benefits. It's left to the employer's discretion or any contract with employees. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** Missouri law doesn't obligate employers to pay accrued PTO when employees leave, and final wages don't include vacation pay. An employer must pay accrued vacation only if its policy or contract says so. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/missouri/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) Full rules: Missouri leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/missouri/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Missouri. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Missouri state offices close for: Lincoln's Birthday and Truman Day. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get **50 days off across 12 breaks**, including 10 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Friday, February 13 off to get a 5-day break from February 12 to 16 (Lincoln's Birthday and Washington's Birthday). - 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 Thursday, May 7 off to get a 4-day weekend from May 7 to 10 (Truman Day). - 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 Friday, November 27 off to get a 4-day weekend from November 26 to 29 (Thanksgiving 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 US teams take time off The national pattern from Vacation Tracker data. We don't have enough Missouri 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 Missouri holidays differ **State holidays.** Missouri 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. **Only in Missouri.** Only Missouri has Truman Day as a holiday in 2026. **Shared with a few states.** Lincoln's Birthday is also a state holiday in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana and New York. **Federal holidays.** Missouri state offices observe all 11 federal holidays. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Arkansas](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/arkansas/2026/): 1 holiday of its own - [Illinois](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/illinois/2026/): 3 holidays of its own - [Iowa](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/iowa/2026/): 1 holiday of its own - [Kansas](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/kansas/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Kentucky](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/kentucky/2026/): 5 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 - [Tennessee](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/tennessee/2026/): 4 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 Missouri have to give paid holidays? No. Missouri's labor department says employers aren't required to provide holiday pay; it's a benefit given at the employer's discretion. Q: What are the Missouri state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Missouri has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: Lincoln's Birthday (February 12) and Truman Day (May 8). Q: Is Juneteenth a Missouri state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a Missouri state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Missouri state holiday? Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and a Missouri state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Missouri? No. It isn't a Missouri state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27. Q: Do employers in Missouri 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 Missouri? 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 Missouri? 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 - Missouri Office of Administration: https://oa.mo.gov/commissioner/state-holidays - RSMo 9.010 Public holidays: https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=9.010 - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Wages, Hours and Dismissal Rights | Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations: https://labor.mo.gov/dls/general/vacation-sick-leave - 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 - 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/missouri-holidays-2026.csv