SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: Montana State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/montana/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 1 Montana state holiday for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # Montana Holidays 2026 Montana has 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in Montana | 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 | | Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday | | 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 | Not a Montana state holiday | 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 | | Election Day | 2026-11-03 | Tuesday | | State | 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 **Paid holidays.** Montana's Department of Labor & Industry says holiday pay is a benefit private employers may pay at their discretion. **Working on a holiday.** Montana employers don't have to pay overtime or premium pay for work on a holiday or weekend. Time-and-a-half is due only for hours over 40 in the workweek. **Holidays and overtime.** In Montana, paid holiday, sick and vacation hours don't count toward the 40 hours worked 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.** Montana requires employers to pay out earned, unused vacation when an employee leaves. Once earned under the employer's policy, vacation counts as wages and can't be lost for any reason. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/montana/#payment-of-accrued-but-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** Montana law doesn't require private employers to provide paid or unpaid sick leave. Eligible employers in Montana must still comply with the federal FMLA. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/montana/#sick-leave-in-montana) Full rules: Montana leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/montana/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in Montana. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days Montana state offices close for: Election Day. Take all 13 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 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 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from October 31 to November 3 (Election 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 Montana 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 Montana holidays differ **State holidays.** Montana has 1 holiday of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 35 have more and 4 have fewer. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for Montana state employees: Juneteenth. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Idaho](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/idaho/2026/): no holidays of its own - [North Dakota](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/north-dakota/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [South Dakota](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/south-dakota/2026/): 1 holiday of its own - [Wyoming](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/wyoming/2026/): no 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 Montana have to give paid holidays? No. Montana's Department of Labor & Industry says holiday pay is a benefit that may be paid at the employer's discretion. Q: What are the Montana state holidays in 2026? In 2026, Montana has the 11 federal holidays and 1 state holiday: Election Day (November 3). Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but not a Montana state holiday. Q: Is Juneteenth a Montana state holiday? No. Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it isn't a Montana state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a Montana state holiday? Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and a Montana state holiday, where it's called Indigenous Peoples' Day and Columbus Day. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in Montana? No. It isn't a Montana state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27. Q: Do employers in Montana have to pay extra for working on a holiday? No. In Montana, overtime or premium pay isn't required for holiday work unless the hours go over 40 in the workweek. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in Montana? No. In Montana, overtime isn't owed unless the employee actually worked more than 40 hours, even if worked hours plus paid holiday, vacation or sick time exceed 40. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in Montana? 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 - MCA 1-1-216 Legal holidays and business days (2025): https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0010/chapter_0010/part_0020/section_0160/0010-0010-0020-0160.html - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Wage and Hour FAQs - Employment Standards Division (Montana Department of Labor & Industry): https://erd.dli.mt.gov/labor-standards/wage-and-hour-payment-act/wage-and-hour-faq - Overtime - Employment Standards Division (Montana Department of Labor & Industry): https://erd.dli.mt.gov/labor-standards/wage-and-hour-payment-act/overtime 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/montana-holidays-2026.csv