New Jersey Holidays 2026
New Jersey 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
11 federal holidays, 2 state holidays and 3 commonly given in 2026.
11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays in 2026.
Trusted by 200,000+ people at companies you know
All 2026 holidays in New Jersey
18 days listed| Month | Date | Holiday | Type | Paid by law? | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1Thu | New Year's Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| 19Mon | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| February | 12Thu | Lincoln's BirthdayNot observed by New Jersey state agencies; offices open. | Observance | Not a day off | |
| 16Mon | Washington's Birthday | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| April | 3Fri | Good Friday | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 5Sun | Easter Sunday | Observance | Not a day off | ||
| May | 25Mon | Memorial Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| June | 19Fri | Juneteenth | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| July | 4Sat | Independence DayFalls on a Saturday. Observed Fri Jul 3 | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| September | 7Mon | Labor Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| October | 12Mon | Columbus Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | |
| November | 3Tue | Election Day | State | Not required for private employers | |
| 11Wed | Veterans Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 26Thu | Thanksgiving Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 27Fri | Day after Thanksgiving | Commonly given | Not required | ||
| December | 24Thu | Christmas Eve | Commonly given | Not required | |
| 25Fri | Christmas Day | Federal | Not required for private employers | ||
| 31Thu | New Year's Eve | Commonly given | Not required |
New Jersey 2026 is already addedImport New Jersey's 2026 holidays into Vacation Tracker automatically, in one click
Your team sees them in Microsoft Teams, Slack or Google Workspace. Free for 14 days, no credit card.
What employers need to know
Paid holidays
New Jersey law doesn't require private employers to give paid holidays or holiday pay. If you choose to offer it, apply it uniformly according to your written policy or employment agreement.
Working on a holiday
New Jersey doesn't require overtime or double time just because someone works on a holiday. Overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate is owed only for hours actually worked over 40 in the workweek.
Holidays and overtime
In New Jersey, paid holiday hours don't count toward overtime. If an employee works 40 hours and gets 8 hours of holiday pay, no overtime is owed.
Holidays that fall on a weekend
Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday.
Unused vacation when someone leaves
New Jersey law does not require PTO payout at termination. An employer pays unused vacation only if an employment agreement, union contract or company policy says so.
From our New Jersey leave laws guideSick leave
New Jersey's paid sick leave law applies to all employers, regardless of size. Employees earn 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, and employers can limit yearly accumulation to 40 hours.
From our New Jersey leave laws guideMaximize your PTO in 2026
These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in New Jersey. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days New Jersey state offices close for: Good Friday and Election Day. Take all 14 suggested PTO days and you get 53 days off across 13 breaks, including 12 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar.
- Federal
- State
- Commonly given
- Suggested PTO day
- Weekend
- Today
January 2026
February 2026
March 2026
April 2026
May 2026
June 2026
July 2026
August 2026
September 2026
October 2026
November 2026
December 2026
When New Jersey teams take time off
The 5 weeks when the most New Jersey employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week.
- Apr 6 – 12Week 15 1.8× a normal week1.8×
- Dec 21 – 27Week 52 1.8× a normal week1.8×
- Dec 14 – 20Week 51 1.7× a normal week1.7×
- Aug 24 – 30Week 35 1.5× a normal week1.5×
- Mar 23 – 29Week 13 1.5× a normal week1.5×
How New Jersey holidays differ
State holidays
New Jersey 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
New Jersey state offices observe all 11 federal holidays.
Neighboring states in 2026
Compare all 50 states and DCSources
- State Holidays | NJ.gov
- NJ Supreme Court: Schedule of 2026-2027 Legal Holidays and Court Recesses
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays
- NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development: Wage and Hour Compliance FAQs (for Employers)
Holiday calendar data includes date-holidays (CC BY-SA 3.0), checked against the official sources above.
Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. Holiday dates come from public sources. Check your employment contract and the official sources above before you rely on them.
Frequently asked questions
No. New Jersey law doesn't require fringe benefits such as holiday pay, but if you offer them you must apply them uniformly under your policy or employment agreement.
In 2026, New Jersey has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: Good Friday (April 3) and Election Day (November 3).
Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a New Jersey state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19.
Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and a New Jersey state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12.
No. It isn't a New Jersey state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27.
No. The New Jersey Department of Labor says you don't have to pay overtime or double time for holiday work; overtime is owed only for hours actually worked over 40 in the workweek.
No. In New Jersey, overtime is only required for actual hours worked over 40, so holiday pay for time not worked doesn't count.
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.