SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: New Jersey State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-jersey/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 2 New Jersey state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # 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. ## All 2026 holidays in New Jersey | 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 (Not observed by New Jersey state agencies; offices open.) | 2026-02-12 | Thursday | | Observance | Not a day off | | Washington's Birthday | 2026-02-16 | Monday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Good Friday | 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 | | 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.** 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. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/new-jersey/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick 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. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/new-jersey/#sick-leave-in-new-jersey) Full rules: New Jersey leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/new-jersey/ ## Maximize 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. - 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 Thursday, April 2 off to get a 4-day weekend from April 2 to 5 (Good Friday). - 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 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 – 12 (Week 15): 1.8× a normal week - Dec 21 – 27 (Week 52): 1.8× a normal week - Dec 14 – 20 (Week 51): 1.7× a normal week - Aug 24 – 30 (Week 35): 1.5× a normal week - Mar 23 – 29 (Week 13): 1.5× a normal week ## 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: - [Delaware](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/delaware/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [New York](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/new-york/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [Pennsylvania](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/pennsylvania/2026/): 1 holiday 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 New Jersey have to give paid holidays? 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. Q: What are the New Jersey state holidays in 2026? In 2026, New Jersey has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: Good Friday (April 3) and Election Day (November 3). Q: Is Juneteenth a New Jersey state holiday? Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and a New Jersey state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a New Jersey state holiday? Yes. Columbus Day is a federal holiday and a New Jersey state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in New Jersey? 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. Q: Do employers in New Jersey have to pay extra for working on a holiday? 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. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in New Jersey? No. In New Jersey, overtime is only required for actual hours worked over 40, so holiday pay for time not worked doesn't count. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in New Jersey? 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 | NJ.gov: https://www.nj.gov/nj/about/facts/holidays.shtml - NJ Supreme Court: Schedule of 2026-2027 Legal Holidays and Court Recesses: https://www.njcourts.gov/sites/default/files/notices/2025/07/n250725d.pdf - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development: Wage and Hour Compliance FAQs (for Employers): https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/support/faqs/wageandhouremployerfaqs.shtml 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/new-jersey-holidays-2026.csv