SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: North Carolina State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/north-carolina/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 4 North Carolina state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # North Carolina Holidays 2026 North Carolina has 11 federal holidays and 4 state holidays in 2026. Private employers don't have to give any of them. Last updated on Nov 1, 2026. ## All 2026 holidays in North Carolina | 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 | Not a North Carolina state holiday | 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 | Not a North Carolina 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 | Not a North Carolina state holiday | 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 | | State | Not required for private employers | | Christmas Eve | 2026-12-24 | Thursday | | State | Not required for private employers | | Christmas Day | 2026-12-25 | Friday | | Federal | Not required for private employers | | Christmas Holiday (Third state Christmas holiday (Dec 24, 25 & 28)) | 2026-12-28 | Monday | | State | Not required for private employers | | New Year's Eve | 2026-12-31 | Thursday | | Commonly given | Not required | ## What employers need to know **Paid holidays.** North Carolina law doesn't require employers to give holiday pay, vacation pay or sick leave. Whether to offer them is up to each employer. **Holidays and overtime.** In North Carolina, overtime is based on hours worked in each workweek, not hours worked in a day or the number of days worked. Time and a half is owed for hours over 40 unless the employee is exempt. **Promised holiday pay.** If you promise holiday pay in North Carolina, you must pay it under your policy, agreement or practice. Policies on promised wages must be made available to employees in writing or a posted notice. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Unused vacation when someone leaves.** North Carolina leaves PTO payout to the employer's written policy or agreement, and forfeiture must be in a written policy given in advance. If the policy or contract doesn't address payout, the employer must still pay it. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/north-carolina/#payment-of-accrued-unused-vacation-on-termination) **Sick leave.** North Carolina has no state law that requires sick leave, paid or unpaid. Employers that decide to offer it must follow the terms in their employment contract or employee handbook. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/north-carolina/#sick-leave-in-north-carolina) Full rules: North Carolina leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/north-carolina/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in North Carolina. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days North Carolina state offices close for: Good Friday, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Holiday. Take all 13 suggested PTO days and you get **52 days off across 12 breaks**, including 9 long weekends. Pick a break to see it on the calendar. - Take Wednesday, December 23 off to get a 6-day break from December 23 to 28 (Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Christmas Holiday). - Take Wednesday, November 25 off to get a 5-day break from November 25 to 29 (Thanksgiving Day and Day after Thanksgiving). - 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 9 and Tuesday, November 10 off to get a 5-day break from November 7 to 11 (Veterans Day). ## When North Carolina teams take time off The 5 weeks when the most North Carolina employees using Vacation Tracker were off, compared with an average week. - Jun 22 – 28 (Week 26): 2.4× a normal week - Jun 29 – Jul 5 (Week 27): 2.1× a normal week - May 18 – 24 (Week 21): 1.9× a normal week - May 11 – 17 (Week 20): 1.7× a normal week - Jul 13 – 19 (Week 29): 1.6× a normal week ## How North Carolina holidays differ **State holidays.** North Carolina has 4 holidays of its own in 2026 on top of the federal ones. The median across the 50 states and DC is 2; 5 have more and 37 have fewer. **Only in North Carolina.** Only North Carolina has Christmas Holiday as a holiday in 2026. **Federal holidays.** Not a paid day off for North Carolina state employees: Washington's Birthday, Juneteenth and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Georgia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/georgia/2026/): 2 holidays of its own - [South Carolina](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/south-carolina/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Tennessee](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/tennessee/2026/): 4 holidays of its own - [Virginia](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/virginia/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 North Carolina have to give paid holidays? No. North Carolina law doesn't require employers to give holiday pay or other wage benefits; giving them is entirely up to each employer. Q: What are the North Carolina state holidays in 2026? In 2026, North Carolina has the 11 federal holidays and 4 state holidays: Good Friday (April 3), Day after Thanksgiving (November 27), Christmas Eve (December 24) and Christmas Holiday (December 28). Washington's Birthday, Juneteenth and Columbus Day are federal holidays, but not North Carolina state holidays. Q: Is Juneteenth a North Carolina state holiday? No. Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it isn't a North Carolina state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a North Carolina state holiday? No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a North Carolina state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in North Carolina? Yes. The day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) is a North Carolina state holiday. Private employers don't have to give it. Q: Do employers in North Carolina have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Not by statute. North Carolina's labor department treats overtime pay for certain days worked as a promised wage, owed only if you promise it; the law itself requires overtime only for hours over 40 in a workweek. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in North Carolina? 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 North Carolina? 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 - 2027 Holiday Schedule - NC Office of State Human Resources: https://oshr.nc.gov/documents/2027-holiday-schedule/open - 2026 Holiday Schedule - NC OSHR: https://oshr.nc.gov/2026-holiday-schedule/open - 2028 Holiday Schedule - NC OSHR (New Year's 2028 observed Jan 3, 2028): https://oshr.nc.gov/documents/2028-holiday-schedule/open - NC OSHR: Holidays: https://oshr.nc.gov/state-employee-resources/benefits/leave/holidays - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Promised Wages Including Wage Benefits | NC Department of Labor: https://www.labor.nc.gov/workplace-rights/employee-rights-regarding-time-worked-and-wages-earned/promised-wages-including-wage-benefits - Overtime Pay, Salary and Comp Time | NC Department of Labor: https://www.labor.nc.gov/workplace-rights/employee-rights-regarding-time-worked-and-wages-earned/overtime-pay-salary-and-comp-time - 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/north-carolina-holidays-2026.csv