SOURCE: Vacation Tracker TITLE: North Dakota State Holidays 2026: Dates & Holiday Pay Rules URL: https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/north-dakota/2026/ LANG: en PUBLISHED: 2026-10-31 UPDATED: 2026-11-01 SUMMARY: All 11 federal and 2 North Dakota state holidays for 2026, with observed dates, holiday pay rules and free calendar downloads. # North Dakota Holidays 2026 North Dakota 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 North Dakota | 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 | | 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 Dakota state holiday: Designated observance; state offices open | 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 Dakota 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 | | Commonly given | Not required | | Christmas Eve (Half day: state offices close at 12 noon (N.D.C.C. 1-03-01.1)) | 2026-12-24 | Thursday | | State | Not required for private employers | | 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.** Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require North Dakota employers to pay for holidays that aren't worked. Holiday pay is a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee. **Paid holidays and overtime.** In North Dakota, overtime is owed for hours actually worked over 40 in a workweek. Paid holidays, paid time off and sick leave don't count toward those hours. **Unused PTO at separation.** In North Dakota, once paid time off is made available to an employee, any unused portion counts as wages when they leave and must be paid, unless one of two limitations applies. Both limitations require written notice to the employee. **Holidays that fall on a weekend.** Federal offices observe Saturday holidays on Friday and Sunday holidays on Monday. **Sick leave.** North Dakota doesn't mandate paid or unpaid sick days, and no state law adds to federal FMLA's 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Employers that offer sick days must follow their company policy or employment agreement. (https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/north-dakota/#sick-leave-in-north-dakota) Full rules: North Dakota leave laws: https://vacationtracker.io/leave-laws/usa/north-dakota/ ## Maximize your PTO in 2026 These are our suggestions for the best days to take off in North Dakota. They use the 11 federal holidays plus the days North Dakota state offices close for: Good Friday. 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 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 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 North Dakota 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 North Dakota holidays differ **State holidays.** North Dakota 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.** Not a paid day off for North Dakota state employees: Juneteenth and Columbus Day. Neighboring states in 2026: - [Minnesota](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/minnesota/2026/): 1 holiday of its own - [Montana](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/montana/2026/): 1 holiday of its own - [South Dakota](https://vacationtracker.io/holidays/united-states/south-dakota/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 North Dakota have to give paid holidays? Federal law (the FLSA) doesn't require pay for holidays that aren't worked; it's a matter of agreement between employer and employee. Check your own policy or contracts for any holiday pay you've promised in North Dakota. Q: What are the North Dakota state holidays in 2026? In 2026, North Dakota has the 11 federal holidays and 2 state holidays: Good Friday (April 3) and Christmas Eve (December 24). Juneteenth and Columbus Day are federal holidays, but not North Dakota state holidays. Q: Is Juneteenth a North Dakota state holiday? No. Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but it isn't a North Dakota state holiday. Designated observance. State offices open. In 2026 it falls on Friday, June 19. Q: Is Columbus Day a North Dakota state holiday? No. Columbus Day is a federal holiday, but it isn't a North Dakota state holiday. In 2026 it falls on Monday, October 12. Q: Is the day after Thanksgiving a holiday in North Dakota? No. It isn't a North Dakota state holiday, so private employers don't have to give it. In 2026 it falls on Friday, November 27. Q: Do employers in North Dakota have to pay extra for working on a holiday? Not under federal law. The FLSA doesn't require overtime pay for holiday work as such, so North Dakota employers only owe time-and-a-half if the employee works more than 40 hours in the workweek. Q: Do paid holidays count toward overtime in North Dakota? No. North Dakota overtime is based on actual hours worked, and paid holidays, paid time off and sick leave aren't counted when computing overtime hours. Q: What happens if a holiday falls on a weekend in North Dakota? 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 - N.D.C.C. ch. 1-03 Holidays (1-03-01, 1-03-01.1, 1-03-02, 1-03-02.1, 1-03-13, 1-03-18): https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t01c03.pdf - ND Secretary of State - State Office Holiday Closings: https://www.sos.nd.gov/state-office-holiday-closings - U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal holidays: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/ - Holiday Pay | U.S. Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/workhours/holidays - Wage and Hour FAQ | North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights: https://www.nd.gov/labor/wage-and-hour-faq - 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 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-dakota-holidays-2026.csv