Is Good Friday a Federal Holiday? No — March 26, 2027
No, Good Friday is not a federal holiday: 5 U.S.C. 6103(a) lists 11 legal public holidays and Good Friday is not one of them. In 2027 Good Friday is Friday, March 26: federal offices, Federal Reserve Banks and Post Offices (per USPS) follow their normal schedules, while NYSE is closed and SIFMA recommends a full close for the bond market.
The number of days to Friday, March 26, 2027 appears here once the page loads in your browser.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Federal sources checked November 1, 2026 · Methodology & sources
All dates for the year: federal holidays 2027. To check any other day, use the federal holiday checker.
The law: what 5 U.S.C. 6103(a) says about Good Friday
5 U.S.C. 6103(a), quoted below, lists the legal public holidays. There are 11, and Good Friday is not one of them. OPM's federal holidays tables for 2026 through 2030 have no row for Good Friday either.
(a) The following are legal public holidays: New Year's Day, January 1. Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the third Monday in January. Washington's Birthday, the third Monday in February. Memorial Day, the last Monday in May. Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19. Independence Day, July 4. Labor Day, the first Monday in September. Columbus Day, the second Monday in October. Veterans Day, November 11. Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday in November. Christmas Day, December 25.
Source: 5 U.S.C. 6103: Holidays (GovInfo), OPM: Federal Holidays (2026 to 2030 tables)
Who gets the day off on Good Friday 2027
No federal employee gets Good Friday off as a legal public holiday. The table shows what the Federal Reserve, USPS, NYSE and SIFMA lists say for Friday, March 26, 2027; each row names its source.
OPM's rule for a holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday, quoted below, applies to legal public holidays. Good Friday is not in 6103(a) or in OPM's tables, so the rule does not apply to it.
If a holiday falls on a Saturday, for most Federal employees, the preceding Friday will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See 5 U.S.C. 6103(b).) If a holiday falls on a Sunday, for most Federal employees, the following Monday will be treated as a holiday for pay and leave purposes. (See Section 3(a) of Executive Order 11582, February 11, 1971.)
| Who | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Federal offices and agencies | Open | 5 U.S.C. 6103(a) does not name Good Friday and OPM's 2027 holiday table has no row for it, so Friday, March 26, 2027 is not a federal holiday and federal offices follow their normal schedule.Source: OPM: Federal Holidays (2026 to 2030 tables), 5 U.S.C. 6103: Holidays (GovInfo) |
| Federal Reserve Banks | Open | Good Friday is not on the Federal Reserve Financial Services holiday schedule or on the Board's K.8 table, so Federal Reserve Banks are open on Friday, March 26, 2027. Whether a bank or credit union branch is open is up to each bank: each bank sets its own hours, so check with yours.Source: Federal Reserve Financial Services: Holiday Schedules, Federal Reserve Board: Holidays Observed (K.8) |
| USPS Post Offices and delivery | Open | USPS's 2027 holidays page does not list Good Friday. USPS says: "Regular mail delivery occurs Monday through Saturday, with the exception of postal holidays." Confirm local Post Office hours with USPS.Source: USPS: holidays and events, USPS FAQ: No mail delivery? |
| Stock market (NYSE) | Closed | NYSE's 2027 holiday list shows all NYSE markets closed on Friday, March 26, 2027 (Good Friday). This page covers NYSE; check your exchange or broker for its own calendar.Source: NYSE: holidays and trading hours |
| Bond market (SIFMA recommendation) | Closed | SIFMA recommends a full close for the U.S. bond market on Friday, March 26, 2027. SIFMA also recommends an early close at 2:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 25, 2027, ahead of Good Friday.Source: SIFMA: U.S. holiday schedule |
To check another day, use the bank holiday checker, Post Office holiday checker or the stock market holidays list.
Source: OPM: Federal Holidays (2026 to 2030 tables), Federal Reserve Financial Services: Holiday Schedules, Federal Reserve Board: Holidays Observed (K.8), USPS: holidays and events, NYSE: holidays and trading hours, SIFMA: U.S. holiday schedule
Private employers and holiday pay
Federal holiday law covers federal employees, and Good Friday is not on its list. Whether a private employer gives Good Friday off or pays for it is generally a matter of agreement. The U.S. Department of Labor says this about holiday pay, and about government contracts:
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations or holidays (federal or otherwise). These benefits are generally a matter of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employee's representative).
On a government contract to which the labor standards of the McNamara O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) apply, holiday and/or vacation fringe benefit requirements are stated in the SCA wage determinations in contracts that exceed $2,500. On a government contract to which the labor standards of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts apply, holiday pay and/or vacation pay is required for specific classifications of workers only if the Davis-Bacon wage determination in the covered contract specifies such requirements for workers employed in those classifications.
Federal premium pay for holiday work, quoted below, applies to work on a holiday designated by Federal statute, Executive order, or (for District of Columbia government employees) by order of the District of Columbia Council. Good Friday is not in 6103(a) or OPM's tables; ask your HR office which pay rules apply to your schedule.
(b) An employee who performs work on a holiday designated by Federal statute, Executive order, or with respect to an employee of the government of the District of Columbia, by order of the District of Columbia Council, is entitled to pay at the rate of his basic pay, plus premium pay at a rate equal to the rate of his basic pay, for that holiday work which is not— (1) in excess of 8 hours; or (2) overtime work as defined by section 5542(a) of this title.
Pay periods and pay dates: 2027 federal pay period calendar.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor: Holiday Pay, 5 U.S.C. 5546: Pay for Sunday and holiday work (GovInfo)
Good Friday dates, 2027 to 2030
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. NYSE publishes its 2027 and 2028 dates; for 2029 and 2030 we computed Easter Sunday with the Gregorian computus and subtracted two days, and the table labels those rows as computed.
| Year | Good Friday | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Friday, March 26, 2027 | NYSE 2027 holiday list |
| 2028 | Friday, April 14, 2028 | NYSE 2028 holiday calendar |
| 2029 | Friday, March 30, 2029 | Computed: Easter Sunday (Gregorian computus) minus 2 days; not an NYSE-published date |
| 2030 | Friday, April 19, 2030 | Computed: Easter Sunday (Gregorian computus) minus 2 days; not an NYSE-published date |
Source: OPM: Federal Holidays (2026 to 2030 tables), NYSE: holidays and trading hours
More federal holiday questions
Questions
Do federal employees get Good Friday off?
No, not as a holiday. 5 U.S.C. 6103(a) does not list Good Friday and OPM's 2027 holiday table has no row for it, so Good Friday is not a legal public holiday for federal employees. Ask your agency about your own schedule and leave.
Is the post office open on Good Friday 2027?
USPS's 2027 holidays page does not list Good Friday. USPS says: "Regular mail delivery occurs Monday through Saturday, with the exception of postal holidays." Confirm local Post Office hours with USPS.
Is the stock market open on Good Friday 2027?
No. NYSE's 2027 holiday list shows all NYSE markets closed on Friday, March 26, 2027 (Good Friday). This page covers NYSE; check your exchange or broker for its own calendar. The bond market: SIFMA recommends a full close for the U.S. bond market on Friday, March 26, 2027. SIFMA also recommends an early close at 2:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 25, 2027, ahead of Good Friday.
Are Federal Reserve Banks closed on Good Friday 2027?
Good Friday is not on the Federal Reserve Financial Services holiday schedule or on the Board's K.8 table, so Federal Reserve Banks are open on Friday, March 26, 2027. Whether a bank or credit union branch is open is up to each bank: each bank sets its own hours, so check with yours.
Do private employers have to give Good Friday off?
Not under federal law for most private employers. Federal holidays bind federal employees, not private employers. The Department of Labor says: "The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require payment for time not worked, such as vacations or holidays (federal or otherwise)." On government contracts the rules can differ, and DOL says: "On a government contract to which the labor standards of the McNamara O'Hara Service Contract Act (SCA) apply, holiday and/or vacation fringe benefit requirements are stated in the SCA wage determinations in contracts that exceed $2,500." The Davis-Bacon and Related Acts can require holiday pay the same way, for specific classifications of workers and only if the wage determination specifies it. Check your employer and state law.
When is Good Friday 2028?
Good Friday 2028 is Friday, April 14, 2028, the date on NYSE's 2028 holiday calendar. It is still not a federal holiday.
Do federal employees get extra pay for working on Good Friday?
No, not as holiday premium pay. 5 U.S.C. 5546(b) applies to work on a holiday designated by Federal statute, Executive order, or (for District of Columbia government employees) by order of the District of Columbia Council, and Good Friday is not in 6103(a) or in OPM's 2027 holiday table. Your agency and pay system decide how pay rules apply to your schedule, so ask your HR office.
Sources: 5 U.S.C. 6103: Holidays (GovInfo) · 5 U.S.C. 5546: Pay for Sunday and holiday work (GovInfo) · OPM: Federal Holidays (2026 to 2030 tables) · U.S. Department of Labor: Holiday Pay · Federal Reserve Financial Services: Holiday Schedules · Federal Reserve Board: Holidays Observed (K.8) · USPS: holidays and events · USPS FAQ: No mail delivery? · NYSE: holidays and trading hours · SIFMA: U.S. holiday schedule