Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2027
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday on the third Monday in January honoring the civil rights leader. Federal and state offices, post offices, banks, the stock market and most schools close in all 50 states.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day dates by year
| Year | Date | Day of week | Days away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | January 19, 2026 | Monday | 285 days ago |
| 2027 | January 18, 2027 | Monday | 79 days |
Dates computed from the governing statutes and last verified October 3, 2026. Years beyond officially published schedules are projected from the rule that sets the date.
Always falls on a Monday, so no in-lieu day is needed.
A federal holiday in every state
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of the eleven federal holidays listed in 5 U.S.C. 6103, observed on the third Monday in January. Federal employees receive a paid day off, the U.S. Postal Service suspends regular delivery, banks follow the Federal Reserve schedule and close, and the NYSE and Nasdaq do not trade. Every state and the District of Columbia also closes state offices for the day, though a handful of states attach other names or pairnigs to it. Private employers decide for themselves: many offices, schools and universities close, while most stores and restaurants stay open.
Why the third Monday in January
King was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Rather than fixing the holiday on his birthday, Congress placed it on the third Monday in January, which always falls between January 15 and January 21, keeping it close to the anniversary while guaranteeing a three-day weekend! Because the holiday is always a Monday, no observed-date rule is ever needed.
A fifteen-year campaign
Four days after King was asassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968, Representative John Conyers of Michigan introduced the first bill to make his birthday a federal holiday. Progress was slow: labor unions negotiated the day into contracts and petitions gathered millions of signatures, but a 1979 House vote fell five votes short. Momentum returned when Stevie Wonder released the song Happy Birthday in 1980 and Coretta Scott King led renweed lobbying. Congress passed the holiday bill with large bipertisan majorities in 1983, and President Ronald Reagan signed it into law on November 2, 1983. The first federal observance came on January 20, 1986, making King the first African American honored with a federal holiday - states followed unevanly. Arizona rescinded its holiday in 1987, prompting a tourism boycott and the relocation of a Super Bowl before voters approved the day in 1992. New Hampshire, the last state to adopt the name, renamed its Civil Rights Day in 1999, and in 2000 South Carolina became the last state to make it a paid state holiday.
A day of service
In 1994 President Bill Clinton signed the King Holiday and Service Act, championed by Senator Harris Wofford and Representative John Lewis, designating the holiday as a national day of service, promoted as a day on, not a day off. AmeriCorps coordinates volunteer projects across the country, from food drives to neighborhood cleanups. The King Center in Atlanta holds its annual commemorative service at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King preached, and cities stage parades, marches and readings of his speeches, most famously the I Have a Dream address delivered at the 1963 March on Washington.
Names and pairings in the states
All 50 states observe the day, but titles differ. Arizona calls it Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day, Idaho pairs it with Idaho Human Rights Day, Wyoming with Wyoming Equality Day, and New Hampshire's statute still reads Civil Rights Day. Alabama and Mississippi combine it with the birthday of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, born January 19. Arkansas ended its own combined observance in 2017, while Texas keeps a separate partial-staffing Confederate Heroes Day on January 19 and skips it in years when the two coincide.
What's open and closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
| Service | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Post Office (USPS) | Closed | No regular mail delivery; Priority Mail Express is still delivered. |
| Banks | Closed | Federal Reserve holiday; branches close, ATMs and online banking work. |
| Stock market (NYSE, Nasdaq) | Closed | NYSE and Nasdaq are closed for the full day; bond markets also close. |
| Federal offices | Closed | Federal agencies, federal courts and Social Security offices close. |
| State and local government | Closed | A holiday in every state; state offices, courts, DMVs and most city offices close. |
| Public schools | Closed | Most K-12 schools and colleges close; a few districts hold classes or service days. |
| Retail stores and malls | Open | Normal hours; many retailers run three-day-weekend sales. |
| Restaurants and grocery stores | Open | Normal hours; busy near parades and community events. |
Quick facts
- Date rule
- Third Monday in January
- Legal status
- Federal holiday (5 U.S.C. 6103); a state holiday in all 50 states and DC
- Honors
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia
- Federal holiday since
- Signed by President Reagan on November 2, 1983; first observed January 20, 1986
- Day of service
- King Holiday and Service Act of 1994; volunteer projects coordinated by AmeriCorps
- Last state adoption
- South Carolina made it a paid state holiday in 2000
- Also known as
- MLK Day, Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day FAQ
Is Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday?
Yes. It has been a federal holiday since 1986 and is also a state holiday in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Federal and state offices, post offices, banks and the stock market close.
Why is MLK Day on the third Monday of January?
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. Congress set the holiday on the third Monday in January, which always falls between January 15 and January 21, so it stays near his birthday and always creates a three-day weekend.
Is the post office open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
No. The U.S. Postal Service observes all federal holidays, so post offices are closed and there is no regular mail delivery. Priority Mail Express is still delivered.
Do banks and the stock market close on MLK Day?
Yes. Banks follow the Federal Reserve holiday schedule and close, and the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq do not trade. ATMs and online banking keep working as usual.
Do schools close on Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
Most public schools, colleges and universities close for the holiday. Some districts hold classes and use the day for lessons or service projects, so check the local school calendar.
When did Martin Luther King Jr. Day become a holiday?
President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law on November 2, 1983, fifteen years after the first bill was introduced, and the first federal observance took place in January 1986. Every state observed it under some name by 2000.
What is the MLK Day of Service?
The King Holiday and Service Act of 1994 made the holiday a national day of service, described as a day on, not a day off. AmeriCorps coordinates volunteer projects nationwide, and millions of Americans take part in food drives, cleanups and tutoring.
Which states combine MLK Day with Robert E. Lee's birthday?
Alabama and Mississippi still observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day jointly with the birthday of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Arkansas ended its combined observance in 2017, and Virginia dropped its version even earlier.
Sources
Last reviewed October 3, 2026. Dates for years beyond published official schedules are projected from the governing rule.