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What's open and closed on MLK Day? Post offices, banks, schools, stock market
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, observed on January 19 in 2026, honors the civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1968.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day), which falls on January 19 this year, is one of the 11 federal holidays in the United States. It is celebrated on the third Monday of January every year in honour of the late civil rights activist, who was assassinated in 1968. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his efforts to put an end to segregation and racism in America.
MLK Day 2026: What's open and closed?
While King's birthday was on January 15, a legislation making the third Monday in January a federal holiday was passed in 1983 and was first observed nationwide in 1986, according to Britannica. The day is often marked with parades, marches, and speeches by politicians and activists.
Since MLK Day is a federal holiday, most federal workers and private sector employees are entitled to paid time off. This means the majority of government offices will be closed, in addition to banks and post offices, on January 19. The US stock market will also be closed.
Here's a complete breakdown of what's open and closed on MLK Day 2026:
- Schools, with some exceptions, will be closed.
- The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ, and bond markets will all be closed.
- Most banks and their branches will be closed; however, ATM services and digital banking will still be available.
- Post offices will be closed, and mail will not be delivered. However, USPS Priority Mail is the only service that will operate. While FedEx will operate on a modified schedule for pickups and deliveries, UPS will not operate in totality on MLK Day, according to the Patriot Ledger.
- Public libraries will be closed.
- Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) offices will be closed.
- Trash pickup may be delayed for a day if the scheduled pickup falls on MLK Day, per the outlet.
- Meanwhile, most grocery and retail stores, including Walmart, Target, and Costco, will be open. Similarly, fast-food chains, coffee shops, and restaurants, including Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, McDonald's, and Chick-fil-A, will also be open.
