When is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
106 days away
Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, January 18, 2027. It is 106 days away.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal public holiday in the United States, held on the third Monday in January. Because the law fixes it to a Monday, it never moves for falling on a weekend.
A day to remember Dr. King’s work for civil rights and nonviolent change. Many people spend it marching, volunteering, or in teach-ins rather than treating it like an ordinary long weekend.
What typically stops
National picture for four named services. A local branch, a retailer or a private employer can still differ — this is not a store-by-store matrix.
| Service | Typically | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Banks (Federal Reserve) | Closed — Federal Reserve Banks close. Most commercial banks follow. | Federal Reserve Banks — Holiday Schedule (K.8) |
| USPS | Closed — Post offices closed. No regular mail delivery. | USPS Employee and Labor Relations Manual — Holiday Leave (518) |
| Fedwire | Closed — Fedwire Funds Service does not operate. | Federal Reserve Banks — Holiday Schedule (K.8) |
| NYSE | Closed — The exchange is closed for a full session. | NYSE — Trading Hours and Holiday Calendar |
Print and calendar feed
Is Martin Luther King Jr. Day a public holiday?
Yes. It is one of the eleven legal public holidays set out in 5 U.S.C. § 6103. Federal offices close and federal employees receive the day off with pay.
It took until 2000 for all fifty states to observe it. South Carolina was the last, having previously offered employees a choice between this day and one of three Confederate holidays.
What day is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
The holiday always falls on the third Monday in January, so its calendar date moves each year between January 15 and January 21.
Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929. The statute deliberately fixed the observance to a Monday rather than to his birth date, in line with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act pattern used for Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day and Columbus Day.
History of the holiday
A bill to create the holiday was introduced four days after Dr. King’s assassination in April 1968 and was reintroduced in every Congress for fifteen years. A 1982 petition carrying six million signatures was delivered to the House.
President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law on November 2, 1983, and it was first observed on January 20, 1986. Congress later designated it a national day of service in the King Holiday and Service Act of 1994.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day dates, 2022–2032
| Year | Weekday | Date | Observed | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Monday | January 17, 2022 | — | Federal Holiday |
| 2023 | Monday | January 16, 2023 | — | Federal Holiday |
| 2024 | Monday | January 15, 2024 | — | Federal Holiday |
| 2025 | Monday | January 20, 2025 | — | Federal Holiday |
| 2026 | Monday | January 19, 2026 | — | Federal Holiday |
| 2027 | Monday | January 18, 2027 | — | Federal Holiday |
| 2028 | Monday | January 17, 2028 | — | Federal Holiday |
| 2029 | Monday | January 15, 2029 | — | Federal Holiday |
| 2030 | Monday | January 21, 2030 | — | Federal Holiday |
| 2031 | Monday | January 20, 2031 | — | Federal Holiday |
| 2032 | Monday | January 19, 2032 | — | Federal Holiday |
Every date above is calculated from the rule — the third monday in january — rather than transcribed year by year, which removes the commonest source of error on calendar sites.
Other names and languages
- Common short form
- MLK Day
- Statutory name
- Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Arizona and New Hampshire (historic)
- Civil Rights Day
Legal basis and sources
5 U.S.C. § 6103(a) lists “Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the third Monday in January” among the legal public holidays. 5 U.S.C. § 6103
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management — Federal Holidays — verified August 4, 2026
- 5 U.S.C. § 6103, Legal Information Institute — verified August 4, 2026
- National Archives — Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday — verified August 4, 2026