Who gets Martin Luther King Jr. Day off work, school in California? What to know
California residents will soon honor the life and contributions of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with marches, parades, church services and other events.
In addition, many workers and students will have the day off.
Here’s what Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrates and who gets the day off work and school:
What is Martin Luther King, Jr., Day?
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day honors King, a “tireless advocate for racial equality, working classes and the oppressed around the world,” the National Park Service said on its website.
Legislation to create a national holiday recognizing King was introduced just four days after his assassination on April 4, 1968, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture.
“It would take 15 years of persistence by civil rights activists for the holiday to be approved by the federal government,” the museum said.
In 1983, then-President Ronald Reagan officially designated the third Monday in January a federal holiday in observance of King.
“All 50 states made it a state government holiday by 2000,” the Constitution Center said on its website.
When is MLK Day in 2026?
In 2026, Martin Luther King, Jr., Day falls on Monday, Jan. 19.
Who gets off work and school for Martin Luther King Jr. Day?
Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is a federal and state holiday in California, which means most government employees will have a paid day off.
Most government offices across the California, including the California Department of Motor Vehicles, U.S. Postal Service offices and public libraries, will be closed on Monday for MLK Day.
Courthouses will close in observance of the holiday, as will most banks.
When it comes to private sector jobs, whether you have the day off depends on your employer.
“California law does not require that an employer provide its employees with paid holidays, that it close its business on any holiday or that employees be given the day off for any particular holiday,” the California Department of Industrial Relations said on its website.
Public schools, colleges and universities across California will be closed for the holiday, giving students the day off.
Does Martin Luther King have a connection to Fresno?
King visited Fresno in 1964 to join protesters in opposing a California housing law on the ballot at the time that would have allowed landlords to discriminate against tenants based on race, Fresnoland previously reported.
He led a march to Ratcliffe Stadium, where he spoke at a rally attended by several thousand people, the Fresno Bee reported at the time.
The Fresno area will celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., Day with a packed lineup of events.
Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michele Cantwell-Copher will be the keynote speaker at a garlanding ceremony at Courthouse Park in Fresno on Friday, Jan. 16.
The city of Fresno will hold a community march on the morning of Monday, Jan. 19, followed by a commemoration program and community awards, city officials said in a news release.
Fresno State University will hold a commemoration on Tuesday, Jan. 20, to bring “the campus and the surrounding community together in remembrance and reflection,” the university said in a news release.
What are other state holidays in California?
According to law, the state holidays in California are:
- New Year’s Day: Jan. 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr., Day: Third Monday in January
- Lunar New Year: Date varies
- Lincoln’s Birthday: Feb. 12
- Presidents’ Day: Third Monday in February
- Cesar Chavez Day: March 31
- Good Friday: Date varies
- Genocide Remembrance Day: April 24
- Diwali: 15th day of Kartik in the Hindu lunar calendar
- Memorial Day: Last Monday in May
- Juneteenth: June 19
- Independence Day: July 4
- Labor Day: First Monday in September
- California Admission Day: Sept. 9
- Native American Day: Fourth Friday in September for Native American Day
- Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Second Monday in October, also known as Columbus Day
- Veterans Day: Nov. 11
- Christmas Day: Dec. 25
State workers also observe any day appointed by the U.S. president or California governor for a public fast, thanksgiving or holiday.
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
