No, most banks are closed on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The next MLK Day is . The Federal Reserve is closed, so most banks close too, USPS does not deliver mail, and the NYSE and Nasdaq do not trade. 88 days until .
- Banks: most closed. Banks follow the Federal Reserve schedule; a few branches open anyway, so check yours.
- Federal Reserve, FedACH and Fedwire: closed. No. is not a business day for United States (Federal Reserve and banks): Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- USPS: closed. No regular mail delivery and post offices are closed.
- UPS and FedEx: they set their own holiday schedules, so check with the carrier.
- NYSE and Nasdaq: closed all day. No. is not a business day for NYSE and Nasdaq (stock market): Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- Bond market: closed (SIFMA’s recommendation for Monday, January 18, 2027 is a full close, with no early close the Friday before; later years are set when SIFMA publishes them).
- Federal offices: closed (OPM federal holiday, “Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.”).
- Is it a business day? No. is not a business day for United States (federal): Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Today is Thursday, October 22, 2026. Count your own dates with the business days calculator.
What’s open and closed on MLK Day 2027 and 2028
| Institution | Mon Jan 18, 2027 | Mon Jan 17, 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Federal offices (OPM) | Closed | Closed |
| Federal Reserve Banks, FedACH, Fedwire | Closed | Closed |
| Most banks and credit unions | Closed (check your branch) | Closed (check your branch) |
| USPS mail delivery and post offices | Closed (2027 USPS schedule not yet published; MLK Day is a USPS holiday every year) | Not yet published |
| UPS and FedEx | Check with the carrier | Check with the carrier |
| NYSE and Nasdaq | Closed | Closed |
| Bond market (SIFMA) | Closed | Not yet published |
| Public schools | Most closed; varies by district | Most closed; varies by district |
On the Federal Reserve calendar: No. is not a business day for United States (Federal Reserve and banks): Martin Luther King Jr. Day. No. is not a business day for United States (Federal Reserve and banks): Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Is MLK Day a business day?
No, not for banks or the federal government. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of the 11 US federal holidays, so a business-day count that uses the federal calendar skips it. No. is not a business day for United States (federal): Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Unlike Veterans Day or Columbus Day, MLK Day closes the stock market too, so banks, brokers and federal agencies all agree that it is not a business day. Private employers are a different matter: many offices and most stores stay open, and no federal law makes the day a paid holiday in the private sector. A retailer’s “5 business days” shipping estimate may still count it; a bank transfer will not.
How we count: a business day is a weekday that is not a holiday on the chosen calendar. Weekends never count. Want business days until the holiday? There are 57 business days on the United States (federal) calendar between today and , not counting either day.
Direct deposit, ACH and checks on MLK Day
FedACH and Fedwire do not settle on MLK Day, so no ACH payment or direct deposit lands that day. Because the holiday is always a Monday, it creates a three-day weekend for money: anything sent after the Friday cutoff waits until Tuesday.
- Last bank business day before MLK Day 2027: 1 business day before is , excluding United States (Federal Reserve and banks) holidays.
- Next bank business day after MLK Day 2027: 1 business day after is , excluding United States (Federal Reserve and banks) holidays.
- A payday that falls on MLK Day is usually paid on the Friday before or the Tuesday after, depending on your employer’s payroll rule.
- Checks and mobile deposits made over the long weekend are normally treated as received on Tuesday, which can push funds availability back.
- Card payments, ATMs and online banking keep working; only the settlement waits.
Working out a deadline such as “within 10 business days” that crosses mid-January? Use the business days calculator with US holidays turned on, or business days from today.
Is there mail on MLK Day?
No. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is on the USPS list of holidays with no mail service, so there is no regular delivery and post offices are closed. On the published 2026 USPS schedule it was Monday, January 19, 2026. USPS has not yet published its 2027 list, but MLK Day is one of the federal holidays on which USPS closes each year. Mail resumes on Tuesday. Blue collection boxes may still accept mail, but it will not move until Tuesday.
UPS and FedEx are private companies with their own holiday schedules. Check the UPS or FedEx holiday schedule before you ship.
Is the stock market open on MLK Day?
No. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an NYSE holiday, so the NYSE and Nasdaq are closed all day (Monday, January 18, 2027 and Monday, January 17, 2028 on the NYSE calendar). There is no early close on the Friday before. SIFMA recommends a full close of the US bond market on the same day. Orders placed over the weekend execute when trading opens on Tuesday. The full list of exchange closures is on our stock market holidays page.
How MLK Day became a holiday, and the one year it lands on his birthday
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. The holiday was signed into law in 1983 and first observed in 1986. Federal law names it the “Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.” and sets it on the third Monday in January, so it always falls between January 15 and January 21.
That means the holiday only sometimes falls on his actual birthday. Within our data range it happens once: Monday, January 15, 2029. Some states use their own name for the day or combine it with another observance, but banks and the federal government close on the same Monday everywhere in the US.
MLK Day dates 2026–2030
MLK Day is always a Monday, so there is no Saturday or Sunday “observed” rule to worry about: federal offices, the Federal Reserve, banks, USPS and the stock market all close on the same day.
| Year | MLK Day | Federal offices, Fed and banks | NYSE and Nasdaq |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Mon Jan 19 | Closed | Closed |
| 2027 | Mon Jan 18 | Closed | Closed |
| 2028 | Mon Jan 17 | Closed | Closed |
| 2029 | Mon Jan 15 | Closed | Closed (NYSE has not published 2029 yet) |
| 2030 | Mon Jan 21 | Closed | Closed (NYSE has not published 2030 yet) |
The engine’s answer for each year:
- 2028: No. is not a business day for United States (Federal Reserve and banks): Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- 2029: No. is not a business day for United States (Federal Reserve and banks): Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
- 2030: No. is not a business day for United States (Federal Reserve and banks): Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
USPS and SIFMA publish their schedules a year or two at a time, so the mail and bond rows beyond the published years are confirmed only once those calendars come out. See every holiday on our US federal holidays 2025–2030 list and the bank calendar on US bank holidays.
Are schools closed on MLK Day?
Most public school districts close, but it is a local decision: schools are run by states and districts, not the federal government, and some use the day for service projects or count it as a make-up day. Check your district’s calendar. Colleges set their own schedules too.
MLK Day FAQ
Is MLK Day a bank holiday?
Yes. The “Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.” is on the Federal Reserve’s holiday list, so the Fed is closed and most banks close their branches. Online banking, ATMs and card payments still work, but transfers settle on Tuesday.
Is there mail delivery on MLK Day?
No. USPS does not deliver regular mail on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and post offices are closed. UPS and FedEx set their own holiday schedules, so check with the carrier.
Is the stock market open on MLK Day?
No. The NYSE and Nasdaq are closed on MLK Day, and SIFMA recommends that the bond market close too. Trading resumes on Tuesday.
Will my direct deposit come on MLK Day?
Not on the day itself, because ACH does not settle on Fed holidays. Many employers pay on the Friday before when payday falls on MLK Day; others pay on Tuesday. Ask your payroll team which rule they use.
Do private employers have to give MLK Day off?
No. Federal law sets holidays for federal employees only. Private employers decide for themselves whether to close or pay holiday rates, and many stay open.
More holiday answers
- Holidays: what’s open and closed
- Are banks open on New Year’s Day?
- Are banks open on Presidents’ Day?
- US bank holidays (Federal Reserve schedule)
- US federal holidays 2025–2030
- Business days calculator
Sources (last checked October 21, 2026): OPM federal holidays, Federal Reserve Financial Services holiday schedules, Federal Reserve Board holidays, NYSE holidays and trading hours, Nasdaq trading calendar, SIFMA holiday recommendations, USPS holidays, UPS holiday schedule, FedEx holiday schedule.