Is Veterans Day a federal holiday? Yes, and here's what closes in 2026
Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Post offices close, but the New York Stock Exchange doesn't list it as a market holiday.
Reviewed by Jackson on 2026-11-07.
Quick answer
Yes. Federal law makes Veterans Day a legal public holiday on November 11. In 2026 that's a Wednesday, and all Post Offices will be closed.[1][2][3]
Key points
- Veterans Day is a legal public holiday under federal law, and it is always dated November 11.[1]
- In 2026, the federal government observes it on Wednesday, November 11.[2]
- All Post Offices close that day. Regular mail and retail service resume on Thursday, November 12.[3]
- The Federal Reserve lists it as a holiday. The New York Stock Exchange's holiday list doesn't include it.[4][5]
Why it matters
A midweek holiday can affect mail service and federal offices. Unlike Memorial Day or Labor Day, Veterans Day is tied to a date rather than a Monday, so it moves through the week from year to year.[1][6]
What closes and what stays open
The Office of Personnel Management lists Wednesday, November 11, as the 2026 Veterans Day holiday. It notes that federal law sets these holidays for federal employees, and that most of them work Monday through Friday.[2]
The Postal Service says all Post Office locations will close, with regular delivery and retail services back on November 12. Its website and self-service kiosks in select lobbies remain options for stamps and some mailing tasks while offices are closed.[3]
The Federal Reserve includes November 11 in its list of holidays for 2026. The New York Stock Exchange publishes its own list of market holidays, and Veterans Day isn't on it.[4][5]
Why it's always November 11
The date marks the 1918 armistice that stopped fighting in World War I, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. A 1938 law made Armistice Day a legal holiday. In 1954, Congress replaced the word Armistice with Veterans, so the day would honor American veterans of all wars.[6]
A 1968 law moved the holiday to a Monday in October to create a three-day weekend, and the first observance under it, in 1971, caused confusion. Many states kept the original date. A law signed in 1975 returned it to November 11, starting in 1978.[6]
When it falls on a weekend
Federal employees who work Monday through Friday usually get the Friday before when a holiday falls on a Saturday, and the Monday after when it falls on a Sunday. That doesn't apply in 2026, since November 11 is a Wednesday.[2]
What you can do
- Mailing something? Plan around November 11, because regular delivery and retail services resume on November 12.[3]
- Need stamps, Hold Mail or a change of address that day? You can use usps.com, and self-service kiosks are available in select lobbies.[3]
What we don't know yet
- Whether your own bank branch, employer, school or state office will close. These sources cover the federal government, the Postal Service, the Federal Reserve and the NYSE only, so check locally.
What changed
- 2026-11-07: First version, with 2026 dates.
Sources
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School: 5 U.S. Code § 6103: Holidays (accessed 2026-11-07)
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal Holidays (accessed 2026-11-07)
- U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Postal Service To Observe Veterans Day Holiday, Nov. 11 (accessed 2026-11-07)
- Federal Reserve Board: Holidays Observed (accessed 2026-11-07)
- New York Stock Exchange: Holidays and Trading Hours (accessed 2026-11-07)
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: History of Veterans Day (accessed 2026-11-07)