The court holidays 2026 has left for state courts in Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix fall on the same four days: Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11), Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26), the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 27) and Christmas (Friday, December 25). Federal courts add Columbus Day on Monday, October 12, which California state courts do not observe. Houston’s Harris County courts skip Veterans Day but close on Christmas Eve.
Each date comes from the court’s published schedule or the governing statute. We also cover how deadlines move past a closed day, when an eFiling counts as filed, and how to plan courier runs. None of it is legal advice, so confirm every deadline against the court’s current rules.
TL;DR
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- California state courts close November 11, 26 and 27 and December 25, 2026, under the judicial holiday list in Code of Civil Procedure section 135.
- Columbus Day (October 12, 2026) is a federal court holiday but is expressly excluded from California’s judicial holidays.
- Maricopa County Superior Court has published its 2027 schedule, starting with Friday, January 1, and Monday, January 18.
- In California, a document eFiled before midnight on a court day is filed that day, and one received on a holiday is filed the next court day (CCP §1010.6).
- C.D. Cal. lists December 24 and 31, 2026 as administrative leave days, and says they may not count as holidays when computing time.
Court holidays 2026 at a glance
This table covers closures from October 2026 through the end of the year. Dates for California come from the Judicial Branch of California’s court holidays page and the San Diego Superior Court 2026 schedule. Arizona dates come from the Maricopa County Superior Court holiday schedule, Harris County dates come from the county’s official holiday page, and federal dates from the Central District of California and OPM.
| Date (2026) | Holiday | LA and San Diego Superior | Maricopa Superior | Harris County (Houston) | Federal (C.D. Cal.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, Oct 12 | Columbus Day | Open | Not listed | Not listed | Closed |
| Wed, Nov 11 | Veterans Day | Closed | Closed | Not listed | Closed |
| Thu, Nov 26 | Thanksgiving | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Fri, Nov 27 | Day after Thanksgiving | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed (per C.D. Cal. list) |
| Thu, Dec 24 | Christmas Eve | Not listed | Not listed | Closed | Administrative leave day |
| Fri, Dec 25 | Christmas | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed |
| Thu, Dec 31 | New Year’s Eve | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Administrative leave day |
“Not listed” means the court’s schedule doesn’t include the date, so expect it to be open.
Los Angeles and San Diego Superior Courts
California trial courts don’t pick their own holidays. Code of Civil Procedure section 135 makes every Government Code holiday a judicial holiday, then carves out several days, including Columbus Day, Admission Day (September 9), Lunar New Year and Diwali. It also makes every Saturday and the day after Thanksgiving judicial holidays, and says court officers and employees observe only the days set under that section. The current version took effect January 1, 2026.
That’s why Los Angeles and San Diego run on the same calendar, and why Columbus Day catches people out. Federal courts in Los Angeles are closed that Monday. The superior court is open.
Remaining 2026 dates
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| Veterans Day | Wednesday, November 11, 2026 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 26, 2026 |
| Day after Thanksgiving | Friday, November 27, 2026 |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 25, 2026 |
Early 2027 dates
When we reviewed this page, the statewide list on courts.ca.gov showed 2026 only. San Diego Superior Court has already posted its 2027 holiday schedule. We could not confirm a published 2027 list for Los Angeles, so check with LASC before relying on these for an LA case.
| Holiday (San Diego Superior, 2027) | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Friday, January 1, 2027 |
| Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday | Monday, January 18, 2027 |
| President Lincoln’s Birthday | Friday, February 12, 2027 |
| Presidents’ Day | Monday, February 15, 2027 |
| Farmworkers Day | Wednesday, March 31, 2027 |
San Diego’s 2027 schedule also lists Friday, December 24, 2027 for Christmas and Friday, December 31, 2027 for the 2028 New Year’s holiday. Both fall on Fridays because the actual holidays land on Saturdays.
Maricopa County Superior Court (Phoenix)
Arizona’s list is shorter than California’s. The Maricopa County Superior Court schedule shows ten holidays for 2026, with no Lincoln’s Birthday, Farmworkers Day or Native American Day. Four remain this year: November 11, November 26, November 27 and December 25. The court has already published 2027.
| Holiday (Maricopa Superior, 2027) | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Friday, January 1, 2027 |
| Martin Luther King Jr./Civil Rights Day | Monday, January 18, 2027 |
| Presidents’ Day | Monday, February 15, 2027 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 31, 2027 |
| Independence Day (observed) | Monday, July 5, 2027 |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 6, 2027 |
| Veterans Day | Thursday, November 11, 2027 |
| Thanksgiving Day and day after | Thursday and Friday, November 25 and 26, 2027 |
| Christmas Day (observed) | Friday, December 24, 2027 |
For courthouse locations, counter hours and what to bring, see our Maricopa County court filing guide, and our post on eFiling vs physical filing in Arizona covers which filings still need a courier.
Houston and the federal courts
Harris County
Harris County courts and the District Clerk follow the county’s holiday schedule. For the rest of 2026 it closes four days: Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27, and Thursday and Friday, December 24 and 25. Veterans Day is not a county holiday, so expect the courthouse to be open on November 11. Christmas Eve is, which leaves only Monday through Wednesday of Christmas week for Houston filings.
The county’s site blocked our automated access, so we confirmed the list through CourtRules, which cites the county page (checked May 5, 2026). We found no 2027 schedule. Confirm with the District Clerk before calendaring a Houston deadline.
Federal courts
Federal courts are more predictable because the holidays are named in the rules. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6(a)(6) defines “legal holiday” to include the days set by statute for New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. OPM’s federal holiday list puts the first three of 2027 on January 1, January 18 and February 15.
The Central District of California’s page adds two things worth knowing. It lists the day after Thanksgiving as a closure, and it names December 24 and 31, 2026 as administrative leave days, with a warning that those days “may not qualify” as holidays for computing time under the federal rules. The same logic applies at the federal courthouse in Houston.
How deadlines roll past a holiday
Each jurisdiction has a rule that pushes a deadline forward when the last day falls on a weekend or holiday. They read alike but don’t match exactly.
| Court system | Rule | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| California state courts | CCP §12a | If the last day is a holiday, the period extends to the next day that isn’t a holiday; “holiday” includes Saturdays and §135 holidays |
| Arizona superior courts | Ariz. R. Civ. P. 6(a) | The last day is included unless it’s a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, in which case the period runs to the next day that isn’t |
| Texas state courts | Tex. R. Civ. P. 4 | Same rollover, and Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays aren’t counted in periods of five days or less |
| Federal courts | Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(a)(1)(C) | Period runs to the end of the next day that isn’t a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday |
Sources for each row: CCP §12a, the Arizona Bar Foundation’s summary of Rule 6(a), the South Texas College of Law’s text of Rule 4, and FRCP 6.
Here’s a worked California example. A deadline lands on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, Saturday is a judicial holiday under §135, and Sunday isn’t a court day, so under §12a the deadline moves to Monday, November 30. Some deadlines can’t be extended this way, and some rules count backward from a hearing, so check the specific statute or rule behind each date.
eFiling timestamps and after-hours filings
California’s statute sets the clock for electronic filing. Under CCP §1010.6(e)(3), a document received between 12:00 a.m. and 11:59:59 p.m. on a court day is filed that day, and one received on a non-court day is filed the next court day. The LASC civil eFiling FAQ puts it the same way: eFilings before midnight count for that business day if accepted, and filings after midnight count for the next business day.
That “if accepted” matters. A rejected eFiling doesn’t hold the date, and LASC’s FAQ says a filer who misses a deadline because of a rejection has to ask the court for relief. When the court’s own system fails, California Rules of Court, rule 2.259(c) says the court must deem the document filed on the day the filer tried, but that protection doesn’t cover complaints or other initial pleadings.
Federal courts use midnight too. FRCP 6(a)(4) ends the last day at midnight in the court’s time zone for electronic filing, unless a local rule or order says otherwise. The C.D. Cal. Local Rules (June 2026), L.R. 5-4.6.1, require transmissions to finish before midnight Pacific time to count for that day. Paper filings end when the clerk’s office is scheduled to close.
Planning courier runs around holiday weeks
Holiday weeks compress everything. Thanksgiving week 2026 gives California and Arizona state courts only three court days (November 23 to 25), and the week of December 21 has four, with Christmas closing Friday. Anything that needs a counter, a wet signature, a courtesy copy or a lodged original has to move in that window.
A few habits help. Book paper runs for the morning of the last court day instead of mid-afternoon, because LASC’s civil clerk’s offices take exempt filings between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. according to its FAQ. Schedule courtesy-copy deliveries at the same time you eFile. In federal court, remember that December 24 and 31 are administrative leave days in C.D. Cal., so a chambers copy due “the following business day” may land later than you’d expect.
When you call a courier, give them the court, the department, the document type and the real deadline along with the pickup time. Ask whether they’ll return a conformed copy or a filing receipt and how. Details for our Southern California court work are on the legal courier page, and Maricopa County is covered on legal courier Phoenix. For other cities, see our San Diego and Houston courier pages, or the legal industry overview.
Related guides: our post on eFiling vs physical filing in Los Angeles explains which documents still need a courier, including courtesy copies, lodged originals and exhibits.
Frequently asked questions
Are California courts open on Columbus Day 2026?
Yes. CCP §135 expressly excludes Columbus Day from California’s judicial holidays, so superior courts in Los Angeles and San Diego are open on Monday, October 12, 2026. Federal courts, including the Central District of California, are closed because Columbus Day is a legal holiday under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6(a)(6).
Is the day after Thanksgiving a court holiday?
In California, yes: CCP §135 makes the day after Thanksgiving a judicial holiday, so Friday, November 27, 2026 is closed. Maricopa County Superior Court also lists it. C.D. Cal. lists it as a closure, but it isn’t one of the named holidays in FRCP 6(a)(6), so confirm how a federal deadline is computed.
If I eFile on Thanksgiving, when is it filed?
In California, a document received electronically on a non-court day is deemed filed on the next court day under CCP §1010.6(e)(3). Because November 27 and 28 are also judicial holidays, a Thanksgiving eFiling in LA or San Diego would be filed Monday, November 30, 2026, if the court accepts it.
Has the 2027 court holiday schedule been published?
Partly. San Diego Superior Court and Maricopa County Superior Court have posted 2027 schedules, and OPM lists 2027 federal holidays. When we reviewed this page, the statewide California list covered 2026 only, and we could not confirm a 2027 list for Los Angeles or Harris County. Check each court directly.
Do Saturdays count as court holidays in California?
Yes. CCP §135 makes every Saturday a judicial holiday, and CCP §12a includes Saturdays in its definition of holiday. If the last day to act falls on a Saturday, the period generally extends to the next day that isn’t a holiday, which is usually Monday. Some statutes set their own counting rules, so check the one behind your deadline.
What happens if my eFiling is rejected right before a holiday?
The filing date isn’t preserved. LASC’s eFiling FAQ says to fix the defect and resubmit, and that a filer who misses a deadline because of a rejection must apply to the court for relief. File early in holiday weeks so there’s time to correct and resubmit before the court closes.
Power House Courier runs HIPAA-compliant, UN3373-certified specimen and medical deliveries 24/7 across California, Arizona and Texas. A dispatcher answers in under 15 minutes.
Sources
- Judicial Branch of California: Court Holidays
- California Code of Civil Procedure §135
- California Code of Civil Procedure §12a
- California Code of Civil Procedure §1010.6
- California Rules of Court, rule 2.259
- San Diego Superior Court: Holidays, Calendar Year 2026
- San Diego Superior Court: Holidays, Calendar Year 2027
- Los Angeles Superior Court: Civil Efiling FAQ (revised May 24, 2024)
- Maricopa County Superior Court: Court Holiday Schedule
- AZCourtHelp.org (Arizona Bar Foundation): Rule 6(a) computation of time
- Harris County, Texas: Harris County Holidays
- CourtRules: Harris County District Courts holidays 2026 (verified against the county page May 5, 2026)
- South Texas College of Law, Texas Rules Project: Rule 4, Computation of Time
- U.S. District Court, C.D. Cal.: Court Holidays
- U.S. District Court, C.D. Cal.: Local Civil Rules, Chapter I (June 1, 2026)
- Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6 (Cornell LII)
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Federal Holidays
Filing before a holiday closure? Call dispatch at (323) 744-1900 or request a quote and tell us the court and the deadline.
Last reviewed: September 2026 by the Power House Courier dispatch team.
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