What's Open and Closed on Veterans Day 2026, and Why the Holiday Never Moves to a Monday

Veterans Day 2026 falls on Wednesday, Nov. 11. It is a federal holiday, so federal offices, the Federal Reserve, most banks and the U.S. Postal Service close for the day, while the stock market stays open. Unlike most federal holidays, Veterans Day is tied to its date rather than a weekday, which is why it lands midweek this year instead of creating a long weekend.

What is open and closed on Nov. 11, 2026

Service	Status on Wednesday, Nov. 11
Federal government offices	Closed
Federal Reserve	Closed
Most banks	Closed (ATMs, cards and online banking work)
U.S. Postal Service	Post offices closed, no regular mail delivery
Bond market	Closed (industry recommendation)
New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq	Open, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
Public schools	Varies by district
Most stores and restaurants	Open

Is the post office, the DMV or school open on Veterans Day 2026?

Short answers for Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, each with its source:

• Post office: closed. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) lists Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026 on its “Holidays and Events” page, which it describes as a list of USPS holidays with no mail service, so there is no regular mail delivery. UPS and FedEx set their own schedules; check them directly.
• Banks: the Federal Reserve lists Veterans Day, Nov. 11, among the holidays it observes in its 2026 to 2030 schedule. Check your own bank’s branch hours.
• Stock market: open. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) “Holidays & Trading Hours” page has no Nov. 11 entry. On Oct. 28, 2026, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) confirmed its recommendation of a full close on Nov. 11 for U.S. dollar fixed income (the bond market).
• Schools: it depends on the district. NYC Public Schools lists “Wed, Nov 11, 2026: Veterans Day, schools closed.” Most districts set their own calendars.
• National parks: Nov. 11 is a free-entrance day, but from 2026 free entrance on these days is for U.S. citizens and residents only, the National Park Service (NPS) says (updated Oct. 9, 2026). Details are in our national parks free days story.

Is the DMV open on Veterans Day 2026, by state?

State	What the official source says
California	The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) lists “Wednesday, November 11 – Veterans Day” and says all DMV offices are closed on its holiday dates.
Florida	The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) lists Veterans’ Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026 among its office closures. County tax collector offices handle many driver license services, so check your county tax collector.
New York	The Department of Civil Service lists Wednesday, Nov. 11 as a state legal holiday. DMV office status is not confirmed; check DMV office hours.
Pennsylvania	Driver and Vehicle Services lists “November 11, 2026 – Veterans Day”; Driver License and Photo License Centers are closed statewide.
Texas	The Comptroller’s fiscal 2027 schedule lists Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, as office closed for state offices. Check the Department of Public Safety (DPS) for driver license offices.

The federal closures come from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 2026 holiday table, which lists Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and from the Federal Reserve’s 2026 holiday schedule. Because the Federal Reserve is closed, bank transfers and direct deposits started on Nov. 11 generally settle on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Stock trading continues because the New York Stock Exchange does not close for Veterans Day. The bond market follows a different calendar: the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) recommends a full close on Veterans Day, as it does on Columbus Day.

Schools are the biggest variable. Some districts close for the day, while many stay open and hold Veterans Day assemblies. Check your district calendar before planning around it.

Why Veterans Day stays on Nov. 11

The date marks the armistice that halted fighting in World War I at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the first Armistice Day in 1919, Congress called for an annual observance in 1926, and a 1938 law made Nov. 11 a legal federal holiday.

In 1954, after World War II and the Korean War, Congress renamed it Veterans Day to honor all American veterans. A later change did not last: under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968, Veterans Day moved to the fourth Monday of October starting in 1971. Many states kept Nov. 11 anyway, and in 1975 Congress passed a law returning the federal observance to Nov. 11, beginning in 1978. It has stayed there since.

Our free Veterans Day activity sheet and quiz turns these dates into a class quiz.

When Nov. 11 falls on a weekend

Because the holiday keeps its date, it sometimes lands on a Saturday or Sunday. OPM’s rule is that a Saturday holiday is observed on the Friday before and a Sunday holiday on the Monday after, for federal pay and leave purposes.

Year	Nov. 11 falls on	Federal holiday observed
2026	Wednesday	Wednesday, Nov. 11
2027	Thursday	Thursday, Nov. 11
2028	Saturday	Friday, Nov. 10
2029	Sunday	Monday, Nov. 12
2030	Monday	Monday, Nov. 11
2031	Tuesday	Tuesday, Nov. 11

Ceremonies, including the national observance at Arlington National Cemetery, are traditionally held on Nov. 11 itself even in weekend years.

Veterans Day vs. Memorial Day

The two holidays are often confused. Veterans Day honors everyone who has served in the U.S. armed forces, living or dead. Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday in May, honors those who died while serving. In 2027, Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 31.

Planning tips for a midweek holiday

• Send time-sensitive mail and bank transfers by Tuesday, Nov. 10.
• If you have children in school, confirm whether your district is open; closures differ even between neighboring districts.
• Many restaurants and retailers offer discounts to veterans and service members on Nov. 11; most require a military ID or proof of service. Our Veterans Day free meals and discounts list tracks every confirmed 2026 offer. Our guide to Golden Corral’s Military Appreciation Night covers that event.
• Thanksgiving follows two weeks later, on Thursday, Nov. 26, so November 2026 has two federal holidays in the same month. Both are marked on our November 2026 printable calendar, and the full year is in the 2026 US holiday list.

The next federal holiday is Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 26. Election Day, Nov. 3, is not a federal holiday; see what is open on Election Day, and the 2027 federal holiday list has next year’s dates.