Are federal offices open on New Year's Day?

New Year's Day is the first holiday on OPM's federal holiday schedule, and every federal office closes for it: Social Security field offices, IRS taxpayer assistance centers, passport agencies, VA regional offices, and federal courts. Counters reopen on the next business day.

January 1 is a fixed date, so it lands on a weekend often enough to matter. When it falls on a Sunday, federal employees take Monday January 2. When it falls on a Saturday, the day off moves backwards to Friday December 31 — the opposite of the bank rule, which leaves the holiday on Saturday and keeps branches open that Friday.

What else on New Year's Day?

New Year's Day across the board

Who	Status
Banks	Closed No — banks are closed on New Year's Day.
Mail & the Post Office	Closed No — there's no mail delivery on New Year's Day, and post offices are closed.
The Stock Market	Closed No — the stock market is closed on New Year's Day.
UPS	Closed No — UPS doesn't pick up or deliver on New Year's Day.
FedEx	Closed No — FedEx is closed on New Year's Day, with no pickup or delivery.
Trash Pickup	Varies Usually not — New Year's Day is one of the six holidays most cities take off, but your hauler sets the schedule.
Schools	Closed No — January 1 falls inside winter break in nearly every district.

Questions people ask

Is Social Security open on New Year's Day?

No. Social Security field offices follow OPM's federal holiday schedule, so they close along with the rest of the federal government. The online account at ssa.gov stays available for anything that doesn't need a person.

Are federal courts closed on New Year's Day?

Yes. Federal courts close on the federal holidays, and a filing deadline that falls on one rolls to the next business day. Individual courthouses can also close for local reasons, so check the court's own site.

Checked against the OPM federal holiday schedule, verified August 2026. When a schedule for a new year has not been published yet, this page says so — it never guesses.