Washington’s court holidays are the legal holidays of RCW 1.16.050. Civil Rule 6(a), the courts of limited jurisdiction’s CRLJ 6(a) and the appellate RAP 18.6 all point to that list, and RCW 2.28.100 closes every court on those days. Unlike most states, Washington writes the weekend rule into the holiday statute itself: a holiday that falls on a Saturday is observed on the Friday before, and one that falls on a Sunday on the Monday after, and the observed day is the legal holiday for computing time.
Eleven holidays, one of them Native American Heritage Day
The list is New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Native American Heritage Day on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Columbus Day is not on it. In 2027 the weekend rule moves Juneteenth to Friday, June 18, Independence Day to Monday, July 5 and Christmas to Friday, December 24.
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | |
| Presidents' Day | |
| Memorial Day | |
| Juneteenth | |
| Independence Day | |
| Labor Day | |
| Veterans Day | |
| Thanksgiving Day | |
| Native American Heritage Day | |
| Christmas Day | |
| New Year's Day |
Computed from RCW 1.16.050 (legal holidays; Saturday and Sunday observance in subsection (5)), Washington Courts, Court Closing Days (RCW 2.28.100; CR 6). No official 2027 list has been loaded; confirm with your court.
A statute instead of a schedule
Neither the courts nor the Office of Financial Management publishes a dated holiday list for Washington’s courts; the judiciary’s Court Closing Days page repeats the statute. The dates above are therefore computed from RCW 1.16.050 as read on app.leg.wa.gov on , and the calculator labels them projected even though the statute leaves no room for a different answer. A county or municipal court may close on other days by local order, and a court’s emergency closure under GR 21 is a separate question from a legal holiday.
Short periods and the Thanksgiving week
Washington’s court rules skip weekends and legal holidays inside a period of fewer than seven days, so the two holidays of Thanksgiving week weigh more heavily than in most states. A five-day response period that starts on counts Tuesday and Wednesday, skips Thursday, Friday and the weekend, and ends on Wednesday, December 1. Statutory periods counted under RCW 1.12.040, such as many eviction notices, count every day and only move off a last day that is a holiday. The Washington calculator applies the right method to each named deadline.
Download the Washington 2027 list
- Washington legal holidays (RCW 1.16.050) 2027: iCalendar (.ics) · CSV
The file is regenerated whenever the statute changes; the changelog records each change, and the 2027 overview compares every court system.
Questions about Washington holidays in 2027
Is the day after Thanksgiving a court holiday in Washington?
Yes. RCW 1.16.050 makes the Friday after Thanksgiving a legal holiday under the name Native American Heritage Day, and RCW 2.28.100 closes the courts on legal holidays. In 2027 it is Friday, November 26, so a deadline landing on it runs to Monday, November 29.
Where does Juneteenth fall for Washington courts in 2027?
On Friday, June 18. Juneteenth has been a Washington legal holiday since 2022, and the statute moves a Saturday holiday to the Friday before. A period under seven days that runs across that week skips the Friday as well as the weekend under CR 6(a).
Is Columbus Day a court holiday in Washington?
No. RCW 1.16.050 does not list it, so is an ordinary court day in Washington, unlike in federal courts and several other states.