Are the Banks Open on Martin Luther King Day?

MLK Day is almost here, which has many folks wondering if the banks are open on Monday, January 15.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Are the banks open on Martin Luther King Day in 2024? That's a question plenty of folks are asking just ahead of the federal holiday. The answer is no, banks are not open on MLK Day, as the holiday is also known. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday in 1983, when it was signed into law by then President Ronald Reagan, and was officially observed three years later. It wasn't until 2000 that all 50 states recognized MLK Day.

The three-day weekend marks the second bank holiday in 2024, with the first occurring on Monday, January 1, in observance of New Year's Day. 

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This year, the holiday falls on Dr. King's actual birthday, but that's not always the case. While Martin Luther King Jr. Day is meant to celebrate Dr. King's birthday, the federal holiday is observed on the third Monday in January, regardless of the date on which that day falls. 

As for stock market holidays – particularly for those asking "is the stock market open on Martin Luther King Day" – the stock market is typically closed on the federal holiday. Bond traders also get a three-day weekend, with bond markets shuttered on MLK Day, too. 

For those wondering what time does the market open for regular trading hours, both the Nasdaq Stock Market and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) are open from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm Eastern time Monday through Friday.

If you're looking to take some time over the three-day weekend to get a head start on your tax preparation, have a look at the income tax brackets for 2023 and 2024. Additionally, don't forget to check out the standard deduction amounts and capital gains tax rates for 2023 and 2024. And while we're on the topic of taxes, be sure to go over these tax changes Congress is eyeing for 2024.

Below, we feature a full schedule of all U.S. bank holidays for 2024. Please note that the list includes Juneteenth – the June 19 holiday commemorating the end of slavery – which became the 12th federal holiday by vote of Congress in 2021.

2024 bank holidays

Swipe to scroll horizontally
DateDayHoliday
January 1MondayNew Year's Day
January 15MondayMartin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 19MondayPresidents' Day/Washington's Birthday
May 27MondayMemorial Day
June 19WednesdayJuneteenth National Independence Day
July 4ThursdayIndependence Day
September 2MondayLabor Day
October 14MondayColumbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day
November 11MondayVeterans Day
November 28ThursdayThanksgiving Day
December 25WednesdayChristmas Day

* This is the recommended bank market holiday schedule from the Federal Reserve. This schedule is subject to change.

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Karee Venema
Senior Investing Editor, Kiplinger.com

With over a decade of experience writing about the stock market, Karee Venema is the senior investing editor at Kiplinger.com. She joined the publication in April 2021 after 10 years of working as an investing writer and columnist at Schaeffer's Investment Research. In her previous role, Karee focused primarily on options trading, as well as technical, fundamental and sentiment analysis.