Are Banks Closed on Good Friday?

Is Good Friday a bank holiday?

Not in the United States. Good Friday is not one of the 11 legal public holidays in 5 U.S.C. 6103, and it does not appear on the Federal Reserve’s holiday schedule or on the federal government’s list. Federal offices are open.

Because Good Friday depends on the date of Easter, it moves between late March and April. Whatever the date, the Federal Reserve treats it as a regular business day, so there is no weekend or observed-day rule to apply. The dates in the table above come from the Easter calendar; the Federal Reserve does not publish Good Friday dates, because it does not close for them.

Are the banks closed on Good Friday when the market is?

This is a common source of confusion. The NYSE holiday calendar lists Good Friday as a market holiday: Friday, April 3, 2026, Friday, March 26, 2027 and Friday, April 14, 2028. On those days you cannot trade on the NYSE, but bank payments still move.

So if you see “markets closed” on Good Friday, it refers to stock trading. Direct deposits, bill payments and transfers between banks are not held up by the market closure.

State holidays and local closures

Some states give Good Friday a holiday status of their own. Connecticut lists it among its legal state holidays, designated by the governor, and its Department of Banking shows Friday, April 3, 2026 on its 2026 holiday list. The same department notes that banks and credit unions are not obligated to close on legal holidays and can choose to open or close.

That pattern matters beyond Connecticut. A state holiday can close state offices, courts or schools, and some banks in that state may adjust branch hours. It does not close the Federal Reserve, so payments still settle. If your branch hours matter on Good Friday, the notice from your own bank is what counts.

Payments on Good Friday and Easter Monday

Both days are regular business days for the payment systems:

• ACH and direct deposit: FedACH settles as on any weekday. A payday on Good Friday is paid on Good Friday. See direct deposit and ACH.
• Wires: the Fedwire Funds Service operates on every day that is not a weekend or a Federal Reserve holiday, so wires go through. See wire transfers.
• Checks: under Regulation CC, Good Friday and Easter Monday are business days, so they count toward a deposit hold.
• Mail: Good Friday is not on the Postal Service’s list of holidays with no mail service.
• ATMs, mobile apps and FedNow: these work as usual. The FedNow Service runs every day, holidays included. More on the payments overview.

For deadline counting, both days count as business days in our business days calculator.

Is Easter Monday a bank holiday?

Not in the United States: it is not a federal or Federal Reserve holiday, and the Reserve Banks are open. The question comes up because Good Friday and Easter Monday are both bank holidays in England and Wales, according to GOV.UK. If you send money abroad around Easter, the receiving country’s holiday calendar can delay the credit on that end; ask your bank about cut-offs for international transfers.

Frequently asked questions

Is “Easter Friday” a bank holiday?

People who ask about “Easter Friday” usually mean Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday. In the US it is not a Federal Reserve holiday, so banks process payments that day.

Who is closed on Good Friday?

The stock market (NYSE) is closed, and some state offices close in states that observe the day, such as Connecticut. The Federal Reserve, federal offices and the Postal Service are open. To see which upcoming days are real closures, check our list of bank holidays or the holiday guides.