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This page provides an overview of paid and unpaid holidays for local governments in Washington State, including the state legal holiday schedule that many jurisdictions adopt, floating holidays, religious holidays, and other considerations.

New legislation: Beginning in 2022, SHB 1016 makes Juneteenth (June 19) a new paid state holiday, commemorating the abolishment of slavery and the day that the knowledge of freedom reached the last remaining enslaved people in 1865. Because June 19 falls on a Sunday in 2022, the new state holiday will be observed for the first time on Monday, June 20, 2022.

Local governments are not required to follow the state legal holiday schedule, but many do. For jurisdictions considering adding Juneteenth as a paid holiday, below are a few examples:

• Bellingham Resolution No. 2021-30 (2021) – Adding Juneteenth as paid holiday, enacted after SHB 1016.
• Bremerton Ordinance No. 5425 (2021) – Adding Juneteenth as a paid holiday; enacted after SHB 1016.
• King County Ordinance No. 19209 (2020) – Adding Juneteenth as a paid holiday for all county employees eligible for comprehensive leave benefits; enacted prior to SHB 1016.
• Seattle Ordinance No. 126505 (2021) – Adding Juneteenth as paid holiday and establishing a free parking holiday; enacted after SHB 1016.

Overview

RCW 1.16.050 defines the Washington State legal holidays shown in the schedule below. Many local governments follow the state holiday schedule, although they are not...

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