Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, is New Year’s Day. Since it’s a federal holiday, many companies close to give their employees a day off. However, closing for federal holidays isn’t mandatory, so plenty of businesses decide to open instead. As a result, New Year’s Day can seem like the perfect time to run errands. The tricky thing is that the post office is a federal agency. As a result, if you need to ship an item, you may be wondering, “Is the post office closed for New Year’s Day 2026?” If so, here’s what you need to know.
Is The Post Office Closed for New Year’s Day 2026?
Yes, the post office is closed on New Year’s Day 2026. As mentioned above, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is a federal government agency. That means post offices typically follow the federal holiday schedule, and with New Year’s Day being a federal holiday, they’re generally closed on Jan. 1.
For most people, that means you can’t get assistance from an employee on New Year’s Day. That can include not being able to get help shipping a package, and that specific pickup services aren’t available.
However, if part of the post office isn’t locked, you can usually still handle a few things. For example, you can get regular mail out of a post office box or drop off items for shipping that already have the correct postage. If self-service kiosks are on site, you can potentially add postage to shipments, too. Just be aware that any item dropped off won’t get processed until the post office reopens on Jan. 2.
Is the Post Office Closed on New Year’s Eve 2025?
If you need to get an item shipped or picked up, you might assume that handling it on December 31, 2025, which is New Year’s Eve, is an option. While the post office doesn’t usually close on New Year’s Eve, in 2025, December 31 falls on a Wednesday. That means most post offices will be open during regular business hours, though some locations may close early. It’s best to check with your local branch to confirm.
Post Office Business Hours
While post offices may have slightly different operating schedules, most are incredibly similar. Usually, they open between 8:00 am and 9:00 am and close between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday.
Some – but not all – post office locations have Saturday hours. For those that open on Saturdays, they usually start welcoming customers at some point between 8:00 am and 10:00 am, and they’ll remain open until some time between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm.
Post Office 2026 Holiday Schedule
By and large, the post office holiday schedule matches the federal holiday schedule. Since that’s the case, it’s easy to predict when mail delivery and pickup will occur and when you can head to the post office to get help from an employee.
Here is an overview of the post office holiday closure schedule for 2026:
New Year’s Day – Thursday, Jan. 1
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Monday, Jan. 19
Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day) – Monday, February 16
Memorial Day – Monday, May 25
Juneteenth – Friday, June 19
Independence Day – Saturday, July 4 (observed Friday, July 3)
Labor Day – Monday, September 7
Columbus Day – Monday, October 12
Veterans Day – Wednesday, November 11
Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 26
Christmas Day – Friday, December 25
Are FedEx and UPS Closed on New Year’s Day 2026?
Since the post office is closed on New Year’s Day, you might think that using FedEx or UPS is the best option if you need to ship items on Jan. 1. However, like USPS, FedEx and UPS are generally closed on New Year’s Day, barring two specific exceptions. FedEx Custom Critical and UPS Express Critical both run every day of the year, including on holidays like New Year’s Day. But those services aren’t used for everyday shipping, as they focus on specialty needs.
As a result, if you need an item to arrive to someone by January 1, you’ll need to plan regardless of the service you use. Otherwise, the delivery will occur after the holiday.
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