Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a day designated to honor the life and legacy of the American civil rights icon. It’s also one of two federal holidays the Trump administration is making changes to in 2026.
Is MLK Day still a federal holiday, and will flags be lowered? Here’s what to know about the latest changes.
This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026.
The holiday is observed each year on the third Monday of January, and the commemoration is the only federal holiday that is “designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer and improve their communities,” according to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Yes, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday. Former President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law on November 2, 1983, and the first nationwide observance was held in 1986.
But it took longer than that for states across the country to adopt the holiday, including fights in Arizona, South Carolina and elsewhere, according to the National Constitution Center. Texas officially recognized MLK Day in 1991, and it wasn’t until 2000 that all 50 states did the same. Today, it remains the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service, encouraging all Americans to volunteer and contribute to their communities.
In November 2025, the Department of the Interior announced changes in National Park access, which include Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In previous years, the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management have designated some federal holidays and commemorative days as “fee-free days.” On these days, access to federal lands like National Parks, Forests and Wildlife Refuges waives entrance fees.
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