The three federal bankruptcy courts in Florida — the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Florida (FLNB), the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida (FLMB), and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida (FLSB) — observe the same eleven federal holidays in 2026 as every other federal court in the country. Same with the parallel U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and every federal clerk's office statewide.
For Florida bankruptcy debtors, creditors, and counsel, the calendar matters because the bar dates fall on it.
For the broader practice-news version see stevenfraser.com. For the DC-court version see DCDebtRelief.com.
The 2026 federal holiday calendar
| Date | Day | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Thursday | New Year's Day |
| January 19 | Monday | Martin Luther King Jr. Day |
| February 16 | Monday | Presidents Day |
| May 25 | Monday | Memorial Day |
| June 19 | Friday | Juneteenth |
| July 3 | Friday | Independence Day (observed — July 4 is Saturday) |
| September 7 | Monday | Labor Day |
| October 12 | Monday | Columbus Day |
| November 11 | Wednesday | Veterans Day |
| November 26 | Thursday | Thanksgiving Day |
| December 25 | Friday | Christmas Day |
Source: 5 U.S.C. § 6103. Observance of a holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday is governed by 5 U.S.C. § 6103(b) and Executive Order 11582 (Feb. 11, 1971).
The deadline rule that quietly saves a lot of cases
Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 9006(a) — and its district-court cousin FRCP 6(a) — provides:
When a deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline rolls to the end of the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday.
For Florida bankruptcy practice, the rule applies to virtually every deadline you can name:
- Proof of claim bar dates — the date set in each case for creditors to file claims.
- § 523(c) nondischargeability complaint deadlines — typically 60 days after the first date set for the § 341 meeting.
- Reaffirmation agreement windows — must be filed before discharge, and within the window the agreement itself prescribes.
- Motion to redeem under § 722 — Chapter 7 redemption motions.
- Adversary proceeding answer deadlines (30 days under FRBP 7012) and motion-to-dismiss deadlines.
- Chapter 13 plan confirmation objection deadlines.
- Motion to extend the automatic stay under § 362(c)(3) — must be filed and heard within 30 days of the petition date.
- Motion to lift the automatic stay response deadlines.
- Notice of appeal deadlines under FRBP 8002 (typically 14 days).
Six worked examples for Florida bankruptcy practice in 2026:
- A 60-day § 523(c) deadline that lands on Memorial Day (May 25) → actual deadline is Tuesday, May 26.
- A 14-day appeal window that ends on Christmas Day (December 25) → actual deadline is Monday, December 28.
- A § 341 meeting continuance falling on July 3 (observed Independence Day) → automatic reset to next available date.
- A 30-day adversary answer due Labor Day (September 7) → actual deadline Tuesday, September 8.
- A motion-to-extend-stay hearing required within 30 days landing on Veterans Day (November 11) → actual deadline Thursday, November 12.
- A bar date set for Juneteenth (June 19) → actual deadline Monday, June 22.
The rule is automatic. It does not require a motion. It does not require a stipulation with the trustee or opposing counsel. It is the safety net that catches deadlines expiring over long weekends.
That said: no Florida bankruptcy practitioner relies on the rule for breathing room. File early enough that the computation never matters.
Florida-specific notes
Each district has its own local rules
The three Florida bankruptcy districts publish their own Local Rules that supplement the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure. Each set of local rules handles court-specific issues — judicial assignments, mediation procedures, electronic filing requirements, and occasionally district-specific closure dates beyond the federal eleven.
- FLNB — flnb.uscourts.gov. The Northern District is principally seated in Tallahassee, with divisional offices in Pensacola, Panama City, and Gainesville.
- FLMB — flmb.uscourts.gov. The Middle District is principally seated in Tampa (Sam M. Gibbons Courthouse), Orlando (George C. Young Courthouse), and Jacksonville.
- FLSB — flsb.uscourts.gov. The Southern District is principally seated in Miami, with divisional offices in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.
Check the local rules for your district when computing deadlines that may turn on district-specific procedures.
CM/ECF stays online; the clerk's window does not
All three Florida bankruptcy districts maintain their CM/ECF electronic filing systems through federal holidays. A pleading e-filed at 11:45 p.m. on Memorial Day is filed on Memorial Day for purposes of the time stamp.
The deadline-extension rule of FRBP 9006(a) applies to deadlines, not to electronic-filing capability. A document e-filed on a holiday is filed on that day; a deadline computed under FRBP 9006(a) rolls to the next non-holiday weekday.
State court runs its own calendar
This post addresses federal holidays. Florida state courts — circuit and county — observe a separate calendar of state holidays under § 110.117, Florida Statutes, which includes the federal holidays plus a few additional state observances. Counsel handling parallel state-court matters need to track both calendars.
Emergency relief during closures
A federal holiday does not suspend the automatic stay. A creditor that pursues collection — wage garnishment, bank levy, foreclosure sale, repossession — over a holiday weekend in violation of the stay is liable for stay-violation sanctions regardless of the calendar.
All three Florida bankruptcy districts maintain emergency duty-judge procedures for true emergencies on holidays, weekends, and after hours. True emergencies, for this purpose, include:
- An ongoing automatic stay violation producing irreparable harm.
- An imminent foreclosure sale that the stay should have stopped.
- A vehicle repossession or eviction taking place during the stay period.
- Other genuinely urgent circumstances where waiting for the next business day causes harm that cannot be undone.
If you are a Florida bankruptcy debtor and a creditor takes action in violation of the stay over a holiday weekend, call counsel immediately. Emergency relief is available; the holiday is not a shield for the creditor.
What to do with this calendar
Two practical steps for every Florida debtor and bankruptcy practitioner:
- Put the eleven dates above on your case calendar today. Most docketing software handles federal holidays automatically; verify yours does.
- For deadlines approaching that land on or near one of these dates, do the FRBP 9006(a) computation now. If the math turns on the rule, confirm with counsel before you rely on it. The rule works — and we file according to the original date anyway.
For Florida debtors with active bankruptcy matters in M.D. Fla., N.D. Fla., or S.D. Fla. — or creditors and businesses with claims, motions, or adversary proceedings on the calendar — schedule a confidential consultation or call 954-451-0434 (Florida) or 877-862-7188 (Toll-Free).
Steven C. Fraser, Esq. — FL Bar No. 625825 · DC Bar No. 460026 · Admitted M.D. Fla. · N.D. Fla. · S.D. Fla. · D.D.C.
This post summarizes publicly available federal court scheduling information as of January 2026. It does not constitute legal advice as to your specific situation. Local rules and district-specific closures may vary; verify with the applicable court before relying on any deadline computation.