As anyone who taken advantage of a three-day weekend likely knows, a legal holiday is a day set aside by the federal or state government to honor an event or historical figure. Depending on the state, employees generally receive a paid day off of work or are paid a higher hourly wage (usually 150 percent of the regular rate) for working on a holiday. All states generally celebrate national holidays, but other legal holidays vary by state. Nevada sticks largely to national holidays but also Nevada Day on the last Friday in October.
Legal Holidays in Nevada
This holiday schedule is for state employees and is established by the Nevada Legislature (Nevada Code Section 236.015). Nevada observes quite a few legal holidays in addition to those observed nationally, including:
January 1 - New Year's Day Third Monday in January - Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday Third Monday in February - Presidents' Day Last Monday in May - Memorial Day July 4 - Independence Day First Monday in September - Labor Day Last Friday in October - Nevada Day November 11 - Veterans' Day Fourth Thursday in November - Thanksgiving Day Friday following the Fourth Thursday in November - Family Day December 25 - Christmas Day
All state, county and city offices, courts, public schools and the Nevada System of Higher Education must close on the legal holidays. If January 1, July 4, November 11 or December 25 falls upon a:
     (a) Sunday, the Monday following must be observed as a legal holiday.
     (b) Saturday, the Friday preceding must be observed as a legal holiday.
Remember that state laws are always subject to change through the passage of new laws or other means. Make sure you contact a Nevada employment attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching. You can also check out FindLaw's Employment Law section to learn more.
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Nevada Legal Holiday Laws: Related Resources
