Durham, N.C. – Durham County Government will observe the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day holiday on Monday, January 19, 2026. On this day, most county government offices will be closed. All Durham County offices will reopen with normal hours of operation on Tuesday, January 20.

View the complete 2026 holiday scheduled for Durham County Government here.

For updates on DCo news, events, and programming, visit our webpage at DCONC.GOV and follow us on Nextdoor, Facebook, Instagram, or Bluesky.

Durham City-County Martin Luther King Jr. Employee Observance

Honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the purpose of the annual Durham City-County Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Employee Observance. The 2026 event will mark the 21st year celebration of the program jointly hosted by Durham County Government and the City of Durham. The program is scheduled at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, January 27, at First Presbyterian Church. The keynote speaker will be North Carolina Central University Chancellor Dr. Karrie G. Dixon.

The event, free and open to the community, also includes musical selections and remarks from local leaders and elected officials. For more information on this event, contact the Durham County Public Information Office at publicinformationoffice@dconc.gov.

Read further to see specific impacts to services on MLK Day:

Durham County General Services

County Convenience Sites

The Durham County General Services Department will close its three Solid Waste and Recycling Convenience Sites on January 19. Durham County residents with a current 2025-26 solid waste decal can resume disposal of garbage, recycling, yard waste and bulky items at the County’s Convenience Sites during their regular schedules beginning January 20.

Live Christmas trees are accepted in the yard waste containers at all three Durham County Convenience Sites and artificial trees can be deposited in the trash dumpsters from residents with a current 2025-26 solid waste decal. All decorations must be removed prior to disposal. Residents of unincorporated Durham County can take used cooking oil to all three sites. Only liquid oils will be accepted for collection. Heavier fats, such as griddle grease and animal fat, will not be accepted.

Roadside Recycling Collection

The Durham County roadside recycling collection for the week of January 19 will not change due to the holiday. Customers scheduled for Monday’s collection will receive service on Monday as scheduled.                              

All residents are reminded to set out their recycling bins before 6 a.m. on the day of pickup, to avoid a missed collection. Residents who want to keep track of their recycling collection schedule should download the “Durham County Recycles” mobile application. Residents can download the mobile app for free on Apple devices in the App Store or Android devices in the Google Play Store.

To learn more about Durham County’s solid waste and recycling programs, call 919-560-0433 or visit www.dconc.gov/General-Services/Waste-and-Recycling.

Durham County Department of Public Health

The Durham County Department of Public Health will follow the Durham County Government MLK Jr. Day holiday schedule and close on January 19.

For Public Health emergencies during the holiday closures, including communicable disease reporting, environmental health and suspected foodborne illnesses, please call 911 and ask for the Durham County Department of Public Health’s response team member on-call. DCoDPH offices will reopen with normal hours on January 20.

For more information regarding COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, or general information about services provided by the DCoDPH, call 919-560-7600 or visit www.dcopublichealth.org.

Durham County Library

All Durham County Library locations will be closed on January 19, reopening on January 20 with normal hours.

To view information about Durham County Library’s calendar, programs, and locations, visit DurhamCountyLibrary.org.

Durham County Social Services

The Durham County Department of Social Services (DSS) will also follow the Durham County Government MLK Jr. holiday schedule and close on January 19. Residents are encouraged to call 919-560-4600 to reach an on-call social worker to report child abuse and neglect. Residents should call 984-243-1280 to report adult abuse and neglect, and an on-call social worker will respond. DSS will reopen and operate according to its normal hours of operation on January 20.

Get more information about Durham County Department of Social Services at www.dconc.gov/DSS.

Durham County Sheriff

Durham County’s Sheriff Office’s patrol division, as always, is available 24/7. The Sheriff’s Administration and Records Division will be closed on January 19 and will reopen on January 20.

If you have an emergency, please call 911 or 919-560-0900. For more information, visit www.durhamsheriff.com.   

Durham County Cooperative Extension

The Durham County Cooperative Extension will close on January 19 for the MLK Jr. Day Holiday. All Extension programming normally held on Mondays is cancelled. The Extension office reopens on January 20.

For information on programming and events from the Extension, visit https://durham.ces.ncsu.edu.

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