Federal courthouses do not use one nationwide opening and closing schedule. Public entrance hours, Clerk’s Office counter service, telephone assistance and filing access can follow different clocks even inside the same building.
Courthouse Doors and Clerk’s Office Counters Use Different Clocks
The time a courthouse building is accessible does not necessarily tell you when a clerk can handle an in-person filing, payment or records request. Federal courts publish these schedules locally, and several official court pages separate public lobby or building access from staffed Clerk’s Office service.
| Federal court location | Public or building access | Clerk’s Office counter |
|---|---|---|
| Tacoma, Washington | Weekdays, 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | Weekdays, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
| Fort Myers, Florida | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
| 500 Pearl Street, New York | Courthouse hours, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; security doors open at 8:00 a.m. | 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, Washington, D.C. | The building publishes 24-hour access through one entrance | Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., except holidays |
This distinction matters most when the visit requires staff assistance. Arriving while a courthouse entrance is open does not establish that an intake counter, cashier window or other staffed court service is still operating.
Weekday Service Windows Can Be Shorter Than Building Hours
Many federal court offices concentrate public counter service within normal weekday business hours, but the exact window is set by the court. Some offices also divide the workday into separate morning and afternoon sessions.
For example, the federal courthouse in Santa Fe publishes an intake-counter schedule of 8:30 a.m.–noon and 1:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. on weekdays. That creates a midday gap even though the courthouse itself is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Other courts keep their public counters continuously open through the middle of the day.
The relevant closing time depends on the task. Someone attending a scheduled proceeding may need the building’s access hours, while an in-person filing or Clerk’s Office transaction depends on the staffed counter schedule.
Federal Holiday Closures Follow an Observed-Date Calendar
Federal court offices commonly close for federal holidays. The observed date can differ from the holiday’s calendar date when a fixed-date holiday falls on a weekend. In 2026, for example, Independence Day falls on Saturday, July 4, so the federal observed holiday was Friday, July 3.
After August 20, the remaining 2026 federal holidays on the Office of Personnel Management calendar are Labor Day on September 7, Columbus Day on October 12, Veterans Day on November 11, Thanksgiving Day on November 26 and Christmas Day on December 25.
A court can also publish an additional closure through a local order or announcement. That means the federal holiday calendar identifies the standard federal dates but does not replace a court’s own closure notices. This distinction is especially relevant around year-end, severe disruptions or dates covered by a court-specific administrative order.
Security Screening Changes the Practical Arrival Time
Courthouse entry can involve a security checkpoint before a visitor reaches a courtroom or Clerk’s Office. The Southern District of New York, for example, tells visitors to allow additional time for screening at its 500 Pearl Street courthouse. Federal courthouse pages also commonly publish rules for identification, electronic devices and prohibited items.
For a scheduled hearing, jury appearance or time-sensitive counter transaction, the posted start time should therefore not be treated as the ideal time to reach the exterior entrance. Entry procedures occur before access to the destination inside the building.
State and County Courthouses Use Their Own Calendars
The federal schedule should not be applied automatically to a state, county, municipal or other local courthouse. Those courts operate under their own judicial systems and may observe state or local holidays that do not match the federal calendar. Their Clerk’s Office hours can also differ from federal court patterns.
This page’s federal court locator covers U.S. federal courts. For a state or county case, the controlling schedule is the one published by the court system or clerk responsible for that specific courthouse.