The question “is the UPS Store open on New Year’s Eve” has a location by location answer, because the UPS 2026 holiday operations schedule lists The UPS Store as “Limited Locations” for Thursday, December 31, 2026. UPS does not publish a list of which shops those are. Each store decides for itself, so the only reliable answer comes from the store you plan to visit.
The next New Year’s Eve is Thursday, December 31, 2026. The one after that is Friday, December 31, 2027, and UPS has not published a 2027 holiday schedule yet. This guide shows what UPS prints for the 2026 date, why store hours differ, and what still works if your local shop keeps short hours.
What UPS prints for December 31, 2026
The UPS 2026 U.S. holiday operations schedule has one row per date and one column per service. The table below repeats the rows around the new year as printed.
| Date | UPS Domestic Ground, Air and International | The UPS Store locations | Air and Ocean Freight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, December 24, 2026 | Open, with pickup limited to Air and international Air | Open | Open |
| Thursday, December 31, 2026 | Open, for Air and international Air delivery only | Limited Locations | Closed |
| Friday, January 1, 2027 | Closed | Limited Locations | Closed |
The word to notice is “Limited Locations.” UPS does not call the store column “Open” or “Closed” for December 31. It says only that some locations are limited, which tells you nothing about a particular address.
Is the UPS Store open on New Year’s Eve 2026 near you?
The UPS Store locations are independently owned and operated by franchisees, as the schedule’s own footnote states. UPS says in the same schedule to check with your local store for hours, and that products, services, prices and hours may vary by location.
That means a store across town can keep a different schedule from the one you usually use. One owner may close early on a holiday eve, while another keeps normal weekday hours. UPS prints no rule that decides it, so treat any general claim about New Year’s Eve hours with caution.
Reading the footnotes
The two footnotes in the schedule do different jobs. Footnote 3 limits the carrier on December 31 to Air and international Air packages. Footnote 1 attaches to the store column and says the shops are franchises with their own hours.
So when you ask is the UPS Store open on New Year’s Eve, the printed answer is a pointer to the store, not a yes or a no. Nothing in the schedule lets anyone say all stores open, or all stores close.
How to check one store’s hours
- Open the The UPS Store location directory and pick your state, then your town.
- Open your store’s own page. The directory page does not show hours, so the details sit on each store’s page.
- Call the store if the page does not show a holiday notice. A short call settles it faster than guessing.
- Ask about closing time, not only whether the doors are open. Early closings are common on holiday eves.
For a quick look at normal weekday closing times, read what time the UPS Store closes. Hours on an ordinary weekday are a starting point only, since holiday eves can differ.
The UPS Store versus UPS the carrier
A store opening is not the same thing as UPS carrier service. The UPS Store is a retail shop that packs, ships and prints. The carrier runs trucks, aircraft and sorting hubs on its own schedule.
For the carrier, the 2026 schedule shows UPS open on Thursday, December 31, 2026, but only for delivery of Air and international Air packages. Pickup is available only for Air and international Air packages if prearranged by Monday, December 28. UPS On-Call Pickup is available to all customers for Air and international Air packages.
The full carrier picture is in is UPS open on New Years Eve.
Delivery questions have their own page, which explains whether UPS delivers on New Years Eve. A store opening says nothing about a driver reaching your door.
What stays available when your store is limited
Even if your nearest store keeps short hours, several parts of shipping do not depend on a counter.
- ups.com labels and tracking. You can create a label and follow a package online at any hour. A label bought on December 31 does not move on that day for Ground packages, since only Air and international Air pickup is offered.
- Drop boxes and UPS Access Points. Their hours vary by location, and UPS does not publish a New Year’s Eve list for them. Check the hours posted at the one you plan to use.
- Customer service lines. UPS has not published holiday hours for its phone lines on December 31. Use online tracking first and call only if you need a person.
If a package must reach someone, a Ground label printed on December 31 will not leave on the same day. Plan on the next working day, and remember January 1, 2027 is a UPS closure.
Why the answer matters for your package
People usually ask whether the UPS Store is open on New Year’s Eve for one of three jobs. They want to drop off a package, pick one up, or use a counter service such as printing or packing.
Each job depends on the same franchise decision. A store may be staffed for pickups but stop accepting outbound packages early, or the reverse. Ask about the specific job when you call.
The days before and after December 31
On Thursday, December 24, 2026, the schedule shows UPS open for delivery of Air, international Air, UPS Standard and Ground packages. Pickup that day is only for Air and international Air packages prearranged by Friday, December 18, plus On-Call Pickup for Air.
The UPS Store column prints “Open” for December 24, yet the footnote about franchise hours still applies. Confirm with your store. The sibling article on The UPS Store on Christmas Eve covers that date.
January 1, 2027 is a UPS closure, and the store column again reads “Limited Locations.”
The New Year’s Day page walks through that date, including whether the UPS Store is open on New Year’s Day.
A worked example for a December 31 errand
Say you need to ship a returned item before the year ends and your store is five miles away. If you still wonder is the UPS Store open on New Year’s Eve for your errand, follow this order.
- Print the label at ups.com in the morning, and note whether the box needs a counter scan.
- Find the store’s page and read its December 31 notice, if one is posted.
- Call before you drive. Ask whether the store accepts drop off and what time it stops taking packages.
- If the store is closed or limited, use a drop box or Access Point that lists its hours, or wait for the next working day.
Keep your receipt or drop off confirmation. UPS is closed on January 1, 2027, so a Ground package does not get a carrier pickup that day.
Planning the 2027 New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve 2027 falls on a Friday. UPS has not published its 2027 holiday operations schedule, so no status for the carrier or the store column exists yet. Check the UPS holiday page again in the fall of 2027, and compare it with the general list in what holidays UPS is closed.
The multi carrier cutoffs are collected in holiday shipping deadlines for 2026.
You can also run any date through the Postal Holiday Checker to see which carriers keep service.
Bottom line
UPS prints “Limited Locations” for The UPS Store on December 31, 2026, so no blanket answer exists. Your own franchise sets its hours, and a store page or a phone call is the only firm source. Online labels, tracking and Air pickup arranged by December 28 work whether or not your counter is staffed.
