How Long Is 10 Business Days

A business day is any weekday — Monday through Friday — on which U.S. banks, federal agencies, and most businesses are open for standard operations. Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holidays are excluded from business day counts in most U.S. financial and legal contexts. The Federal Reserve, which processes the majority of American electronic payments, follows this definition in its payment system rules.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau uses a similar definition in regulations governing mortgage disclosures, credit card billing cycles, and electronic fund transfers. Some specific laws distinguish between general business days and banking days — so the applicable definition may vary slightly depending on the transaction type. When a deadline matters, confirm the precise definition with the institution or agency setting the timeline.

Ten business days spans exactly two calendar weeks when no federal holidays fall within the window — 14 calendar days. However, when one or more federal holidays occur during the 10-business-day period, the timeline extends by one additional calendar day for each holiday.

For example, if you start counting on a Monday with no upcoming holidays, your 10th business day falls on the Friday of the following week (14 calendar days later). If a federal holiday falls on a Wednesday during that same two-week stretch, the 10th business day shifts to the Monday of the third week — 17 calendar days from the starting date. For shorter timeframes, see how 2 business days and 3 business days are calculated.

10-Business-Day Examples by Starting Day

The following federal holidays — on which the Federal Reserve and most U.S. banks are closed — add calendar days to a 10-business-day count:

• New Year's Day (January 1)
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday in January)
• Presidents' Day (third Monday in February)
• Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
• Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19)
• Independence Day (July 4)
• Labor Day (first Monday in September)
• Columbus Day (second Monday in October)
• Veterans Day (November 11)
• Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)
• Christmas Day (December 25)

When a holiday falls on Saturday, the preceding Friday is typically observed as the bank holiday. When it falls on Sunday, the following Monday is observed. These same holidays extend the timelines covered in our guides on 5 business days and 3-5 business days.

Several common financial processes use a 10-business-day timeframe as a standard or maximum processing window:

• Check holds: Under federal Regulation CC, banks may extend check hold periods for large deposits, new accounts, or redeposited items, with some extended holds reaching up to seven to 10 business days. See how long a check is good for for related timing guidance.
• Securities settlement: While most U.S. stock trades now settle in one business day (T+1 as of 2024), some less liquid securities and corporate actions may take longer.
• IRS processing: The IRS uses business-day timelines for certain response deadlines and notice periods. Some IRS correspondence requests a response within 10 business days of the notice date.
• Insurance claim acknowledgment: Many state insurance regulations require insurers to acknowledge a claim within a fixed number of business days, sometimes 10 or fewer. This is relevant whether you are filing a roof replacement claim or another insurance matter.

The starting point for a 10-business-day count is typically the date a transaction is received and accepted by the processing institution — not simply the date you submit a request. Banks and financial platforms set daily cutoff times after which transactions received are treated as arriving the following business day. These cutoff times commonly range from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM local time, depending on the institution and transaction type.

A request submitted at 7:00 PM on a Monday at a bank with a 5:00 PM cutoff will typically begin processing on Tuesday. In that case, the 10th business day from submission would be Wednesday of week 3 — not the Tuesday of week 2 that a Monday-start calculation would suggest. Always confirm your bank's cutoff times for time-sensitive transactions. This same principle applies to ACH transfer and Zelle processing timelines.