Does A Twenty-Four Hour Eviction Notice Include Weekends?

Yes, weekends count toward the 24‑hour notice in the majority of states because the clock runs on calendar days, not business days. A few jurisdictions treat the period as 'business days only,' so the deadline could slide to Monday; verify the rule by checking your state's statutes or consulting an attorney.

For instance, if a landlord serves the notice Friday at 6 p.m., the tenant must vacate by Saturday 6 p.m. in most places, but in a state that excludes weekends the deadline moves to Monday 6 p.m. This distinction determines the exact cutoff you'll calculate in the next step.

A 24‑hour eviction notice expires exactly one calendar day after the moment it is served, unless local statutes suspend the clock on weekends or holidays. As we covered above, some jurisdictions count Saturday and Sunday as ordinary days, while others extend the deadline to the next business day. Follow these steps to nail the exact cutoff:

1. Note the precise time and date of service. Record the hour on a 24‑hour clock to avoid AM/PM confusion.
2. Add 24 hours to that timestamp. The result marks the theoretical deadline before any local modification.
3. Consult your state's landlord‑tenant code (for example, North Carolina's eviction rules) to see whether the law treats weekends as non‑working days.
4. If the jurisdiction pauses the clock, shift the deadline forward by the number of weekend or statutory holiday days that fall within the original 24‑hour span.
5. Double‑check the adjusted deadline against any court‑issued guidelines in your county; those often clarify ambiguous wording in the statutes.

Apply this formula each time a notice lands, and the exact eviction deadline becomes crystal clear.

If a landlord serves the 24‑hour eviction notice on Friday evening, the clock keeps ticking through Saturday and Sunday; the deadline arrives exactly 24 hours later, typically Saturday evening (for a 6 p.m. service, the tenant must leave by 6 p.m. Saturday). As we covered above, almost every state treats the notice as continuous calendar time, so weekends and holidays do not pause the count.

A handful of municipalities write a 'business‑day' rule into their codes, halting the timer until Monday morning. In those rare places, a Friday‑night service would not require vacancy until Monday evening. Verify the local ordinance - such as the city rule that suspends the clock over weekends - before relying on the standard calendar calculation.

The three most common myths about weekend eviction deadlines are simply wrong. State statutes treat the 24‑hour notice as continuous calendar time, not a pause for Saturday or Sunday, although service rules differ by jurisdiction.

• **Myth 1: The clock stops on weekends.** Courts count Saturday and Sunday as part of the 24‑hour span unless a state expressly excludes them (e.g., some Texas provisions); the deadline advances uninterrupted.
• **Myth 2: A Friday‑evening service gives the tenant until Monday.** The deadline occurs 24 hours after service, which may be early Saturday, even if the landlord cannot physically enter the property until a business day.
• **Myth 3: Weekend service is illegal, so the notice is void.** Most states permit after‑hours service with proper proof, while a handful require personal delivery on a business day, shifting the deadline only in those locales (Nolo's eviction notice guide).

Check state laws for your location now, because **24-hour notice** requirements differ across jurisdictions. Most states require a 3‑day **eviction notice** and do not treat weekends specially, as clarified for California and Texas where no statutory weekend exclusion exists.

Locate the relevant code by visiting the official state legislature site, entering 'landlord‑tenant notice' plus 'weekends' into the search box, and confirming whether the clock counts calendar hours or pauses on Saturdays and Sundays. Cross‑reference the result with local court rules or a trusted summary such as Nolo's eviction notice guide, then, if uncertainty remains, consult an attorney familiar with your jurisdiction's **served**‑notice nuances.

• continuous calendar period; nights, weekends, and holidays count toward the deadline (as we covered above).
• clock starts the moment the notice is actually served - hand‑delivered, posted on the door, or emailed - without waiting for the recipient to read it.
• No jurisdiction converts the interval into '24 business hours'; timer does not pause for non‑working days.
• Judges may toll the deadline in extraordinary situations, such as service during a declared emergency, but this discretion is exceptional, not routine.
• A few states (e.g., Illinois, New York) specify that service after 5 p.m. still begins the calendar count at that moment, providing no extra 'business‑day' buffer.

Holiday weekends usually do not stop the 24‑hour notice clock. The deadline counts every calendar hour unless a statute explicitly pauses for state‑designated holidays, and such language is uncommon. As we covered above, regular weekends already roll over, and the same rule typically applies to holiday days. Verify your state's landlord‑tenant code or any local ordinance for a rare exemption, and note that a court‑issued stay would supersede the default timeline.

• Most states treat holidays as ordinary days for the 24‑hour notice.
• Only a few jurisdictions include language that halts the clock for holidays; check the specific statute in your state.
• A court order staying the eviction notice overrides the standard calendar rule.
• Use resources like Nolo's eviction‑notice guide to locate your state's provisions.

A 24‑hour notice measures a full 24 hours from the moment it is served, not a set of business days; nights, Saturdays and Sundays count unless a state's statutes expressly pause the clock for weekends or holidays.

Because most jurisdictions treat weekend hours as ordinary time, a landlord who serves a notice on Thursday evening typically reaches the deadline on Friday night, leaving the tenant a full day to respond. Some states, however, toll the period for Saturday‑Sunday, effectively converting the notice into a 48‑hour window; those nuances appear in the 'check state laws for your location now' section.

Consequently, the perceived rush often evaporates once the clock includes off‑hours, a fact that fuels the 'hidden traps in after‑hours eviction service' discussion later. For a quick reference on state variations, see state‑specific eviction notice rules.

After‑hours service hides three pitfalls that can invalidate a 24‑hour eviction notice. Because the deadline counts calendar time, any misstep after dark can reset the clock.

• Assuming delivery must occur during regular office hours; Texas permits service at any hour, and the notice activates when the tenant actually receives it (Texas Property Code § 24.0052).
• Believing a sworn proof‑of‑service affidavit is required; California and Nevada accept simple personal delivery without an affidavit (California Civ. Code § 1161).
• Confusing weekend exclusions for multi‑day notices with the 24‑hour rule; the 24‑hour period remains calendar‑based, so Saturdays and Sundays still count.
• Treating a server's 5 p.m. timestamp as a 'next‑business‑day' trigger; no universal cutoff exists, and the clock starts upon receipt regardless of the time stamp.
• Using email or text without explicit lease or statutory permission; only states that expressly allow electronic service and the lease authorizes it make this valid (state‑specific electronic service guidelines).

A weekend‑served 24‑hour eviction notice is contestable the moment it arrives. First, verify whether the timing violates the state rule that either counts calendar days or excludes non‑business days, as we discussed earlier. Then act before the deadline expires.

1. Confirm the precise moment the notice was delivered; request the server's log or affidavit and note if service occurred after Friday 5 p.m. in a jurisdiction that bars weekend counting.
2. Review the applicable state statute; some states treat the 24 hours as calendar time, while others require business days (see Nolo's eviction notice guide).
3. File a motion to dismiss or a temporary restraining order before the deadline, attaching the service proof and the statutory excerpt that shows the notice is invalid.
4. Notify the landlord in writing that the notice fails to meet legal requirements; retain a copy for the record, which often prompts a settlement.
5. Prepare evidence for the hearing - texts, emails, or witness statements confirming the notice arrived on Saturday or Sunday - to demonstrate the breach of the 24‑hour rule.

A 24‑hour notice served on Friday night forced a tenant to vacate by Sunday morning, even though the landlord's schedule ignored the weekend. The courier left the paperwork at the front door just before midnight, and the tenant, assuming the clock paused on Saturday and Sunday, slept through the deadline.

When the clock hit midnight Sunday, the deadline expired; courts in California, for example, treat the period as continuous calendar time, as we covered above (California Civil Code § 1946.1). The tenant's Monday plea for extra time was denied, and a writ of possession was signed. That evening, the sheriff's crew arrived, changing the lock and ending the tenancy.