What's the government shutdown status right now?

The status is shown at the top of this site as a live yes/no indicator, with the latest check time and affected agencies. It is updated continuously using official government and congressional data sources.

Is the federal government shut down today?

Use the homepage status indicator for the current answer. The tracker is designed to provide a clear real-time status signal and timestamp so you can verify whether a shutdown is active right now.

How long has the current shutdown lasted?

When a shutdown is active, the homepage counter shows the exact running duration (days, hours, minutes, and seconds) from the active shutdown start time.

Which agencies are currently affected by the shutdown?

The homepage and updates section list the agencies currently affected in the active funding lapse so you can quickly see operational impact.

What is a government shutdown?

A government shutdown occurs when funding legislation required to finance the federal government is not enacted before the next fiscal year begins. During a shutdown, the federal government curtails agency activities and services, ceases non-essential operations, furloughs non-essential workers, and retains only essential employees in departments that protect human life or property.

What happens during a government shutdown?

During a shutdown, non-essential federal employees are furloughed (sent home without pay), national parks and museums close, passport and visa processing is delayed, and many government services are disrupted. Essential services like national security, air traffic control, law enforcement, and medical care in federal hospitals continue operating.

Who gets paid during a government shutdown?

Essential employees (military, law enforcement, air traffic controllers, doctors and nurses in federal hospitals) continue working but may not receive paychecks until the shutdown ends. Members of Congress continue to be paid because their pay cannot be altered except by direct law. Non-essential federal workers are furloughed and typically receive back pay once the shutdown ends.

What services stay open during a shutdown?

Services that remain operational include active duty military, federal law enforcement, air traffic control, National Weather Service operations, emergency medical services in federal hospitals, mail delivery (USPS is self-funded), and Social Security payments. The Patent Office can operate on reserves for a limited period.

What services are shut down?

Closed or disrupted services can include national parks and federally managed museums, passport and visa processing, IRS tax refund processing, EPA inspections, NASA non-essential operations, and work at many regulatory agencies.

How long do government shutdowns last?

Shutdowns vary in length. The longest was 35 days (December 2018 to January 2019), followed by 21 days (1995 to 1996) and 16 days (2013). Many shutdowns last only 1 to 5 days.

How much do shutdowns cost?

Shutdowns are expensive. The 2018 to 2019 shutdown cost approximately $5 billion in back pay and lost revenue. The 2013 shutdown cost about $2.1 billion and reduced GDP growth by 0.6 percent. Costs include back pay, lost tax revenue, reduced economic activity, and disrupted services.

Why do government shutdowns happen?

Shutdowns occur when Congress and the President cannot agree on spending bills before the fiscal year deadline. They typically result from political disagreements over budget priorities, policy riders attached to funding bills, or disputes over specific programs.

Can shutdowns be prevented?

Yes. Congress can pass a continuing resolution to temporarily extend funding while negotiations continue. Automatic continuing appropriation policies have been proposed to reduce shutdown risk, but no permanent federal mechanism is currently in place.

Do other countries have government shutdowns?

Shutdowns like those in the United States are uncommon in most other democracies. Many parliamentary systems use mechanisms that keep government funded while budget negotiations continue.

When Does Government Funding Run Out? Next Shutdown Deadline (December 11, 2026)

Updated October 31, 2026 · By Shutdown Tracker

Short answer

Current federal funding expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 11, 2026, when the stopgap continuing resolution Congress passed in September 2026 runs out.

Is the government shut down right now? Check the live status.

The current deadline

Fiscal year 2027 began on October 1, 2026 without full-year appropriations. To avoid a lapse, Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution (CR) in September 2026 that keeps agencies funded at prior-year levels through December 11, 2026.

If Congress does not pass either the full-year appropriations bills or another stopgap before that date, agencies without funding must begin shutdown procedures at 12:01 a.m. on December 12.

What Congress can do before December 11

Pass all twelve full-year appropriations bills, individually or bundled into an omnibus.
Pass another continuing resolution to buy more time, often into January or later.
Pass some bills and a CR for the rest, which can lead to a partial shutdown if any agencies are left out.
Pass nothing, which triggers a lapse in appropriations for every agency not already funded.

How a shutdown actually starts

Under the Antideficiency Act, agencies cannot spend money Congress has not appropriated. When funding lapses, each agency follows a contingency plan filed with the Office of Management and Budget that splits staff into excepted employees, who keep working, and furloughed employees, who are sent home.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) posts the operating status. Shutdown Tracker checks OPM and Congress.gov continuously and flips its status as soon as a lapse is official.

Recent deadline history

Deadlines are often missed. The fall 2025 lapse lasted 43 days, the longest full shutdown on record, and early 2026 saw a short 4-day partial lapse followed by a 76-day lapse affecting the Department of Homeland Security. See the full shutdown history for every lapse since 1976.

Frequently asked questions

When is the next government shutdown deadline?

The current continuing resolution funds the government through December 11, 2026. A shutdown would begin December 12 if Congress does not act.

Will the government shut down in December 2026?

It depends on whether Congress passes full-year funding or another stopgap before December 11. Check the live status on Shutdown Tracker, which updates from OPM and Congress.gov.

What is a continuing resolution?

A continuing resolution is a temporary funding law that keeps agencies running, usually at the prior year's spending levels, until a set date.