Christmas and New Year services

Customer services

Our customer service hubs are closed over the Christmas period from Thursday 25 December 2025 (Christmas Day) to Thursday 1 January 2026 (New Year's Day). Customer service hubs will reopen at 9am on Friday 2 January 2026.

Our customer service phone line will also be closed to all routine queries during this time. We will be open for services that require an emergency response.  

These services include:  

• social care  
• housing repairs and homelessness  
• Registrars  
• Trading Standards  
• highways  
• faulty Ryecare lifeline equipment

If you need help with an emergency during the bank holiday period call 0300 131 2 131 and select the correct option for the service you need. You can report non-urgent housing repairs online.

We will not be monitoring or responding to messages on social media during this time.

Libraries

Library opening hours vary across the county over the Christmas period, however all libraries will be closed on Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day), Friday 26 December (Boxing Day) and Thursday 1 January (New Year's Day). 

Visit our local libraries page to find out more about your local library, including opening times.

During this period, you can still use our free digital library. There are thousands of free e-books and e-audio books, as well as e-newspapers, e-magazines and e-comics available to borrow, and you can also use a wide range of free reference resources, day and night. You can also find all your digital resources in one place on the North Yorkshire library app. This can be downloaded to mobile devices from the App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android devices. Search for ‘North Yorkshire Libraries’.

North Yorkshire Archives (previously County Record Office)

Our North Yorkshire Archives office is closed from Monday 22 December until Sunday 4 January. The office will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026 at 9.30am.

Registration offices

All registration offices are closed on Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day), Friday 26 December (Boxing Day) and Thursday 1 January (New Year's Day). 

They will open on Monday 29 December for prebooked appointments and ceremonies only - normal opening times apply. Normal services will begin again at 9.30am on Friday 2 January 2026.

You can still book an appointment to register a birth , register a death, give notice of wedding or civil partnership and buy copy certificates online while we are closed.

North Yorkshire Council markets

Helmsley - Market Place

The market will be closed on Friday 26 December (Boxing Day).

Ripon - Market Place

The market will be closed on Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day).

Scarborough Market Hall and Vaults

The market will be open on Sunday 21 December for last minute Christmas shopping.

The market will then be closed on Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day), Friday 26 December (Boxing Day) and Thursday 1 January 2026 (New Year's Day). 

Whitby Open Market

The market will be closed on Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day) and Thursday 1 January 2026 (New Year's Day).

Visit our markets page for more information about the markets across the county. Please note that other markets on our website are run independently by other parties, and regular hours may be subject to change during the festive period.

Household waste recycling centres

Our household waste recycling centres are closed on Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day), Friday 26 December (Boxing Day), Wednesday 31 December, and Thursday 1 January (New Year's Day). 

Sites are open from 8.30am to 4pm. Please allow enough time to unload your waste before the site closes.

You can recycle your Christmas trees at our centres - visit our Christmas trees page for details.

Active North Yorkshire leisure centres and other leisure facilities

• Bedale Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Fairfax Community Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Harrogate Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Jennyfield Styan Community Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Knaresborough Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Northallerton Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Pateley Bridge Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Ripon Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Selby Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Skipton Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Starbeck Swimming Pool's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Stockwell Community Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Stokesley Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Tadcaster Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times
• Thirsk and Sowerby Leisure and Wellbeing Hub's Christmas and New Year opening times

Turkish Baths Harrogate 

• 24 December (Christmas Eve): open 9am to 3pm
• 25 December (Christmas Day) and 26 December (Boxing Day): closed
• Saturday 27 to Tuesday 30 December: normal opening hours
• Wednesday 31 December (New Year's Eve): open 9am to 3pm
• 1 January (New Year's Day): closed