Constitution Day in the Turks and Caicos Islands Date in the current year: August 31, 2026

The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. They consist of two island groups in the Lucayan Archipelago: the smaller Turks Islands and the larger Caicos Islands. The islands were first sighted by Europeans in either the late 15th or early 16th century, and became popular pirate hideouts around the turn of the 17th century.

France seized the archipelago in 1783 during the Anglo-French War. However, France’s control was short-lived because the 1783 Treaty of Paris confirmed British sovereignty over the islands. In 1799, the islands were formally incorporated into the colony of the Bahamas.

In 1848, the Turks and Caicos Islands were designated a separate colony. However, this was short-lived, as in 1874 they were incorporated into the colony of Jamaica. This lasted until 1959 when the islands became a separate colony once again. The governor of Jamaica, however, continued to serve as the governor of Turks and Caicos.

In 1962, Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom, and the Turks and Caicos Islands became a Crown colony in their own right. On August 6, 1962 (the day Jamaica officially became an independent state and the Turks and Caicos Islands became a Crown colony), the first Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands took effect.

From 1965 on, the governor of the Bahamas also served as governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands. This changed in 1973 when the Bahamas gained independence and the Turks and Caicos Islands received their own governor. On August 30, 1976, a new constitution was passed, granting the islands wider autonomy and their own government led by a chief minister. J. A. G. S. McCartney was the first to step into the role.

It should be noted that the 1976 Constitution is no longer in effect. It was suspended in 1986 following the March 1985 arrest of Chief Minister Norman Saunders and Commerce and Development Minister Stafford Missick on allegations of drug trafficking involvement. New constitutions were passed in 1988, 2006, and 2011. As of 2026, the 2011 Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands is still in effect.

The last Monday in August was designated Constitution Day in the Turks and Caicos Islands by the Public Holidays (Amendment) Bill 2025, which took effect in December of that year. Although the 1976 Constitution was not the first constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands, its anniversary celebrated on Constitution Day because it broadened the territory’s political autonomy, where as the 1962 Constitution was more of a formality.

Essentially, Constitution Day replaced the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving in the Turks and Caicos public holiday calendar. However, the National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving was not canceled altogether; rather, it was moved from the fourth Friday in November to the last Sunday in August, becoming a day of observance rather than a public holiday.