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Will We Ever Stop Changing the Clocks? The Fight Over DST

white analog clock sitting in green grass, with the face reading 8:00
Image Credit:
M.Vich/Shutterstock
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Every fall and spring, Americans grumble about changing the clocks—“fall back” in November, “spring forward” in March. But will this ritual ever end? Here’s the latest news on the push to stop switching between Daylight Saving Time (DST) and Standard Time, plus a look back at how we got here.

The Next Clock Change

The next change happens on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2:00 A.M., when Daylight Saving Time ends. Clocks will “fall back” one hour to Standard Time. Most people set their clocks forward before going to bed on Saturday night, March 7, so they wake up at the correct time Sunday morning. For quick and accurate time conversions across U.S. and world time zones, try our Time Zone Converter.

Why We Still Change the Clocks

Many Americans feel that changing clocks is outdated. Studies show:

  • A 2022 CBS News poll: 33% want permanent Standard Time, 46% want permanent DST, and 21% are fine with switching twice a year.
  • A 2022 Monmouth poll: 13% prefer Standard Time year-round, 44% prefer DST year-round, and 35% are okay with switching.

The debate continues: Standard Time aligns with the sun and human circadian rhythms, while DST gives later sunsets and more evening daylight.

Does Changing the Clocks Save Energy?

Not significantly. A 2008 U.S. Department of Energy report found only a 0.5% drop in daily electricity use during extended DST weeks. Modern studies find little benefit.

Health, Safety, and Other Effects of Time Change

  • Sleep & health: Standard Time aligns better with circadian rhythms. The spring switch is linked to increased heart attacks and strokes.
  • Safety: Fatal accidents rise after the spring change, though robberies drop with lighter evenings.
  • Mental health: The fall switch has been linked to higher rates of depression diagnoses.
  • Lifestyle: Extra evening daylight boosts outdoor activity, but economic activity dips after the fall change.

See our 5 Tips to Adjust to Daylight Saving Time for help with the transition.

The Push to End Clock Changes

In recent years, public frustration has fueled political momentum to make either DST or Standard Time permanent.

  • 2018–2022: Dozens of states passed resolutions or laws in favor of permanent Daylight Saving Time, though federal approval was required.
  • 2022: The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act to make DST permanent. However, the bill stalled in the House.
  • 2023–2025: New versions of the bill have been introduced, but none have advanced to law.

Who Wants to Lock the Clock?

While Congress has not yet passed legislation for permanent DST, states are taking matters into their own hands:

As of this writing, 29 states are actively pursuing some form of permanent time change.

  • Permanent Daylight Saving Time: 19 states have passed laws or resolutions to adopt year-round DST once federal approval is granted.
  • Permanent Standard Time: 6 states are pursuing year-round Standard Time.
  • Mixed or contingent initiatives: 4 states have considered both options or proposals contingent on federal action.
  • No initiative to change: 19 states have not introduced any legislation regarding DST or Standard Time.
  • Already on Standard Time year-round: Hawaii and most of Arizona (except the Navajo Nation).

On June 20, 2025, Texas passed a law aiming for year-round DST, but it won’t take effect until Congress allows it.

A Brief History of Clock Changes

The U.S. has wrestled with clock changes for over a century, and permanent DST has been attempted and reversed multiple times. The United States first adopted nationwide clock changes during World War I to save energy, then again during World War II. Since 1966, the Uniform Time Act has regulated the biannual time change.

  • 1918 – World War I: DST was introduced as a fuel-saving measure. Contrary to myth, farmers opposed it because shifting hours disrupted livestock and work routines. The law lasted only 7 months, though some states continued observing it locally.
  • 1942–1945 – World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt established year-round “War Time” DST.
  • 1945–1966: States observed DST inconsistently, creating confusion for transportation, broadcasting, and commerce.
  • 1966 – Uniform Time Act: Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, this standardized DST across U.S. time zones. States could opt out, but the system became the national norm.
  • 1974 – Energy Crisis: DST was made year-round to save energy, but the change was unpopular, especially for children going to school in the dark.
  • 2005 – Energy Policy Act: Established the current system of DST from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. States can opt out to stay on Standard Time, but cannot adopt year-round DST without Congress.

Exceptions today: Hawaii, most of Arizona, and U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas) remain on Standard Time.

For more history, see our main Daylight Saving Time page.

Where Things Stand in 2026

As of July 2026, Americans will still be changing their clocks twice a year. No federal law has passed to end the switch. A majority of states support the change in principle, but Congress must act before anything can take effect nationwide.

Will the Clock Changes Ever Stop?

The answer remains: Not yet. While the issue has bipartisan support and broad public approval, the debate continues over which time should be adopted permanently—Daylight Saving or Standard Time. Until Congress resolves the question, “springing forward” and “falling back” continue.

What Other Countries Do

Frustrations with clock changes are not limited to the U.S.:

  • European Union: 80% of residents want to end seasonal clock changes.
  • Countries that abolished DST: Argentina (2009), Russia (2014), Turkey (2016).

Frequently Asked Questions

When do we change clocks in 2026?

Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2:00 A.M. Clocks “fall back” one hour.

Will this be the last time we change the clocks?

Not yet. Congress has not passed a law to make DST or Standard Time permanent.

Why do we change the clocks?

Originally, to save energy during wartime; today it’s largely historical and standardized by law.

Can states stop changing their clocks?

States can opt out of DST and stay on Standard Time (like Hawaii and Arizona) but cannot adopt year-round DST without federal approval.

Does changing the clocks save energy or improve safety?

Energy savings are minimal. DST may reduce evening crime and encourage activity, but it temporarily increases car accidents and health risks, and it affects sleep and mental health.

Bottom line: The next clock change is November 1, 2026, when Americans set their clocks back 1 hour. Until Congress acts, the twice-yearly time change continues.

What do you think about Daylight Saving Time? Tell us in your comments below.

History

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann is the Executive Digital Editor of Almanac.com, the digital home of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. She leads digital editorial strategy and publishing across a wide range of Almanac sub...

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Brenda Heilman</span> Tue, 03/16/2021 - 01:36
DST no longer makes sense. As stated, farmers don't want it and it really doesn't matter about the daylight. People will go out and about whether there's more daylight in the evening or not. Also like the farmers say, the cows has to be milked the same time no matter what the clocks say. When they are ready to be milked, clock or no clock, it has to be done! Stop changing the time.
<span>Coco</span> Tue, 03/16/2021 - 01:00
DST benefits states in the northeasternmost part of their time zone, so all these loonies who want permanant standard time are not enjoying the sun after work or they live at the southwesternmost part of their time zones where the extra light at night is minimal. Boohoo your kid has to go to school in the dark, criminals aren’t morning people. Kids- especially teens- shouldn’t be at school before 8:30am anyways so problem solved. Having the sun set before 4pm is traumatic unless you are fortunate enough to be able to ski at night. I don’t know who is experiencing all this extra light in the morning before work because the first two months of standard time are still dark when I get up at 7:30. Having light after work or school gives the person an opportunity to be productive and enjoy life after work/school instead of wanting to go to sleep. Yes, there is the circadian rhythm, but you naturally want to go to sleep when it is dark. Standard doesn’t even make sense if it is four months. Maybe the problem is the time zones.
<span>Abby.s.furtado</span> Tue, 03/16/2021 - 00:01
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE DAY LIGHT IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WHY IS EVERYONE SO WORRIED ABOUT KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL IN THE DARK? THEY ARE IN CLASS ROOMS. WE AS ADULTS ARE WHATS IMPORTANT HERE. WE ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO DEAL WITH BEING IN AND OUT MORNING AND NIGHT. GET UP IN THE MORNING AND GET YOUR DAY GOING AND OVER WITH YOU WILL HAVE TIME LEFT TO ENJOY WHEN YOU GET HOME . NOBODY WANTS TO GO HOME IN THE DARK AND HAVE A ENDED DAY . WAKE UP PEOPLE ! THINK ABOUT WHAT REALKY MATTERS
<span>Sher Burgess</span> Mon, 03/15/2021 - 23:51
I very much prefer to stay with day light savings time year round. I do not like the early dark hours it is very unproductive. There is so much to be said for day light savings time.
<span>Karl K Schempp</span> Mon, 03/15/2021 - 18:35
David S. Prerau, the author of the definitive “Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time,” said the practice of switching between standard and saving time has always been controversial. Advocates say permanent daylight time saves lives, reduces crime and serves as a public-health boon by getting people out, moving and recreating after work. However, opponents, including experts in depression and sleep science, say that it’s morning — not evening — light that sets our natural circadian rhythms. Prerau said the first record of the concept goes back to Benjamin Franklin, a night owl who one day in 1784 woke earlier than usual and noticed it was completely light outside! He realized he could save on candles if he were to shift his clock forward and do his writing by sunlight. In 1895, a New Zealand entomologist suggested moving the clock forward two hours to allow more prime bug-catching light in the evening. In 1905, William Willett began a campaign, backed for a time by Winston Churchill, to advance clocks by 80 minutes in four 20-minute steps during April and reverse them the same way during September. In 1916, two years into World War I, the German government started brainstorming ways to save energy, Prerau said, and seized on the idea championed across the channel. “They remembered Willett’s idea of moving the clock forward and having more daylight during working hours,” he said. “While the British were talking about it year after year, the Germans decided to do it.” In those days, he said, using daylight to light factories really did save energy and fuel costs. Soon, England and the U.S. followed suit. In 1918, Congress enacted its first daylight saving law and established the Standard Time Act that defined the nation’s time zones. While “it’s always unpleasant to lose an hour of sleep,” Prerau said, he supports the current model. Daylight saving time “has benefits and is very good for spring, summer and fall and not so good in the winter.” In response to an energy crisis in the 1970s, the U.S. temporarily adopted permanent daylight saving time. But people did not like a season of waking up in the cold and dark, and the idea proved so unpopular Congress repealed it after one year, Prerau said. The negative effect of switching the clock twice a year lasts a few days, he said, “but having dark mornings lasts for 120 days.”
<span>Patrick Donohue</span> Mon, 03/15/2021 - 14:54
NO NO NO NO! the idea is to END daylight savings time _ NOT MAKE IT YEAR ROUND!!! I swear politicians mess EVERYTHING up and get it ALLL backwards! END DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
<span>Dwayne Mayo</span> Mon, 03/15/2021 - 11:05
I'm all for not changing the clocks anymore, although nowadays unless you look at your microwave or maybe the car clock, you don't even know the time changed. My question is why would we make DST permanent? Why wouldn't we make the REAL time permanent? DST by definition is an artificial time change.
<span>Judy Crothers</span> Mon, 03/15/2021 - 09:20
Personally I like DST, but more importantly don't keep changing. We need to just pick one and be done. The sun will rise and set on it's own time and once we aren't changing, people adjust to the norm. The hardest part is constantly changing and only for 4 months at tht. I think the push for DST is because it's the longest period, not ST. I'm ready to not have the effects on me and everyone I'm around.
<span>Frank C Schipani</span> Mon, 03/15/2021 - 08:11
We should get rid of DST and keep Standard Time. If we went to DST all year, sunrise in December would be at 9:00 a.m. Kids would be going to school most of the year in the dark and many people would have to commute in the dark. Plus we'd do away with 10:00 p.m. sunsets in June.
<span>Louis Castiglione</span> Mon, 03/15/2021 - 02:54
No one is confused about which is DST and which is standard time Cathie Ochoa, except maybe you and Christine, LOL! Standard time is the normal time that we observe during fall and winter. DST is the ridiculously stupid time that is observed when we set the clocks ahead in spring! If we leave the time set to DST permanently, like uneducated people recommend, then our children will be standing out at bus stops and traveling to school an hour earlier during fall and winter freezing there butts off in the dark! Standard time would allow the sun to come up a little and begin to warm things up and shine some light for the children, just like it does now during standard time. Abolish DST and leave STANDARD time as the ONLY time!!