For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

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Many Americans feel that changing clocks is outdated.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

More Like This

Comments

<span>Teresa</span> Sun, 03/14/2021 - 03:39
Time to get back to the Original and Natural Time! Standard Time! DST is Not Natural or Original! Humans and animals have an internal ‘clock’ that is more accurate. We as humans have a tendency to think and even have the right to control the Sun and the Moon and Nature as well. There might have been a valid reason in the past to change the ‘Clock Time’. That time is in the past! It’s time to do a thorough investigation and find out whether DST is advantageous to continue each year or made into federal law and be imposed on the entire United States. Thank you for asking for a comment, on what I think is a very important subject! TAG
<span>Cindy</span> Sat, 03/13/2021 - 23:23
I do not like messing with natural time. All DST does is move when we turn on lights from one end of the day to another. During the summer months the days are longer anyway, why disrupt that? If states insist on leaving natural time, at least split the difference, and only change the time by half an hour instead of an entire hour. That way we won’t be too far off sun time, especially during the fall and winter.
<span>Carol</span> Sat, 03/13/2021 - 20:25
I hate it, leave it alone. All it does is screw up mine and everyone else schedule.
<span>Carol</span> Sat, 03/13/2021 - 20:25
I hate it, leave it alone. All it does is screw up mine and everyone else schedule.
<span>Bob</span> Sat, 03/13/2021 - 17:40
I agree with Kris (5:11 PM) and most of the others here, preferring year-round Standard Time. I'd rather have daylight before 8:30 AM in the winter, and don't need light until 10:00 PM in the summer. Thanks.
<span>Christine</span> Sat, 03/13/2021 - 17:13
I think many people may be confused about which time they want to keep. They may actually want Daylight Savings Time, but think it is the Eastern Standard Time. The Eastern Standard Time, in the U.S. is when it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoon. Anyone who works during the day, has to go home in the dark. Dark parking garages, dark roads, dark to drive or walk. And too dark after school for kids to go out to play. It is depressing, and makes for a very long night. If we keep Daylight Savings Time, it stays light out much longer, giving everyone more time to get home from their day during daylight, and have a chance to be outdoors, for exercise, and time to play for the kids, We need to keep Daylight Savings Time, and get rid of Eastern Standard Time.
<span>Kris</span> Sat, 03/13/2021 - 17:11
DST does not make sense. Here in the midwest it will be dark in the winter until after 8:30 in the morning. That is dangerous for the kids going to school. And depressing for the rest of us. I need daylight in the morning to get moving. I don't need daylight until 10 pm in the summer months. Keep standard time!
<span>Carol</span> Sat, 03/13/2021 - 16:54
Keep Permanent Standard Time Please! It is so much better for our health, as pointed out in the article. Here in PA it is light until almost 7 pm in March without clock change. I will write my Senator to ask him to vote No on the silly “sunshine protection” bill.
<span>Sandra</span> Sat, 03/13/2021 - 15:16
Permanent Standard Time is the way to go, don't understand why anyone would want to keep DST permanently. In the winter where I live in Colorado they tried the permanent DST one winter and decided to never do it again because children were waiting for the school bus in pitch darkness, thus causing some of them to get hit by cars. I would love the time change crap to quit completely but not to DST!
<span>Blaze Callahan</span> Sat, 03/13/2021 - 14:08
They tried all year DST and it didn't work, during the Nixon administration. If one or two more states opt out of DST to Standard Time it may gain some critical mass. But making DST permanent is unlikely because it would have to happen at the federal level, which is unlikely. OPT OUT. Write your local state reps. Let's get rid of this nonsense.