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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Many Americans feel that changing clocks is outdated.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>Robert W</span> Wed, 03/11/2020 - 03:43
Yes, let's do away with DST, but let's not stop there. Let's do away with time zones. Let the world all use one standard time, such as Greenwich Mean Time. We shouldn't have to worry about what time zone we're in when traveling, or arranging for someone to pick us up from the airport being on the same clock we are, or when trying to call someone on the opposite coast. It's just a matter of getting used to a different format for the time you go to work or come home, etc. You'll get used to going to work at 3 AM even though that would normally be called 8 AM using today's standards.
<span>Gregory Kreth</span> Tue, 03/10/2020 - 17:38
It's interesting how divided the comments are on this are on this. It seems like MOST of us want the switching to to stop, but we there is a LOT of disagreement which way to go: 1) Keep DST permanently, or 2) Keep non-DST permanently. I favor keeping DST permanently; I love the sun out as late as possible in the evening, and I don't care when if that results in very dark mornings during the Oct-Feb months (in the Northern hemisphere, of course; it's reversed for the summer hemisphere.) And, according to the article, most people, both in the U.S. as well as the E.U., prefer this approach; they call it "permanent Summer Time" in Europe. But I read many comments on this page in which others HATE that idea; that are "morning people," and they want that sun out as early as possible. So, maybe that's part of why we keep DST; people are annoyed at the changing, but I wonder how much MORE annoyed people would get if DST was removed, but the permanent time was NOT what they wanted it to be? For me, I would prefer to keep DST if the alternative was to NEVER have the later sunsets that DST provide. I would support getting rid of DST *ONLY* if we adopted permanent DST. I do *NOT* want to lose those sunlight hours in the evening. I would prefer the annoyance of switching clocks. This past weekend, I celebrated the loss of an hour's sleep, because it meant the sun would be out for an hour longer in the evening. Come October, I will mourn the "gaining" of an hour's sleep, because to me, it really means I have to start dealing with dreary, dreadful, winter days a-coming, when the sun has set even before I leave work in the evening. I simply hate that! I know, I know: I should live on the equator! LOL! Maximum sunlight all year round! Alternatively, I should live in the westernmost city of whatever time zone I am in; that would give me the most amount of sunlight in the evening. But, we all can't pick where we get to live! (Maybe when I am retired....)
<span>Lois Wiggins</span> Tue, 03/10/2020 - 13:34
There are so many kids that ride the school bus & they would be standing out in the dark alone. Therefore for the safety of our children I highly recommend NO daylight savings time. March 9, 2020.
<span>Alice Conner</span> Mon, 03/09/2020 - 13:30
Waste of time. The sun doesn't change and standard time is consistent. Just stop flipping back and forth and disrupting lives.
<span>Walt Koelln</span> Mon, 03/09/2020 - 08:30
I guess my simple question is this: if Arizona, Hawaii, Purto Rico, USVI, Guam, and American Samoa have opted out of 1966 law, why can't all states opt out? This action would seem to send the strongest signal to Washington to repeal that obsolete law.
<span>Chris Taber</span> Mon, 03/09/2020 - 08:15
From this farmer, and most of the surrounding farmers I know, we all want to keep DST. I want to have the evening daylight. It doesn't bother my animals one bit, nor my body. My domesticated animals love spending as much time outside in the evenings with me. Keep it, keep it, keep it.
<span>David</span> Sun, 03/08/2020 - 22:54
I would rather be on the sun time. The real time. (God's Time) changing the clock is not worth All the truble it causes.
<span>Carolyn Giffin</span> Sun, 03/08/2020 - 22:26
I vote for doing away with it all together. Logic tells us we are going to lose on one end or the other. We just get to the point where the sun doesn't hit us square in the face when we start out in the morning, then BAM - daylight savings hits and there is the sun smack in the face again. I think it's one of the worst ideas ever thought up!
<span>Toni Snipes</span> Sun, 03/08/2020 - 21:25
I would like to eliminate daylight savings time. There is no justifiable reason to observe it. The tip offered in 5 tips to adjust to daylight savings time to let the sun shine in by opening the curtains. My question is what sun is shining at 5am in the morning when the clocks are switched? Now I will have to wait for the sun at 7 which is of no benefit because I'm leaving for work. I'd prefer the extra hour of daylight in the morning than in the evening. Now I have to wait until June before I get that extra daylight to start the day. It's totally unnecessary and serves no purpose except to upset our internal clocks. If my vote mattered, I would choose standard time year round and I hope the powers that be consider the input of the constituents in Virginia.
<span>Jean Azlein</span> Sun, 03/08/2020 - 20:29
I strongly dislike it. It costs us more in electricity as we are early risers & are ready to go to bed by 9 or 10 o’clock. I am outside by 6:30 or 7 but with DST I am inside twiddling my thumbs, waiting for enough daylight to safely walk my dogs. Stupid idea! Just stay on Standard time, PLEASE!!!