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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Many Americans feel that changing clocks is outdated.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>Patrick Diamond</span> Fri, 11/05/2021 - 17:16
Leave it alone. Humans should work from sun-up to sun down and rest at night, That is how we were meant to live. I am sorry for those who have to work second or third shifts. It is not what we should be doing.
<span>John Doe</span> Fri, 11/05/2021 - 14:56
Am I the only one here that relied on carpool to get to school? If we stay on standard time I don't care as long as the time doesn't change twice a year. Staying on daylight savings is great because I like having more daylight in the evenings
<span>Alnetta M Harrison</span> Fri, 11/05/2021 - 14:42
I am a single female who lives alone. which ever holds light more that one ??? just please stop with the back & forth of the time changes It's now ridiculous smh
<span>Elise</span> Fri, 11/05/2021 - 13:50
Changing the clocks twice a year is CRAZY! Leave the clocks the way they are supposed to be. When the sun is overhead (highest point) it's noon so leave the clocks that way permanently
<span>Gary Arthur</span> Fri, 11/05/2021 - 13:17
Hey, it makes no difference--whatever the choice, someone is going to be disappointed. Why not split the difference--Move the clock either back or forward 1/2 hour and lock it in.
<span>Samuel Heber</span> Fri, 11/05/2021 - 11:55
Are we serious? keeping DST year round, would make sunrise in early January crazy late. South Bend, IN- 9:12 Cincinnati, OH- 8:57 Minneapolis, MN- 8:51 just to name a few! Were so into body health, so what about school children waiting for the bus BEFORE DAWN!? I agree we should change the clocks, but no need for it to be in October, Their should never need to be a sunrise post 8 o'clock! Lets do DST, but lets do it April to Mid October.
<span>Bravocharleywindsor</span> Fri, 11/05/2021 - 11:37
Changing clocks is ridiculous. Choosing between DST or Standard time is ridiculous. With allowances for local location within a time zone, when the sun is at its zenith, it is noon. Respect that as a benchmark that is in line with our natural environment. Establish that as a way to instill in our society the need and value of being more in tune with and aware of our natural surroundings instead of artificially altering natural time to suit our arrogant whims and misplaced priorities. If more time is needed at one end of the day (for whatever reason) don't move the clocks, move the schedules and hours of activity to match the daylight. While at my latitude the variation in hours of daylight between summer and winter can offer welcome variety and opportunities, it can also be frustrating at times. Either way I do not see moving to a lower latitude where daylight hours are more consistent year round and I adjust my activity accordingly as the daylight hours wax and wane with the coming and going of the seasons. But changing our clocks makes a minor frustration into an real inconvenience. In the summer I often end up working to 10PM or later (on DST) when I'd otherwise be working to a more reasonable 9 PM (on standard time). I'd rather have that extra hour in the morning, before work. Often times I take an extra hour and go into work a little later. But that can cause issues with others who think they still have to follow the same rigid, artificial schedule regardless of the seasons and daylight hours.
<span>Jon Stewart</span> Fri, 11/05/2021 - 11:07
Why does it matter what the clock says as the hours of daylight wax and wane? The problem is that self-absorbed humans refuse to evolve with the advantages that modern technology provide. Most of the world's crucial businesses and governmental agencies operate on a 24-hour clock already, including stock markets and militaries. The position of the sun over their desks is of little consequence. If kids' parents want them to wait for buses in daylight, let local school hours be determined by when the sun rises rather than what a clock says. If a business employs the parents of those children as office workers or production workers, let those business set their office and production hours accordingly. COVID has opened our eyes to flexible schedules and remote working. The relationships between cows, farmers and milk transporters needn't be tied to the hours of operation of an insurance company headquarters miles away... adjust. We don't need to wring our hands trying to make the expression of time consistent with the technology that first gave us mechanical clocks. We just need to get used to scheduling our activities using the technologies currently available to us, accepting and considering the realities we can't change and still remaining flexible to inevitable changes in that technology. We've made a mountain out of the molehill and for some reason, can't grasp that current technology allows us to get to the top of any mountain if we just stop insisting on getting there on foot.
<span>Carol</span> Fri, 11/05/2021 - 11:00
Lock the Clock!
<span>Sandra Abercrombie</span> Sun, 03/13/2022 - 09:35
I like this answer!