When Do Clocks Change in 2026? US Daylight Saving Dates
US daylight saving time 2026 ends Sunday, November 1 at 2 a.m., when clocks fall back an hour. The rule runs from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November.
The 2026 dates
Per NIST, 2026 daylight saving time runs from March 8 at 2 a.m. to November 1 at 2 a.m. local time. On November 1, clocks fall back one hour — sunrise and sunset shift earlier.[1]
The statutory rule — second Sunday in March to first Sunday in November — was set by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, per NIST.[1]
Per the encyclopedia entry, Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii do not observe DST, nor do American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.[3]
Will the clock changes ever end?
The Sunshine Protection Act — which would make DST permanent — passed the Senate in 2022 but died in the House. Per the encyclopedia entry, a reintroduced version passed the House in 2026, with the Senate yet to act — so for now, clocks still change on November 1.[3]
Daylight saving or daylight savings?
The official name has no S in the middle: it is daylight saving time, because the time is what saves daylight. In everyday use, and in most search queries, people write daylight savings time with the S. Both refer to the same thing, and the plural form is common enough that official sources often note it. Nothing about the dates changes depending on which spelling is used.[1]
The dates themselves follow a fixed rule rather than a fixed date, which is the more common source of confusion. The change always falls on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November, so the calendar dates shift each year. In 2026 that puts them on March 8 and November 1.[1]
Where the clocks do not change
Not every part of the US moves its clocks. NIST lists Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the state of Arizona as not observing daylight saving time — with one exception inside Arizona: the Navajo Indian Reservation does observe it. So a drive across northern Arizona in summer can cross the time boundary twice.[1]
The rule itself is federal but opting out is a state decision. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 set a single national start and end date; the Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended the period to its current length, taking effect in March 2007. A state may exempt itself from observing DST, but it cannot set its own dates.[1][3]
The law fixes a rule, not a date — and Nov. 1 is the earliest the rule allows
The changeover is set by statute. 15 U.S.C. §260a defines the period as commencing at "2 o'clock antemeridian on the second Sunday of March of each year" and ending at "2 o'clock antemeridian on the first Sunday of November of each year."[4]
What is written into law is the ordinal, not the calendar date — "the first Sunday," not "November 1." The date moves each year while the rule stays put, which is why the end of DST lands anywhere from November 1 through November 7.[4]
That makes 2026 a boundary case: because November 1 falls on a Sunday, it is the earliest calendar date on which DST can end under this rule. There is no year in which the change happens in October, and no year in which it happens later than November 7.[4]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
US daylight saving time in 2026 runs from March 8 to November 1, with changes at 2 a.m. local time.[1][3] 2 sources · independent
The rule is the second Sunday of March through the first Sunday of November.[1][3] 2 sources · independent
NIST states that daylight saving time is not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the state of Arizona, with the exception of the Navajo Indian Reservation, which does observe it.[1][3] 2 sources · independent
The current DST schedule was set by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which extended the length of daylight saving time and took effect in March 2007; the Uniform Time Act of 1966 established the single national start and end dates.[1][3] 2 sources · independent
Reported, not confirmed
Not cross-checked — do not read as factFrom here on: claims and speculation that are not cross-checked.
The current rule was established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.[1] single-source ×1 · NIST page (single source)
Arizona (except the Navajo Nation), Hawaii and five US territories do not observe DST.[3] single-source ×1 · encyclopedia entry (single source)
The Sunshine Protection Act passed the Senate in 2022 but not the House; a reintroduced version passed the House in 2026 with the Senate yet to approve.[3] single-source ×1 · encyclopedia entry (single source, evolving)
Some listings of non-observing US territories also include the Northern Mariana Islands.[1][3] single-source ×2 · Farmers' Almanac includes it; the NIST list does not name it. The two sources differ on this one entry, so it is recorded separately rather than merged.
Under 15 U.S.C. §260a the daylight saving period runs from 2 o'clock antemeridian on the second Sunday of March to 2 o'clock antemeridian on the first Sunday of November each year.[4] single-source ×1 · 15 U.S.C. §260a(a), "Duration of period; State exemption"
Timeline
- Model
- claude-fable-5
- Time
- 08/18/2026, 12:40
- Body characters
- 2,801
- Sources
- 3 sources adopted
- Model
- claude-fable-5 (review passed)
- Time
- 08/18/2026, 12:55
- Verdict
- Passed
Show revision history (2)
| 08/18/2026, 12:40 | First authored (claude-fable-5) | Created |
| 08/18/2026 | New document (user-directed English batch, reference type). "When do clocks change" is one of the most reliably recurring US searches, peaking every March and late October. Dates and rule cross NIST official + encyclopedia; statutory origin, non-observing states and Sunshine Protection Act status are single-source claims (the Act's 2026 House passage is an evolving item to re-verify near November). | Updated |
Frequently asked
When do clocks change in 2026?
Clocks moved forward one hour on Sunday, March 8, 2026 and fall back one hour on Sunday, November 1, 2026, both at 2 a.m. local time.[1][3]
When do clocks change in fall 2026?
Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2 a.m. local time — clocks fall back one hour.[1]
Which states skip the change?
Arizona (except the Navajo Nation) and Hawaii stay on standard time year-round, along with American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, per the encyclopedia entry.[3]
Is permanent DST happening?
Not yet. The Sunshine Protection Act passed the Senate in 2022 but stalled; per the encyclopedia entry a reintroduced version passed the House in 2026 and awaits the Senate. Unless it becomes law, the November 1 change proceeds.[3]
Which states and territories do not change their clocks?
NIST lists Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Arizona — except the Navajo Indian Reservation within Arizona, which does observe DST.[1]
Why can states skip DST but not pick their own dates?
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 set one national start and end date and allowed states to exempt themselves entirely. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended the period to its current length from March 2007. Opting out is permitted; setting different dates is not.[1][3]
Is November 1 always the day daylight saving time ends?
No. The statute sets a rule rather than a fixed date: 15 U.S.C. §260a ends the period at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November, so the calendar date shifts between November 1 and November 7 depending on the year. In 2026 the first Sunday is November 1, which is the earliest date the rule permits.[4]
Official links
- Official NIST — Daylight Saving Time