Is Washington state still observing daylight saving time? When do clocks change?

In March, Washingtonians will once again lose an hour overnight.

Clocks will be set forward one hour in accordance with daylight saving time.

President Donald Trump has publicly called for the elimination of daylight saving time, describing the practice of adjusting clocks twice a year as “inconvenient, and very costly to our nation.”

Lawmakers across the country, including in Washington state, have tried to rid of the biannual time switch.

However, no federal or state legislation has been successful in preventing the change by March 2026.

Here’s why we still change our clocks twice a year:

When does daylight saving time begin in 2026?

In 2026, daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 8.

Clocks and watches will “spring forward” an hour at 2 a.m., with the time changing to 3 a.m.

Some clocks — such as smartphones and web-enabled home appliances — will automatically update the time, but you may need to manually set some devices forward an hour to reflect this change.

When daylight saving time comes to an end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, clocks will “fall back” an hour — reverting to 1 a.m.

Why does the United States observe daylight saving time?

The practice of resetting clocks twice a year dates back to the passage of the Standard Time Act in 1918, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory.

The law was repealed a year later and not reinstated until after World War II.

Participation in daylight saving time has been standard across much of the United States since 1966, when the Uniform Time Act was enacted.

The act followed the creation of the U.S. Department of Transportation, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

It mandated standard times and the observation of daylight saving time across the country, with a specific opt-out option.

Do all states change their clocks twice a year?

Some states and U.S. territories don’t change their clocks twice a year, according to the federal Department of Transportation.

“Under the Uniform Time Act, states may choose to exempt themselves from observing daylight saving time by state law,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said on its website. “States do not have the authority to choose to be on permanent daylight saving time.”

Under federal law, states and territories are not able to enact permanent daylight saving time. Instead, they observe permanent standard time.

According to the federal agency, these areas do not adjust their clocks in March and November:

• Hawai’i
• Most of Arizona
• American Samoa
• Guam
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Puerto Rico
• Virgin Islands

Did Washington legally get rid of daylight saving time?

Washington is among a handful of states that passed legislation to immediately make daylight saving time permanent should federal standards be updated.

Former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed off on the time change update in 2019.

The following year, Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a bill enforcing a “Pacific daylight saving time” in parts of Idaho into law.

According to the legislation, changes to Washington’s observation of daylight saving time would be echoed in certain parts of the Gem State.

Legislators in Washington state have attempted to enact permanent Pacific standard time in the state for several years.

Bills exempting the Evergreen State from daylight saving time have had varied success in the Washington State Legislature, but none have made it all the way through, despite bipartisan support.

The concept has been reintroduced in the Washington State Legislature for the current legislative session.

New bill would end DST in Washington state

Senate Bill 5001 is currently being considered by the Washington State Senate.

SB 5001 would exempt the state of Washington from daylight saving time by implementing year-round Pacific standard time.

The bill’s sponsors say daylight saving time results in negative health impacts, increased crime rates, disruption to agriculture and harm to economic growth.

“Scientific studies have connected a number of health consequences with the act of switching between standard time and daylight saving time, including greater risks of heart attacks, more frequent workplace injuries and increased suicide rates in the days immediately after the switch,” SB 5001 states.

In previous years, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, has introduced bills attempting to update the federal standard, though these have also never made it through the legislative process.

“This is about public health, it is about our economy, and it’s about just putting a little more light in families’ lives so they can spend time together, outdoors, in the sunshine,” Murray said in a 2025 news release.