With the first day of March and the first meteorological day of spring just a few days away, it’s almost time to turn our clocks to spring. And experts say the time change in 2026 will be earlier than in previous years.

As spring approaches, here’s what you need to know about when 2026 will be.

When will the time change in 2026?

Daylight saving time falls on the second Sunday in March each year.

2026 means the time change will take place on Sunday March 8th at 2am. At that time, the clock is “fast forwarded” and the person or pet loses an hour of sleep. Sunrise and sunset will be about an hour later than the previous day, and it will be brighter in the evening.

Will daylight saving time start as early as 2026?

Because daylight saving time always falls on the second Sunday in March, and because March 1st also falls on a Sunday this year, the earliest daylight saving time can begin is March 8th.

If the clock goes “back,” it will go back to the first Sunday in November. For 2026, this will still occur at the earliest possible date, November 1st.

What is daylight saving time?

Daylight saving time is a clock change that typically begins in the spring and ends in the fall, and is often referred to as “spring forward” and “spring backward.”

Under the terms of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. In March, clocks move forward, and in November, clocks move back one hour.

However, this was not always the case.

Clocks used to move forward on the first Sunday in April and last until the last Sunday in October. However, some changes were made to allow children to trick-or-treat in more sunlight.

In the United States, daylight saving time lasts a total of 34 weeks, lasting from early to mid-March until early November in states that observe daylight saving time.

Which states observe daylight savings time?

Almost every U.S. state observes daylight saving time, with the exception of Arizona (although some Native American tribes observe DST within their territories) and Hawaii. U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, do not observe daylight saving time.

New proposal to change daylight saving time

Earlier this year, Florida Congressman Greg Steube introduced the Daylight Savings Time Act of 2026. NBC 5 meteorologist Kevin Jeans says the idea is to move your clocks forward 30 minutes in the spring and “never change your clocks again.” This is different from the proposed Sunshine Protection Act of 2021.

This is how it works.