The 19 states in the US that are keeping daylight saving time permanent
Across the US, clocks still change twice a year because federal law sets the rules for daylight saving time. In 19 states, lawmakers have already approved measures to keep daylight saving time year-round, but those changes cannot take effect unless Congress acts. That leaves residents in places from Florida to Washington still moving clocks forward in March and back in November.
Which states have passed permanent daylight saving time measures
A total of 19 states have approved some form of permanent daylight saving time legislation or resolution. Those states are Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and California.
California is included because voters approved Proposition 7 in 2018, which gave state lawmakers authority to pursue year-round daylight saving time. In Florida, lawmakers passed the Sunshine Protection Act in 2018. Washington approved its bill in 2019, and Tennessee passed its measure in 2019.
Several of the 19 states attached conditions to their laws. Oregon’s 2019 law, for example, depends on both federal approval and neighboring Washington and California making the same move. That means the total count is clear, but the start date is not.
What this means in each state right now
What is confirmed is simple: none of the 19 states is currently observing permanent daylight saving time. Under the federal Uniform Time Act, states can choose permanent standard time, but they cannot move to permanent daylight saving time without a change in federal law.
That is why residents in states such as Utah, Georgia and South Carolina still follow the same clock changes as the rest of the country each spring and fall. Even states that passed laws as early as 2018 have not been allowed to put them into effect.
What is not yet known is whether Congress will create a national path for those state laws to take effect. No federal change has been enacted, so there is no confirmed implementation schedule for any of the 19 states.
Why the issue remains unresolved
The current standoff exists because state action and federal law do not match. State lawmakers in 19 places have said they want later evening daylight year-round, but federal rules still block that outcome unless Congress updates the law.
The issue drew major national attention in March 2022, when the US Senate passed the Sunshine Protection Act by unanimous consent. That bill did not become law, and the House did not send a final version to the president.
For residents, the practical effect is unchanged in 2026: clocks still change twice a year in all 19 states. Unless federal law changes, the approved state measures remain inactive, and standard seasonal clock changes stay in place nationwide.
