Yes, Washington State does have Daylight Saving Time, and clocks still change twice a year. In 2026, Washington springs forward on March 8 and falls back on November 1. The legislature voted in 2019 to make DST permanent, but that law is dormant because federal rules don’t let a state stay on Daylight Saving Time year-round without Congress acting first.
When Washington Changes Its Clocks
Washington follows the national schedule: DST begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. The shift happens at 2:00 a.m. local time. On March 8, 2026, clocks jumped forward an hour. On November 1, 2026, they fall back an hour.1U.S. Naval Observatory. Daylight Saving Time The state moves in lockstep with the rest of the Pacific Time Zone, including Oregon and California.
In practical terms, the spring change pushes an hour of light into the evening. A mid-March Seattle sunset lands near 7:20 p.m. instead of 6:20 p.m. In November, that hour goes back to the morning, and evenings get dark before 5:00 p.m.
Why the 2019 Permanent DST Law Hasn’t Taken Effect
Washington’s legislature passed a law in 2019 declaring the state’s intent to observe Daylight Saving Time permanently. The text is conditional: if Congress amends federal law to allow year-round DST, Washington will adopt it as the state’s permanent time.2Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 1.20.052 – Permanent Daylight Saving Time – Intent That condition hasn’t been met, so the law changes nothing on the ground.
The block sits in federal statute. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 puts time zones and DST observance under the Secretary of Transportation.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 260 – Congressional Declaration of Policy States have a one-way option: they can opt out of DST and stay on permanent standard time, but they cannot adopt permanent Daylight Saving Time on their own.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 260a – Advancement of Time or Changeover Dates The Department of Transportation has confirmed that reading directly.5U.S. Department of Transportation. Uniform Time It’s why Arizona and Hawaii, the only two states that don’t change clocks, both sit on permanent standard time rather than permanent DST.
What Would Have to Happen in Congress
The federal proposal that would unlock Washington’s law is the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make Daylight Saving Time permanent nationwide. In the 119th Congress, it was reintroduced as S.29 in the Senate and H.R.139 in the House.6Congress.gov. S.29 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) – Sunshine Protection Act of 20257Congress.gov. H.R.139 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) – Sunshine Protection Act of 2025
An earlier version cleared the Senate unanimously in March 2022, but the House never voted on it and the bill died at the end of that Congress. The current version was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in January 2025 and hasn’t moved. Until it does, Washington’s 2019 statute stays on the books without effect.
The Permanent Standard Time Option
Because permanent standard time is allowed under federal law, some Washington lawmakers have pursued that path instead. Senate Bill 5001 in the Washington State Senate would exempt Washington from DST and place it on year-round Pacific Standard Time. It’s the only route the state can take without waiting on Congress.5U.S. Department of Transportation. Uniform Time
The tradeoff runs the opposite way from what most DST supporters want. Sunsets would come earlier year-round. A late-June Seattle sunset would land around 8:10 p.m. rather than 9:10 p.m. Winter mornings would brighten, but summer evenings would lose an hour of light. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s 2024 position statement backs permanent standard time as the option better aligned with human circadian biology.
How British Columbia’s Change Affects Border Areas
British Columbia has adopted permanent year-round Daylight Saving Time, and the March 8, 2026, spring-forward was the province’s last clock change.8BC Gov News. Adopting Permanent Daylight Saving Time From March through early November, B.C. and Washington still share the same clock. The gap opens when Washington falls back in November 2026 and B.C. does not.
Through early March 2027, B.C. will effectively run one hour ahead of Washington, aligned with Mountain Standard Time. Anyone commuting to Vancouver, scheduling meetings across the border, or catching a flight from a B.C. airport during those winter months will need to account for the difference.