Daylight saving time in 2026 ends on different dates across major jurisdictions: in the United States clocks revert one hour on Sunday, 1 November 2026 at 2:00 a.m. local time, while in most member states of the European Union the change occurs on Sunday, 25 October 2026 at 01:00 UTC (the last Sunday in October). These calendar rules reflect longstanding statutory frameworks that determine the annual start and end of seasonal time adjustments.
European Parliament action in 2019 brought the question of seasonal clock changes into the political spotlight when legislators voted in favour of ending biannual adjustments and allowing member states to choose permanent standard or summer time. Implementation required coordination among member governments, and no uniform switch to permanent time has been adopted by the European Union, so the established last-Sunday-in-October transition remains the operative schedule for 2026.
In the United States, the timing of daylight saving changes is governed by the Uniform Time Act, which sets the clock change on the first Sunday in November and the second Sunday in March. Federal lawmakers have introduced measures, including proposals referred to as the Sunshine Protection Act, to make daylight saving time permanent; however, no federal law enacting permanent year-round daylight saving time has been enacted, so the statutory change back to standard time will take place on 1 November 2026 unless Congress acts.
For individuals and organizations, the differing dates mean planners, transportation providers and international businesses should verify local schedules ahead of travel and operations. The end-of-season clock change affects local timetables, electronic device settings and cross-border coordination; public authorities typically issue reminders in the weeks before the scheduled switch to ensure compliance with existing legal timekeeping rules.
