When Does Daylight Saving Time Start?

When do clocks go forward?

In the UK, clocks go forward on the last Sunday in March. At 1:00 a.m. GMT, the clock jumps to 2:00 a.m. British Summer Time (BST). The change happens at 01:00 UTC. EU countries change at the same instant; in Central Europe, 2:00 a.m. standard time becomes 3:00 a.m. summer time.

The US changes earlier, on the second Sunday in March. Between the US and European change dates, the transatlantic time difference is one hour smaller than usual. A recurring call set for the same New York time occurs at a different local hour in London or Paris during those weeks.

What happens when we spring forward?

The clock moves from the end of 1:59 a.m. standard time directly to 3:00 a.m. daylight time. The hour beginning at 2:00 a.m. is skipped. If you arrange an overnight event, avoid scheduling it for a local time inside that gap: that time does not occur in a zone making the change.

Moving a manual clock forward before bed on Saturday prepares it for Sunday morning. The adjustment does not add sunlight to the day. Sunrise and sunset occur one hour later by the clock, putting more daylight in the evening and less in the morning than under standard time.

Which devices need a manual change?

Phones and computers usually move forward automatically when their automatic time and daylight saving settings are enabled. Keep the operating system's time zone rules current and choose the correct location. A clock configured with a fixed UTC offset will not follow a location's seasonal changes.

Mechanical watches, analog wall clocks and appliances without an automatic DST setting need to be moved forward by one hour. Digital alarm clocks and car dashboards differ by model. Check their settings before adjusting them, then compare the result with a correctly configured phone or computer so the hour is changed only once.

How does the time difference change?

New York moves from EST (UTC−5) to EDT (UTC−4). Read EST vs EDT for the distinction. UTC and fixed GMT are then four hours ahead of New York instead of five. The GMT to Eastern Time converter follows New York's change on the selected date.

India stays on UTC+5:30, so its lead over New York shrinks from ten and a half to nine and a half hours; see IST to Eastern Time. For the weeks when Europe and the US are on different seasonal schedules, use Central Europe to Eastern Time. These pages use the selected date's rules. The daylight saving time end date marks the return to US standard time.

Permanent daylight saving time legislation

The Congress.gov summary of S.29, the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, describes a proposal to make daylight saving time the permanent standard time. Its recorded Senate action is referral to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on January 7, 2025. Source checked October 23, 2026 (UTC).

The Congress.gov record for H.R.139, also titled the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025, records introduction and referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on January 3, 2025. Source checked October 23, 2026 (UTC).

NCSL's state legislation report says 19 states have enacted measures for year-round DST contingent on congressional authorization, with some also requiring action by surrounding states. The report says federal law permits states to choose permanent standard time but does not currently permit permanent daylight saving time. Source checked October 23, 2026 (UTC).

Frequently asked questions