Utah Weighs Its Options On Ditching Clock Changes

Over the last few years there has been a lot of chest thumping and sabre rattling about the need of stopping this twice yearly ritual of changing the clocks. There used to endless online postings about how changing the clocks needed to stop. During the 2024 campaign, President Trump said he wanted to get rid of it.

But, I don't think we care anymore. Because the fact is, if we wanted to end the clock changing in Utah, we could to it today, or at least in short order. States do have the option to stop participating in the twice-yearly change. Federal law outlines the process a state must follow if it wants to discontinue observing daylight saving time.

The rules are established under the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which standardized timekeeping practices across the United States. The law allows individual states to exempt themselves from daylight saving time and remain on standard time throughout the entire year.

Utah Legislature Could End The Changing Of The Clock

To stop observing daylight saving time, a state must pass legislation through its state legislature and have the measure signed into law by the governor. Once that step is completed, the state formally notifies the federal government of its decision. Oversight of time zones and daylight saving time exemptions is handled by the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Of course, having our legislature here in Utah actually have the moxie to make this move is unlikely.

Now, here's the rub. Federal law only allows states to choose permanent standard time. States cannot independently adopt year-round daylight saving time without a change in federal law. Because of that restriction, many states that prefer lighter evenings have passed legislation that would establish permanent daylight saving time only if Congress approves the change. And, again, that seems unlikely.

So, if we were to opt out, we would stay on standard time year round. Two states have already opted out of daylight saving time entirely. Hawaii remains on standard time year-round, largely because its location near the equator results in minimal seasonal variation in daylight. Most of Arizona also stays on standard time throughout the year, although the Navajo Nation continues to observe daylight saving time within its reservation boundaries.

One of the reasons Arizona opted to return to standard time after trying Daylight Saving Time for a couple of years, was so that the evening would start to cool earlier. Got your attention St. George?

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In recent years, several other states—including Utah—have debated whether to opt out of the time change or seek federal approval for permanent daylight saving time. Until Congress amends federal law, however, the only option available to states that want to end the clock change is to remain on standard time year-round. So don't expect any change anytime soon.

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Happy one less hour of sleep weekend!