South Carolina prepares to ‘fall back’ Nov. 1 as biannual time change lands on Halloween weekend

South Carolina residents will gain an extra hour of sleep this weekend as Daylight Saving Time officially comes to an end in the early morning hours of Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Under federal law, clocks will officially “fall back” one hour at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, turning back to 1:00 a.m. and returning the state to Eastern Standard Time. Because the shift coincides directly with Halloween weekend, Saturday evening festivities and trick-or-treating will proceed under standard evening light, with the time adjustment taking effect overnight while most residents sleep.

The immediate effect will be felt on Sunday: morning light will arrive roughly an hour earlier, while evening sunsets across the Palmetto State will drop abruptly to around 5:30 p.m.

Why South Carolina Still Changes the Clocks

For many South Carolinians, the biannual ritual raises a familiar question: didn’t lawmakers vote to end the time change?

In 2020, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed into law Act 113, which passed the General Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan support. The state law intended to make Daylight Saving Time permanent year-round, eliminating the twice-a-year clock adjustments altogether.

However, the state statute includes a critical contingency clause: it cannot take effect unless the United States Congress amends the federal Uniform Time Act of 1966.

Under current federal law:

• States are permitted to opt out of Daylight Saving Time and remain on permanent Standard Time (as Arizona and Hawaii do).

• States are not permitted to adopt year-round Daylight Saving Time without federal authorization.

While federal measures like the Sunshine Protection Act have periodically advanced through the U.S. Senate in recent sessions, the legislation has repeatedly stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a result, South Carolina—along with more than a dozen other states that passed similar trigger laws—remains bound to federal standard time intervals.

Seasonal Safety and Routine Checks

Public safety and health officials routinely use the “fall back” weekend as a marker for seasonal household safety audits:

• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms: The South Carolina State Fire Marshal reminds homeowners to change the batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, test alarm sensors, and inspect units older than 10 years for replacement.

• Emergency Supply Kits: Use the hour gained to inspect expiration dates on home emergency food, drinking water, first aid supplies, and weather radios.

• School Commutes and Evening Driving: With sunsets arriving an hour earlier starting Sunday evening, drivers are urged to stay alert during the evening rush hour for after-school walkers, cyclists, and neighborhood children, particularly along unlit rural and suburban corridors.

• Manual Clocks: While smartphones, laptops, and connected appliances adjust automatically, remember to manually set back microwave clocks, wall clocks, and vehicle dashboards before going to bed on Saturday night, Oct. 31.

Standard Time will remain in place through the winter months until Daylight Saving Time returns on Sunday, March 14, 2027.