Louisiana still observes Daylight Saving Time, but often appears in lists of states seeking to permanently switch to DST; the two U.S. states that do not observe DST at all are Hawaii and Arizona.
Louisiana and Daylight Saving Time
Despite many media stories, Louisiana currently participates in the bi-annual clock change, advancing one hour in spring and returning in fall. Louisiana, like 20 other states, has enacted legislation expressing the desire to move to permanent Daylight Saving Time, but cannot make this change unless federal law is altered.
The Two Exception States
Only Hawaii and Arizona do not observe DST at all:
Hawaii: Close to the equator, Hawaii has nearly constant sunrise and sunset times year-round, so DST is unnecessary.
Arizona: Due to its desert climate, Arizona does not want extended daylight during hot summer evenings and opts out, except for the Navajo Nation, which does observe DST.
The Simple Reason
The reason is straightforward: federal law allows states to opt out of DST (and stay on standard time), but does not allow states to unilaterally choose permanent DST. Hawaii and Arizona made use of this opt-out provision because DST offered them no clear benefit given their climates and daylight patterns.
Summary Table
| State | Does DST? | Simple Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | No | Minimal daylight variation year-round |
| Arizona | No | Too hot for late daylight; less benefit |
| Louisiana | Yes* | Wants DST permanently, but needs Congress |
*Louisiana still changes clocks until/if federal law changes.
SOURCES
(https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/08/04/when-daylight-saving-time-2025/85482583007/)(https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/us-states-scrap-daylight-savings-time-change/)(https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/usa)
(https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/usa/louisiana?year=1918)(https://www.timeanddate.com/time/change/@4322186)
