Free New York Times Access With Your Library Card
Many public libraries pay for New York Times digital access that cardholders use for free. You open the library's New York Times link, redeem the code and sign in with a free NYT account. The pass lasts 24 hours at Sacramento and Evansville, 72 hours at Los Angeles Public Library, LA County Library, Hawaii's state library system and Washington County, Oregon, and one day at DC Public Library. When it runs out, you redeem again. Inside some libraries you can read without a code at all.
Find your library's New York Times pass
Choose a library to see how long its pass lasts, how to redeem it and what it includes. Then use the timer below to see when your pass runs out.
When does my pass run out?
New York Times access at seven library systems
Every library below offers the Times free to cardholders. What differs is how long a pass lasts and whether the extras come with it.
| Library | Pass length | Inside the library | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC Public Library | 1-day pass outside the library | Unlimited access on-site and remote once logged in | Offsite use needs an NYT account with a valid email |
| Sacramento Public Library (CA) | 24 hours per login | Not stated | All Access, including Cooking, Games, Wirecutter and The Athletic |
| Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library (IN) | Renewable 24-hour codes | Full access on EVPL Wi-Fi while logged in | All Access, including Games, Cooking, Wirecutter and The Athletic |
| Los Angeles Public Library (CA) | 72 hours | No card prompt on library computers | Limited number of passes at any one time |
| LA County Library (CA) | 72 hours, then redeem a new code | Immediate access with an NYT account | Works in the NYT app after you redeem |
| Hawaii State Public Library System | 72 hours | Not stated | Sign in with library card number and PIN |
| Washington County Cooperative Library Services (OR) | 72 hours | No card needed on library Wi-Fi or computers | Mobile app works; e-reader app does not |
These are the terms each library posts on its own website. Other libraries run the same kind of program under their own rules, so look for The New York Times in your library's list of online newspapers or databases.
How to redeem a library New York Times pass
- Open your library's New York Times page. The link sits with the library's online newspapers or databases. Some libraries ask for your card number and PIN at this step; Los Angeles Public Library and Hawaii's state library system both do.
- Click Redeem. At Sacramento and Evansville the access code fills in by itself.
- Create or log in to a free New York Times account. DC Public Library says offsite access requires an account with a valid email address. Washington County, Oregon also lets you sign in with Google or Facebook.
- Read on any device. LA County Library says to download the NYT app after you redeem on a phone. Washington County's passes work in the mobile app but not in the e-reader app.
- Redeem again when the pass ends. LA County Library reminds cardholders to return to the library website every 72 hours, and Hawaii says to log in and request another pass once yours expires.
Inside a library building it is often simpler. On Evansville's Wi-Fi you log in at nytimes.com and have full access while logged in, and Washington County member libraries need no library card at all on their Wi-Fi or computers.
What a library pass includes
At minimum you get the news site and app. Some libraries buy the full bundle. Sacramento and Evansville offer New York Times All Access, which adds NYT Cooking, the Games (Evansville lists the Crossword, Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections and the Mini), Wirecutter product reviews and The Athletic's sports coverage.
California's statewide deal, described below, covers nytimes.com from 1851 to the present, including video and photography, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese versions of the site, email newsletters such as California Today, and the mobile apps. Washington County, Oregon adds The New York Times InEducation, with curated reading lists in subjects such as English, biology and environmental science.
Limits and fine print
- Passes can run out. Los Angeles Public Library notes there is a limit to the total number of passes it may issue at any given time. If you are turned away, try again later.
- Expect marketing email. Evansville's FAQ warns that creating an nytimes.com account brings emails about buying your own subscription, and that you can unsubscribe.
- You must renew by hand. None of these passes renews on its own. At 72 hours per pass, 30 straight days of reading takes 10 redemptions; at 24 hours it takes 30.
- Archives are a different product. Many libraries also offer historical New York Times databases. DC Public Library, for example, provides ProQuest historical pages from 1851 to 2013 and full text from 1980 to the present, separate from the live website pass.
California: a statewide program
If you live in California, your public library may offer the Times through the California State Library, which provides New York Times online to California public libraries. The State Library reports that in the 2024-25 fiscal year, California public library users logged over 12 million sessions on the New York Times website and read over 14 million articles. The program is funded by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the Library Services and Technology Act.
In California, Los Angeles Public Library, LA County Library and Sacramento Public Library all offer the Times, each with its own pass length and steps, so check your own library's page even if a neighboring system works differently.
Other newspapers you can read free
The Times is rarely the only paper on offer. Los Angeles Public Library lists digital access to The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, plus PressReader with over 2,000 newspapers from 100 countries. DC Public Library lists PressReader with more than 7,000 newspapers and magazines, and Hawaii's state library system lists The Wall Street Journal and PressReader. For research articles and back issues, see our guide to finding free articles through library databases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I read the New York Times free with a library card?
Yes, at many public libraries. You redeem a code on your library's website, sign in with a free New York Times account, and read the full digital edition until the pass expires. Sacramento, Evansville, Los Angeles, LA County, Hawaii, Washington County (Oregon) and DC all offer it.
How long does a library New York Times pass last?
Usually 24 or 72 hours. Sacramento and Evansville give 24 hours, Los Angeles Public Library, LA County Library, Hawaii and Washington County give 72 hours, and DC Public Library gives a 1-day pass outside the library. Then you redeem again.
Does the library pass include NYT Games and Cooking?
At some libraries. Sacramento and Evansville offer New York Times All Access, which includes Games, Cooking, Wirecutter and The Athletic. Check your library's page for what its pass covers.
Can I use the New York Times app with a library pass?
Yes, at the libraries that mention it. LA County Library says to redeem on your phone and then download the NYT app, and Washington County passes work in the mobile app but not the e-reader app.
Why does my library say no passes are available?
Some libraries cap the number of passes. Los Angeles Public Library says there is a limit to the total number of passes it may issue at any given time, so try again later.
Will the New York Times email me if I use library access?
Probably. Evansville's library says creating an nytimes.com account brings emails about buying an individual subscription, and that you can unsubscribe from them.
Sources
Every rule, fee and figure on this page comes from the official page listed here. We read each one on September 25, 2026. Pass terms can change when a library renews its contract, so the redeem page at your library is the final word.
- DC Public Library: New York Times Digital: https://www.dclibrary.org/research-and-learn/new-york-times-digital
- DC Public Library: New York Times (archives): https://www.dclibrary.org/research-and-learn/new-york-times
- Sacramento Public Library: New York Times: https://www.saclibrary.org/browse-borrow/resources/new-york-times
- Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library: New York Times: https://www.evpl.org/nyt/
- Los Angeles Public Library: New York Times Digital: https://www.lapl.org/digital-library/new-york-times-digital
- LA County Library: The New York Times: https://lacountylibrary.org/lacl-database/new-york-times-the/
- Hawaii State Public Library System: New York Times digital edition: https://www.librarieshawaii.org/browse/digital-collections/emagazines/enjoy-free-access-to-the-new-york-times-digital-edition/
- Washington County Cooperative Library Services: The New York Times: https://www.wccls.org/digital-collections/new-york-times
- California State Library: New York Times Online for Public Libraries: https://www.library.ca.gov/services/to-libraries/nyt/