Wall Street Journal Library Access: How to Read the WSJ Free With a Library Card
Many public libraries pay for Wall Street Journal access that their cardholders use for free. Most give you a short wsj.com pass: you sign in through the library, create a free WSJ account and read the full site for three days, then log in again. Others offer the Journal inside their branches or as a searchable archive of past articles. Use the finder to see how it works at ten library systems, and check which archives cover an article from a given year.
Find your library's Wall Street Journal access
Choose a library to see how its WSJ access works, whether it covers the app, and how many logins it takes to keep reading. Then check which library archives hold an article from a given year.
Looking for an older article?
Wall Street Journal access at ten library systems
Seven of these libraries offer a short wsj.com pass that you renew yourself, and four of those seven also list full-text article archives. DC Public Library and Multnomah County Library list an archive only, and Ocean County Library opens WSJ.com in its branches and, with a card, from home.
| Library | wsj.com access | Inside the library | Article archive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento Public Library (CA) | 3-day pass | Not stated | Not listed on this page |
| Hawaii State Public Library System (HI) | 3-day pass | Create an account in the library, then log in on later visits | Not listed on this page |
| Los Angeles Public Library (CA) | 3-day pass | No account or card needed | Not listed on this page |
| San Francisco Public Library (CA) | 3-day pass | Not stated | Eastern Text Edition (ProQuest), 1984 to today; Online Edition (ProQuest), 2010 to today |
| Indianapolis Public Library (IN) | 3-day pass | Not stated | Historical Newspaper, 1889 to 2010; The Wall Street Journal database, 1984 to today; The Wall Street Journal Online, 2010 to today |
| Columbus Metropolitan Library (OH) | 72-hour access code | Not stated | US Newsstream (full text), back into the 1980s |
| The Seattle Public Library (WA) | 3-day pass, web only | Not stated | U.S. Major Dailies (Eastern Edition), 1984 to today |
| Ocean County Library (NJ) | WSJ.com, pass length not given | Open without restriction | Not listed on this page |
| DC Public Library (DC) | No pass listed | Not stated | Full-text articles, 1984 to today |
| Multnomah County Library (OR) | No pass listed | Not stated | Full-text articles, 1984 to today |
From each library's own page, checked September 26, 2026. "Not stated" means the page does not say.
Two kinds of library access to the Journal
A wsj.com pass. This is the live website with today's news. Hawaii's state library system describes it as full access, including breaking news, business insights, market data and opinion pieces, on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Ocean County Library in New Jersey adds that its WSJ.com access includes digital versions of the U.S., Asia, Europe, India, China and Japan print editions, WSJ Magazine, and company profiles, financials and ratings. The pass runs for three days at Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hawaii, Indianapolis and Seattle, and Columbus hands out an access code good for 72 hours.
A full-text archive. This is a research database of past articles, searched by keyword. DC Public Library and Multnomah County Library offer Journal articles from 1984 to the present, and Multnomah notes that its database does not include stock quotes or advertisements. Use an archive when you need a specific story, and a pass when you want to read the paper day to day.
How to get a library WSJ pass
- Find the link on your library's website. It sits with the online newspapers or databases. San Francisco lists it on its eMagazines and eNewspapers page and in its Articles and Databases list.
- Sign in with your library card. Hawaii asks for your card number and PIN when you are outside the library, and San Francisco asks for your 14-digit card number and PIN.
- Create a free wsj.com account. The first time, you set a username or email and a password. San Francisco says you can uncheck a box on that form to opt out of marketing email from WSJ and its affiliates, and that WSJ confirms your three-day access on screen and by email.
- Come back when the pass ends. Sacramento, Los Angeles, Indianapolis and San Francisco all say the same thing: after three days, click the library link again and log in as an existing user with the account you created. At Columbus you get a new code instead.
Reading every day adds up: with a three-day pass, a month of reading takes about 10 logins. The finder above does the math for any number of days.
Rules and limits to know
- The app may not work. Seattle Public Library says its pass is web access only and is not available on the WSJ app. Hawaii says you can read on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Other libraries in the table do not say.
- Inside the library is easier. Los Angeles Public Library lets you read the Journal at its locations without an account or a library card, and Ocean County Library opens it inside all its branches without restriction. You need a valid Ocean County card to read from home.
- Accounts are personal. Sacramento Public Library says users may not share their sign-on details with others.
- You renew by hand. Every library here that offers a pass describes renewing the same way: when your pass runs out, go back through the library link.
Finding older Wall Street Journal articles
For research, an archive is the better tool. Indianapolis Public Library offers three: The Wall Street Journal Historical Newspaper covering 1889 to 2010, a full-text database from 1984 to the present and The Wall Street Journal Online from 2010 on. San Francisco offers the Eastern Text Edition from 1984 and the Online Edition from 2010, both through ProQuest. Seattle includes the Journal's Eastern Edition from 1984 in U.S. Major Dailies, and Columbus includes it in US Newsstream, which the library says reaches back into the 1980s.
Enter a year in the finder to see which of these archives covers it. For other papers and magazine articles, see our guide to finding free articles through the library and our library database guide.
Other newspapers through the library
Libraries that offer the Journal often offer other papers the same way. Los Angeles Public Library lists digital access to The New York Times and The Washington Post next to the WSJ. Seattle offers a Washington Post pass that lasts 7 days but only works for users in Washington state. Indianapolis offers Washington Post archives from 1996. For the Times, see our guide to free New York Times access with a library card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I read the Wall Street Journal free with a library card?
Yes, at many public libraries. Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hawaii, Indianapolis, Columbus and Seattle all give cardholders wsj.com access through the library, and San Francisco, Hawaii, Indianapolis and Seattle describe it as free. You sign in through the library's link and create a WSJ account.
How long does a library Wall Street Journal pass last?
Three days at the libraries we checked. Columbus gives an access code good for 72 hours. When it ends, you go back through the library link and log in again, or get a new code at Columbus.
Does the library WSJ pass work in the WSJ app?
Not always. Seattle Public Library says its pass is web access only and not available on the WSJ app. Hawaii says you can read on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Check your own library's page.
Can I read the Wall Street Journal at the library without a card?
At some libraries. Los Angeles Public Library lets you read it at its locations without an account or library card, and Ocean County Library in New Jersey opens it inside all its branches without restriction.
How do I find old Wall Street Journal articles?
Use a library archive. Indianapolis offers a historical archive from 1889 to 2010, and DC Public Library, Multnomah County Library, San Francisco and Seattle offer full-text articles from 1984 to the present.
Do library WSJ archives include stock quotes?
Not the one Multnomah County Library describes: its full-text Wall Street Journal database does not include stock quotes or advertisements. The wsj.com pass covers market data, according to Hawaii's library system.
Sources
Every rule, fee and figure on this page comes from the official page listed here. We read each one on September 26, 2026. Pass terms can change when a library renews its contract, so the access page at your own library is the final word.
- Sacramento Public Library: Wall Street Journal: https://www.saclibrary.org/browse-borrow/resources/wall-street-journal
- Hawaii State Public Library System: The Wall Street Journal digital edition: https://www.librarieshawaii.org/browse/digital-collections/emagazines/wall-street-journal/
- Los Angeles Public Library: Wall Street Journal: https://www.lapl.org/digital-library/wall-street-journal
- San Francisco Public Library: How do I access The Wall Street Journal (wsj.com)?: https://sfpl.libanswers.com/faq/418216
- San Francisco Public Library: eMagazines and eNews: https://sfpl.org/research-learn/elibrary/emagazines-enews
- Indianapolis Public Library: Newspapers Online: https://www.indypl.org/books-movies-music/download-stream/newspapers-online
- Columbus Metropolitan Library: News, Magazines and Journals: https://www.columbuslibrary.org/resources-by-subject/topics/news-magazines-journals/
- The Seattle Public Library: Magazines and Newspapers: https://www.spl.org/online-resources/magazines-and-newspapers
- Ocean County Library: Wall Street Journal: https://theoceancountylibrary.org/wall-street-journal
- DC Public Library: Wall Street Journal: https://www.dclibrary.org/research-and-learn/wall-street-journal
- Multnomah County Library: The Wall Street Journal: https://multcolib.org/resource/wall-street-journal