When do you have to be flat today?
A Wednesday in October, on New York's clock
Your own clock and a countdown load with the page.
| Next, on your clock | New York's clock | As written, UTC−5 |
|---|---|---|
| Flat by | Wed 16:45 | Wed 17:45 |
| Reopens | Wed 18:00 | Wed 19:00 |
Lucid's rule: flat by 4:45 PM EST, Monday to Friday; it closes anything still open, and the account doesn't fail. Reopens 6:00 PM EST, Sunday to Thursday. On a market holiday with an early close, be flat before the market closes instead.
Times from Lucid's Allowed Trading Times page, read on 2026-10-10. Lucid writes EST all year; while New York is on daylight time the two readings are an hour apart, and the clock goes by the earlier cutoff and the later reopen. It doesn't know market holidays. Your Lucid platform is the source of truth.
Lucid writes every time as "EST", all year. EST is UTC−5. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, New York runs on daylight time, EDT, which is UTC−4. In that stretch, 4:45 PM EST read literally is 5:45 PM on a New York clock. Lucid doesn't say which it means. The clock shows both, counts down to the earlier cutoff and waits for the later reopen. New York's clocks go back on 1 November 2026; from then until 14 March 2027 the two readings are the same.
Hours by plan
| Plan or account | Be flat by | If a position is still open | Trading reopens | Overnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LucidPro, LucidFlex, LucidDirect | 4:45 PM EST, Monday to Friday | Lucid closes it at 4:45; the account doesn't fail | 6:00 PM EST, Sunday to Thursday | No |
| LucidLive on Tradovate | 4:45 PM EST | Not published; auto-liquidate is optional | Not published | No swing trading |
| LucidLive on Rithmic | 4:15 PM EST | Not published; auto-liquidate is optional | Not published | No swing trading |
| LucidDaily | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
- The sim accounts. "All positions must be closed by 4:45 PM EST, Monday through Friday." "Any open positions will be automatically closed by Lucid Trading at 4:45 PM EST." And: "Holding a position past this time does not result in a failed account." Then: "Trading resumes at 6:00 PM EST, Sunday through Thursday."
- LucidLive. "Swing trading is not allowed in the new LucidLive accounts." "Traders may hold positions until 4:45 PM EST on Tradovate Live accounts, or 4:15 PM EST on Rithmic Live accounts." You can switch on an auto-liquidate that closes positions before those times; it's set up during LucidLive onboarding. Lucid gives no days and no reopen time for LucidLive.
- LucidDaily. The hours page names LucidPro, LucidFlex, LucidDirect and LucidLive. It doesn't name LucidDaily, and no LucidDaily page gives a cutoff.
Sources, checked 2026-10-10: Allowed Trading Times (updated 2026-08-26), Lucid General FAQ (updated 2026-06-04).
Market holidays
Lucid's rule for LucidPro, LucidFlex and LucidDirect: "On market holidays with altered closing times, all positions must be closed before the market closes, regardless of the usual 4:45 PM cutoff." Its FAQ says the same in fewer words. Lucid names no holidays, links no calendar and gives no holiday rule for LucidLive or LucidDaily.
The products Lucid lists trade on CME Group's exchanges: its live scaling plan (updated 2026-10-04) sets size caps for CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX. CME publishes each holiday's hours in its holiday calendar. cmegroup.com refused our request on 2026-10-10, so we couldn't check that page, and we print no holiday dates. Before a US holiday such as Labor Day or Thanksgiving, check CME's hours for your product and be flat before its close. The clock above doesn't know holidays.
Sources, checked 2026-10-10: Allowed Trading Times (updated 2026-08-26), Lucid General FAQ (updated 2026-06-04), Live Scaling Plan (updated 2026-10-04). The CME calendar is linked, not checked.
Overnight and weekends
- LucidPro, LucidFlex, LucidDirect: no. Lucid's FAQ: "Overnight holding is not permitted on sim accounts (Pro/Flex/Direct) due to the daily maintenance window". The Friday close also rules out a weekend hold: after Friday's 4:45 PM cutoff, trading reopens on Sunday at 6:00 PM.
- LucidLive: no, by the help center. Its hours page says no swing trading. The FAQ says the opposite: "LucidLive accounts may hold positions overnight (subject to margin/risk settings)." We go by the help center, the stricter rule, until Lucid fixes one of the two.
- LucidDaily: not published.
Sources, checked 2026-10-10: Lucid General FAQ (updated 2026-06-04), Allowed Trading Times (updated 2026-08-26).
News rules by plan
| Plan | News trading | The window around a release |
|---|---|---|
| LucidDaily funded | Hard breach | Flat from 1 minute before through 1 minute after a release with impact High and currency USD |
| LucidDaily evaluation | Hard breach on "the LucidDaily"; no stage named | Not published for the evaluation |
| LucidFlex, LucidPro, LucidDirect | Allowed | None |
Flat 8:29 AM to 8:31 AM
New York time. No open position and no new orders from 1 minute before through 1 minute after the release, or the funded account is breached. It applies only when impact is High and the currency is USD.
Lucid doesn't name the calendar behind "red folder" or list the events, so the time is yours to enter. 8:30 AM is only where the check starts.
Rules from Lucid's Other Trading Activities and LucidDaily Funded Account pages, read on 2026-10-10. Lucid gives the window to the minute, not the second.
- LucidDaily. Lucid's rules page: "Trading red folder news on the LucidDaily is a hard breach." The funded account page spells it out. The ban applies only when both are true: impact is High and the currency is USD. "You must be flat from 1 minute before through 1 minute after the news event. You may not hold or open new positions through that window." The evaluation page doesn't mention news. Since the rules page names no stage, we'd keep the same window on the evaluation.
- LucidFlex, LucidPro, LucidDirect. "Traders may enter or exit positions around scheduled or unscheduled news events on these plans without it being a breach." Lucid warns that "Sudden price movements during news events may result in slippage", and that "Traders assume full responsibility for all outcomes when trading during news events". Its FAQ, which covers these three plans, says news trading is permitted.
- LucidLive. Not published.
Sources, checked 2026-10-10: Other Trading Activities (updated 2026-08-26), LucidDaily Funded Account (updated 2026-08-07), LucidDaily Evaluation (updated 2026-07-31), Lucid General FAQ (updated 2026-06-04).
What counts as red folder news?
Lucid doesn't say. Its pages use the term without naming a calendar, listing events or saying whose impact rating counts. The funded page's two conditions, impact High and currency USD, are all it publishes. We don't guess which releases qualify. If you're unsure about one, ask Lucid in writing before you hold through it.
Where Lucid's pages conflict or stay vague
- "EST" or New York time? The hours page and the FAQ write EST all year, even while New York is on EDT. Read literally, 4:45 PM EST is 5:45 PM in New York from March to early November. Lucid doesn't say which it means. The clock shows both and goes by the earlier cutoff and the later reopen.
- LucidLive overnight. The help center: no swing trading, flat by 4:45 PM or 4:15 PM EST. The FAQ: "may hold positions overnight".
Not published
- A cutoff, a reopen time or an overnight rule for LucidDaily.
- Whether "EST" means Eastern Standard Time all year or New York's own clock.
- When LucidLive trading reopens after the cutoff, which days its cutoffs apply, and what happens to a LucidLive position still open at the cutoff.
- Which calendar decides red folder news, which events count, and whether the 1-minute window also applies to the LucidDaily evaluation.
- A news rule for LucidLive.
- The time Lucid takes its end-of-day balance. The nearest it gets is on LucidDaily Live (updated 2026-07-27): Lucid moves LucidDaily traders live "every evening after the final session report comes in at 6 PM est".
- Holiday dates. Lucid gives the rule, not a list, and writes the rule for LucidPro, LucidFlex and LucidDirect only.
Sources and their last edits
Each page was read on 2026-10-10. Dates are each page's own last-edit stamp (UTC).
- Allowed Trading Times and Other Trading Activities, both edited 2026-08-26.
- LucidDaily Funded Account, 2026-08-07; LucidDaily Evaluation, 2026-07-31; LucidDaily Live, 2026-07-27.
- Live Scaling Plan, 2026-10-04.
- Lucid General FAQ, 2026-06-04, the page's own modified date.
- CME Group holiday calendar: linked, not read. cmegroup.com refused our request on 2026-10-10.
The rest of Lucid's rules: every plan in the Lucid Trading rules hub, payout rules, how the drawdown trails and locks, and the live account after Payout 5. Other firms are on the prop firm rules hub.
Where we sit
We don't run a prop firm, we're not affiliated with Lucid Trading, and we earn nothing if you trade with Lucid. We sell the Prop Firm Challenge Toolkit, a TradingView indicator that tracks drawdown and target buffers in dollars from the rule numbers you enter. It doesn't know Lucid's cutoff or any news calendar. Lucid's platform is the source of truth.
Disclosure
The clock and the news check apply Lucid's published times to your clock. The 8:30 AM release time is only where the check starts, not a known event. Neither tool is advice, and neither says whether a Lucid account is worth buying. If a rule here no longer matches Lucid's pages, email support@pulltrade.app and we'll correct it in public.
Frequently asked questions
What time do you have to be flat on Lucid Trading?
By 4:45 PM EST, Monday to Friday, on LucidPro, LucidFlex and LucidDirect. Lucid closes any position still open then, and holding past it doesn't fail the account. LucidLive accounts must be flat by 4:45 PM EST on Tradovate or 4:15 PM EST on Rithmic. Lucid publishes no cutoff for LucidDaily.
What time does Lucid Trading reopen?
At 6:00 PM EST, Sunday to Thursday, for LucidPro, LucidFlex and LucidDirect. Lucid publishes no reopen time for LucidLive or LucidDaily.
Does Lucid mean 4:45 PM Eastern time or 4:45 PM EST?
Lucid writes EST all year and doesn't say. From the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, New York runs on daylight time, UTC−4, so 4:45 PM EST read literally is 5:45 PM in New York. Be flat by 4:45 PM New York time, the earlier of the two.
Can you hold Lucid positions overnight?
Not on LucidPro, LucidFlex or LucidDirect: Lucid closes them at 4:45 PM EST. Lucid's help center says LucidLive accounts can't swing trade either, though its FAQ says they may hold overnight; we go by the help center. Lucid publishes no overnight rule for LucidDaily.
Can you trade news with Lucid Trading?
Yes on LucidFlex, LucidPro and LucidDirect, where entering or exiting around scheduled or unscheduled news isn't a breach. On LucidDaily, trading red folder news is a hard breach: a funded account must be flat from 1 minute before through 1 minute after a release with high impact in USD.
Which news counts as red folder on LucidDaily?
Lucid's funded account page gives two conditions, both required: impact High and currency USD. It doesn't name a calendar or list events, so ask Lucid in writing before you hold through a release you're unsure of.
What are Lucid's trading hours on a market holiday?
Lucid lists no holiday dates. Its rule for LucidPro, LucidFlex and LucidDirect: on a market holiday with an altered closing time, all positions must be closed before the market closes, regardless of the usual 4:45 PM cutoff. CME Group publishes each holiday's hours in its holiday calendar.
What time is end of day on Lucid Trading?
Lucid doesn't publish the time it takes its end-of-day balance. The sim accounts must be flat by 4:45 PM EST, and Lucid's LucidDaily Live page says traders are moved live every evening after the final session report comes in at 6 PM est.
