Get the details on when Benson’s elite squad and the steadfast 27th Precinct will return to TV screens.
As the summer hiatus continues for Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, fans will be happy to hear that we officially have a premiere date. The elite squads will return on October 8, 2026 with new seasons packed with all the Dun Dun drama we’ve been missing.
Your Thursday nights are about to be booked once again this fall as SVU and Law & Order return. Whether Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and her elite squad are taking down another villain or the 27th Precinct prevailing in the courtroom yet again, the Law & Order thrills and chills never fail to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The NBC nail-biters have captivated for over three decades, and neither squad is showing any signs of slowing down as the procedural beat goes on.
Learn more about when SVU and Law & Order will return for NBC’s 2026-2027 season, below.
Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) appears in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 20.
When will Season 28 of Law & Order: SVU premiere?
Season 28 of Law & Order: SVU will premiere on Thursday, October 8, at 9/8c on NBC, and will also be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
A.D.A Dominick “Sonny” Carisi Jr. (Peter Scanavino), Captain Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), D.A. Nicholas Baxter (Tony Goldwyn), and A.D.A. Nolan Price (Hugh Dancy) appear in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit Season 27 Episode 7.
When will Season 26 of Law & Order premiere?
Season 26 of Law & Order will premiere on Thursday, October 8, at 10/9c on NBC, and will stream the next day on Peacock.
Steadfast fans will note that Law & Order Thursdays are getting a bit of a remix during NBC’s 2026-2027 season. Instead of Law & Order kicking off the cavalry, new Season 28 episodes of SVU will air before new episodes of Law & Order Season 26 drop at 10/9c.
How to watch Law & Order and SVU episodes ahead of their return
You can watch old episodes of Law & Order: SVU and Law & Order — as well as Law & Order: Organized Crime and Law & Order: Criminal Intent — on Peacock, the perfect place for a marathon of all your favorite interrogations and criminal takedowns.
Law & Order‘s milestone season was made even more thrilling with the welcomed arrival of 27th Precinct newcomer Detective Theo Walker, played by David Ajala. The honor of hopping aboard such a mythic franchise isn’t lost on Ajala, who tells NBC Insider it’s been thrilling to become a part of a cultural touchstone.
“There’s something very, very special about being part of this franchise,” Ajala told NBC Insider in November 2025. “Because when you’re out in New York City, and you’re shooting scenes, people recognize it, you know? They recognize the show, they recognize the actors, and it means a lot to them, and they like to take photos and videos. And to be part of something that is so well-loved is very special.”
