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GETUTCDATE (Transact-SQL)

SQL Server 2008

Returns the current database system timestamp as a datetime value. The database time zone offset is not included. This value represents the current UTC time (Coordinated Universal Time). This value is derived from the operating system of the computer on which the instance of SQL Server is running.

Note
SYSDATETIME and SYSUTCDATETIME have more fractional seconds precision than GETDATE and GETUTCDATE. SYSDATETIMEOFFSET includes the system time zone offset. SYSDATETIME, SYSUTCDATETIME, and SYSDATETIMEOFFSET can be assigned to a variable of any of the date and time types.

For an overview of all Transact-SQL date and time data types and functions, see Date and Time Data Types and Functions (Transact-SQL). For information and examples that are common to date and time data types and functions, see Using Date and Time Data.

Topic link icon Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax


GETUTCDATE()

Return Types

datetime

Remarks

Transact-SQL statements can refer to GETUTCDATE anywhere they can refer to a datetime expression.

GETUTCDATE is a nondeterministic function. Views and expressions that reference this function in a column cannot be indexed.

Examples

The following examples use the six SQL Server system functions that return current date and time to return the date, time or both. The values are returned in series; therefore, their fractional seconds might be different.

A. Getting the current system date and time

SELECT 'SYSDATETIME()      ', SYSDATETIME();
SELECT 'SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()', SYSDATETIMEOFFSET();
SELECT 'SYSUTCDATETIME()   ', SYSUTCDATETIME();
SELECT 'CURRENT_TIMESTAMP  ', CURRENT_TIMESTAMP;
SELECT 'GETDATE()          ', GETDATE();
SELECT 'GETUTCDATE()       ', GETUTCDATE();
/* Returned:
SYSDATETIME()            2007-05-03 18:34:11.9351421
SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()      2007-05-03 18:34:11.9351421 -07:00
SYSUTCDATETIME()         2007-05-04 01:34:11.9351421
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP        2007-05-03 18:34:11.933
GETDATE()                2007-05-03 18:34:11.933
GETUTCDATE()             2007-05-04 01:34:11.933
*/

B. Getting the current system date

SELECT 'SYSDATETIME()      ', CONVERT (date, SYSDATETIME());
SELECT 'SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()', CONVERT (date, SYSDATETIMEOFFSET());
SELECT 'SYSUTCDATETIME()   ', CONVERT (date, SYSUTCDATETIME());
SELECT 'CURRENT_TIMESTAMP  ', CONVERT (date, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP);
SELECT 'GETDATE()          ', CONVERT (date, GETDATE());
SELECT 'GETUTCDATE()       ', CONVERT (date, GETUTCDATE());

/* Returned: 
SYSDATETIME()            2007-05-03
SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()      2007-05-03
SYSUTCDATETIME()         2007-05-04
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP        2007-05-03
GETDATE()                2007-05-03
GETUTCDATE()             2007-05-04
*/

C. Getting the current system time

SELECT 'SYSDATETIME()      ', CONVERT (time, SYSDATETIME());
SELECT 'SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()', CONVERT (time, SYSDATETIMEOFFSET());
SELECT 'SYSUTCDATETIME()   ', CONVERT (time, SYSUTCDATETIME());
SELECT 'CURRENT_TIMESTAMP  ', CONVERT (time, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP);
SELECT 'GETDATE()          ', CONVERT (time, GETDATE());
SELECT 'GETUTCDATE()       ', CONVERT (time, GETUTCDATE());
/* Returned
SYSDATETIME()            18:25:01.6958841
SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()      18:25:01.6958841
SYSUTCDATETIME()         01:25:01.6958841
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP        18:25:01.6930000
GETDATE()                18:25:01.6930000
GETUTCDATE()             01:25:01.6930000
*/

Reference

CAST and CONVERT (Transact-SQL)

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