---
title: "SYSUTCDATETIME (Transact-SQL)"
description: "SYSUTCDATETIME returns a datetime2 value that contains the current date and time of the system."
author: MikeRayMSFT
ms.author: mikeray
ms.date: 05/29/2025
ms.service: sql
ms.subservice: t-sql
ms.topic: reference
f1_keywords:
  - "SYSUTCDATETIME"
  - "SYSUTCDATETIME_TSQL"
helpviewer_keywords:
  - "dates [SQL Server], functions"
  - "system time [SQL Server]"
  - "functions [SQL Server], date and time"
  - "time [SQL Server], functions"
  - "date and time [SQL Server], SYSUTCDATETIME"
  - "SYSUTCDATETIME function [SQL Server]"
  - "time [SQL Server], system"
dev_langs:
  - "TSQL"
monikerRange: ">=aps-pdw-2016 || =azuresqldb-current || =azure-sqldw-latest || >=sql-server-2016 || >=sql-server-linux-2017 || =azuresqldb-mi-current || =fabric"
---
# SYSUTCDATETIME (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDE [sql-asdb-asdbmi-asa-pdw-fabricse-fabricdw-fabricsqldb](../../includes/applies-to-version/sql-asdb-asdbmi-asa-pdw-fabricse-fabricdw-fabricsqldb.md)]

  Returns a **datetime2** value that contains the date and time of the computer on which the instance of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] is running. The date and time is returned as UTC time (Coordinated Universal Time). The fractional second precision specification has a range from 1 to 7 digits. The default precision is 7 digits.  

> [!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 one of the date and time types.

 For an overview of all [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)] date and time data types and functions, see [Date and time data types and functions (Transact-SQL)](date-and-time-data-types-and-functions-transact-sql.md).  

 :::image type="icon" source="../../includes/media/topic-link-icon.svg" border="false"::: [Transact-SQL syntax conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)  

## Syntax

```syntaxsql
SYSUTCDATETIME ( )  
```  

## Return Type

 **datetime2**  

## Remarks

 [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)] statements can refer to `SYSUTCDATETIME` anywhere they can refer to a **datetime2** expression.  

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

> [!NOTE]  
> [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] obtains the date and time values by using the `GetSystemTimeAsFileTime()` Windows API. The accuracy depends on the computer hardware and version of Windows on which the instance of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] is running. The precision of this API is fixed at 100 nanoseconds. The accuracy can be determined by using the `GetSystemTimeAdjustment()` Windows API.

## Examples

 The following examples use the six [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] 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 id="a-showing-the-formats-that-are-returned-by-the-date-and-time-functions"></a>

### A. Show the formats that are returned by the date and time functions

 The following example shows the different formats that are returned by the date and time functions.  

```sql
SELECT SYSDATETIME() AS [SYSDATETIME()]  
    ,SYSDATETIMEOFFSET() AS [SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()]  
    ,SYSUTCDATETIME() AS [SYSUTCDATETIME()]  
    ,CURRENT_TIMESTAMP AS [CURRENT_TIMESTAMP]  
    ,GETDATE() AS [GETDATE()]  
    ,GETUTCDATE() AS [GETUTCDATE()];  
```  

 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  

 ```output
SYSDATETIME()      2007-04-30 13:10:02.0474381
SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()2007-04-30 13:10:02.0474381 -07:00
SYSUTCDATETIME()   2007-04-30 20:10:02.0474381
CURRENT_TIMESTAMP  2007-04-30 13:10:02.047
GETDATE()          2007-04-30 13:10:02.047
GETUTCDATE()       2007-04-30 20:10:02.047
```  

<a id="b-converting-date-and-time-to-date"></a>

### B. Convert date and time to date

 The following example shows you how to convert date and time values to the **date** data type.  

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

 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  

```output
2007-04-30
2007-04-30
2007-04-30
2007-04-30
2007-04-30
2007-04-30
```  

<a id="c-converting-date-and-time-values-to-time"></a>

### C. Convert date and time values to time

 The following example shows you how to convert date and time values to the *time** data type.  

 ```sql
DECLARE @DATETIME DATETIME = GetDate();
DECLARE @TIME TIME
SELECT @TIME = CONVERT(time, @DATETIME)
SELECT @TIME AS 'Time', @DATETIME AS 'Date Time'
```

 [!INCLUDE[ssResult](../../includes/ssresult-md.md)]  

 ```output
Time             Date Time  
13:49:33.6330000 2009-04-22 13:49:33.633
```  

## Related content

- [CAST and CONVERT (Transact-SQL)](cast-and-convert-transact-sql.md)
- [Date and time data types and functions (Transact-SQL)](date-and-time-data-types-and-functions-transact-sql.md)
- [AT TIME ZONE (Transact-SQL)](../queries/at-time-zone-transact-sql.md)