SQL Server Get UTC Date

As a database developer, I’ve found that handling time zones correctly is essential. In this comprehensive article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about working with UTC dates in SQL Server.

Table of Contents

Let’s discuss all the approaches for retrieving the UTC date in SQL Server.

Approach-1: Using GETUTCDATE() Function

The most fundamental function for working with UTC dates in SQL Server is GETUTCDATE(), which returns the current UTC date and time as a DATETIME data type.

This function does not accept any parameters and always returns the current system’s UTC date and time.

We can execute the following query for this purpose.

SELECT GETUTCDATE() AS CurrentUTCDateTime;

After executing the above query, I got the expected output as shown in the screenshot below.

When working with UTC dates, you’ll frequently need to convert between UTC and local time zones.

Approach-2: Using DATEADD with Time Zone Offset

The following query can be used to convert UTC to Eastern Time (EST/EDT).

SELECT 
    GETUTCDATE() AS UTCDateTime,
    DATEADD(HOUR, -5, GETUTCDATE()) AS EasternStandardTime

After executing the above query, I got the expected output as shown in the screenshot below.

Approach-3: Using AT TIME ZONE

This method works for SQL Server 2016+ versions. We can use the following query for this purpose.

SELECT 
    GETUTCDATE() AS UTCDateTime,
    GETUTCDATE() AT TIME ZONE 'UTC' AT TIME ZONE 'Eastern Standard Time' AS EasternTime

After executing the above query, I got the expected output as shown in the screenshot below.

Formatting UTC Dates

When displaying dates to users, formatting them appropriately becomes important. We can use the following query for this purpose. This will format UTC date for US format display.

SELECT FORMAT(GETUTCDATE(), 'MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt') AS FormattedUTCDate;

After executing the above query, I got the expected output as shown in the screenshot below.

UTC Date Functions Reference Table

Function	Purpose	SQL Server Version
GETUTCDATE()	Returns current UTC date/time	All versions
SYSUTCDATETIME()	Returns current UTC with higher precision	SQL 2008+
AT TIME ZONE	Converts between time zones	SQL 2016+
TODATETIMEOFFSET	Converts to DATETIMEOFFSET type	SQL 2008+

Conclusion

Working with UTC dates in SQL Server is critical for working with global applications. By following the approaches outlined in this article, you can easily implement this in your application. Hope this will help you !!

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Bijay Kumar Sahoo

After working for more than 15 years in the Software field, especially in Microsoft technologies, I have decided to share my expert knowledge of SQL Server. Check out all the SQL Server and related database tutorials I have shared here. Most of the readers are from countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, etc. I am also a Microsoft MVP. Check out more here.