GETDATE (Transact-SQL)

Returns the current database system timestamp as a datetime value without the database time zone offset. 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 Functions (Transact-SQL). For information and examples that are common to date and time data types and functions, see Using Date and Time Data.

Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

GETDATE ()

Return Type

datetime

Remarks

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

GETDATE 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()
    ,SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()
    ,SYSUTCDATETIME()
    ,CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
    ,GETDATE()
    ,GETUTCDATE();

Here is the result set.

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

B. Getting the current system date

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

Here is the result set.

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 CONVERT (time, SYSDATETIME())
    ,CONVERT (time, SYSDATETIMEOFFSET())
    ,CONVERT (time, SYSUTCDATETIME())
    ,CONVERT (time, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)
    ,CONVERT (time, GETDATE())
    ,CONVERT (time, GETUTCDATE());

Here is the result set.

SYSDATETIME() 13:18:45.3490361

SYSDATETIMEOFFSET()13:18:45.3490361

SYSUTCDATETIME() 20:18:45.3490361

CURRENT_TIMESTAMP 13:18:45.3470000

GETDATE() 13:18:45.3470000

GETUTCDATE() 20:18:45.3470000

See Also

Reference

CAST and CONVERT (Transact-SQL)