---
title: TIME / TIMETZ
summary: The TIME data type stores a time of day in UTC.
toc: true
---

The `TIME` [data type](data-types.html) stores the time of day in UTC.

<span class="version-tag">New in v20.1:</span> The `TIMETZ` data type stores a time of day with a time zone offset from UTC.

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## Variants

`TIME` has two variants:

- `TIME`, which presents all `TIME` values in UTC.

- `TIMETZ`, which converts `TIME` values with a specified time zone offset from UTC.

    Ordering for `TIMETZ` is done in terms of [epoch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epoch_(computing)). Time zones with lesser values are ranked higher if times are equal. For example, `'2:00-1' > '2:00+0'` and `'12:00-1' > '1:00+0'`.

    [Like Postgres](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/datatype-datetime.html), we implement the `TIMETZ` variant for [SQL standards compliance](sql-feature-support.html). We also implement the `TIMETZ` variant for compatibility with ORMs, like [Hibernate](build-a-java-app-with-cockroachdb-hibernate.html).

You can use the [`timezone()`](functions-and-operators.html#date-and-time-functions) and [`AT TIME ZONE`](functions-and-operators.html#special-syntax-forms) functions to convert a `TIMETZ` into a `TIME` at a specified timezone, or to convert a `TIME` into a `TIMETZ` at a specified timezone.

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We recommend always using `TIME` instead of `TIMETZ`. Convert UTC values to the appropriate time zone on the client side.
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## Aliases

In CockroachDB, the following are aliases:

Alias    | Long Version
---------|-------------
`TIME`   | `TIME WITHOUT TIME ZONE`
`TIMETZ` | `TIME WITH TIME ZONE`

## Syntax

### `TIME`

A constant value of type `TIME` can be expressed using an [interpreted literal](sql-constants.html#interpreted-literals), or a string literal [annotated with](scalar-expressions.html#explicitly-typed-expressions) type `TIME` or  [coerced to](scalar-expressions.html#explicit-type-coercions) type `TIME`. When it is unambiguous, a simple unannotated [string literal](sql-constants.html#string-literals) can also be automatically interpreted as type `TIME`.

The string format for `TIME` is `HH:MM:SS.SSSSSS`. For example: `TIME '05:40:00.000001'`. The fractional portion is optional and is rounded to microseconds (i.e., six digits after the decimal) for compatibility with the [PostgreSQL wire protocol](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/protocol.html).

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A date of `0000-01-01` is displayed for all `TIME`/`TIMETZ` values, but is not stored in the database. To print without a date, you can cast the type to a `STRING`.

A time zone offset of `+00:00` is also displayed for all `TIME` and [`TIMESTAMP`](timestamp.html) values, but is not stored in the database.
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### `TIMETZ`

To express a `TIMETZ` value with a time zone offset from UTC, you can add an offset to a `TIME` value. For example, `TIMETZ '10:10:10.555555-05:00'` offsets from UTC by -5.

If no time zone is specified for a `TIMETZ` value, the `timezone` [session variable](show-vars.html#supported-variables) is used. For example, if you [set the `timezone`](set-vars.html#set-time-zone) for a session using `SET TIME ZONE -2`, and you define the `TIMETZ` as `TIMETZ '10:10:10.55'`, the value will be displayed with an offset of -2 from UTC.

`TIMETZ` is not affected by session-scoped offsets (unlike [`TIMESTAMPTZ`](timestamp.html)). Time zone offsets only apply to values inserted after the offset has been set, and do not affect existing `TIMETZ` values, or `TIMETZ` values with a time zone offset specified.

## Size

A `TIME` column supports values up to 8 bytes in width, but the total storage size is likely to be larger due to CockroachDB metadata.

A `TIMETZ` column supports values up to 12 bytes in width, but the total storage size is likely to be larger due to CockroachDB metadata.

## Precision

<span class="version-tag">New in v20.1:</span> CockroachDB supports precision levels from 0 (seconds) to 6 (microseconds) for `TIME`/`TIMETZ` values. Precision in time values specifies the number of fractional digits retained in the seconds field. For example, specifying a `TIME` value as `TIME(3)` truncates the time precision to milliseconds. By default, `TIME`/`TIMETZ` values have a precision of 6 (microseconds).

You can use an [`ALTER COLUMN ... SET DATA TYPE`](alter-column.html) statement to change the precision level of a `TIME`-typed column. If there is already a non-default precision level specified for the column, the precision level can only be changed to an equal or greater precision level. For an example, see [Create a table with a `TIME`-typed column, with precision](#create-a-table-with-a-time-typed-column-with-precision).

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If you downgrade to a version of CockroachDB that does not support precision for `TIME`/`TIMETZ` values, all `TIME`/`TIMETZ` values previously specified with precision will be stored with full precision.
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## Examples

### Create a table with a `TIME`-typed column

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> CREATE TABLE time (time_id INT PRIMARY KEY, time_val TIME);
~~~

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> SHOW COLUMNS FROM time;
~~~

~~~
  column_name | data_type | is_nullable | column_default | generation_expression |  indices  | is_hidden
+-------------+-----------+-------------+----------------+-----------------------+-----------+-----------+
  time_id     | INT8      |    false    | NULL           |                       | {primary} |   false
  time_val    | TIME      |    true     | NULL           |                       | {}        |   false
(2 rows)
~~~

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> INSERT INTO time VALUES (1, TIME '05:40:00'), (2, TIME '05:41:39');
~~~

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> SELECT * FROM time;
~~~

~~~
  time_id |         time_val
+---------+---------------------------+
        1 | 0000-01-01 05:40:00+00:00
        2 | 0000-01-01 05:41:39+00:00
(2 rows)
~~~

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The SQL shell displays the date and time zone due to the Go SQL driver it uses. Other client drivers may behave similarly. In such cases, however, the date and time zone are not relevant and are not stored in the database.
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Comparing `TIME` values:

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> SELECT (SELECT time_val FROM time WHERE time_id = 1) < (SELECT time_val FROM time WHERE time_id = 2);
~~~

~~~
< (SELECT time_val FROM time WHERE time_id = 2);
  ?column?
+----------+
    true
(1 row)
~~~

### Create a table with a `TIME`-typed column, with precision

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> CREATE TABLE time (time_id INT PRIMARY KEY, time_val TIME(4));
~~~

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> SHOW COLUMNS FROM time;
~~~

~~~
  column_name | data_type | is_nullable | column_default | generation_expression |  indices  | is_hidden
--------------+-----------+-------------+----------------+-----------------------+-----------+------------
  time_id     | INT8      |    false    | NULL           |                       | {primary} |   false
  time_val    | TIME(4)   |    true     | NULL           |                       | {}        |   false
(2 rows)
~~~

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> INSERT INTO time VALUES (1, TIME '05:40:00.123456'), (2, TIME '05:41:39.12345');
~~~

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> SELECT * FROM time;
~~~

~~~
  time_id |            time_val
----------+---------------------------------
        1 | 0000-01-01 05:40:00.1235+00:00
        2 | 0000-01-01 05:41:39.1235+00:00
(2 rows)
~~~

To change the precision level of a column, you can use an [`ALTER COLUMN ... SET DATA TYPE`](alter-column.html) statement:

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> ALTER TABLE time ALTER COLUMN time_val SET DATA TYPE TIME(5);
~~~

~~~
ALTER TABLE
~~~

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> SHOW COLUMNS FROM time;
~~~

~~~
  column_name | data_type | is_nullable | column_default | generation_expression |  indices  | is_hidden
--------------+-----------+-------------+----------------+-----------------------+-----------+------------
  time_id     | INT8      |    false    | NULL           |                       | {primary} |   false
  time_val    | TIME(5)   |    true     | NULL           |                       | {}        |   false
(2 rows)
~~~

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If a non-default precision level has already been specified, you cannot change the precision to a lower level.
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In this case, the `time_val` column, which is of type `TIME(5)`, cannot be changed to a precision level below `5`:

{% include copy-clipboard.html %}
~~~ sql
> ALTER TABLE time ALTER COLUMN time_val SET DATA TYPE TIME(3);
~~~

~~~
ERROR: unimplemented: type conversion from TIME(5) to TIME(3) requires overwriting existing values which is not yet implemented
SQLSTATE: 0A000
~~~


## Supported casting & conversion

`TIME`/`TIMETZ` values can be [cast](data-types.html#data-type-conversions-and-casts) to any of the following data types:

Type | Details
-----|--------
`INTERVAL` | Converts to the span of time since midnight (00:00)
`STRING` | Converts to format `'HH:MM:SS.SSSSSS'` (microsecond precision)

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CockroachDB displays `TIME '24:00:00'` and `TIMETZ '24:00:00'` as `0000-01-01 00:00:00`. To display the proper stored value (`24:00:00`), you can [cast the data type to a `STRING`](time.html#supported-casting-conversion).
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## See also

- [Data Types](data-types.html)
- [SQL Feature Support](sql-feature-support.html)