---
title: 'PostgreSQL CURRENT_TIME Function'
page_title: 'PostgreSQL CURRENT_TIME Function By Examples'
page_description: 'This tutorial shows you how to use the PostgreSQL CURRENT_TIME function to get the current time of the database server.'
prev_url: 'https://www.postgresqltutorial.com/postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-current_time/'
ogImage: ''
updatedOn: '2024-01-26T09:41:35+00:00'
enableTableOfContents: true
previousLink:
  title: 'PostgreSQL CURRENT_DATE Function'
  slug: 'postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-current_date'
nextLink:
  title: 'PostgreSQL CURRENT_TIMESTAMP Function'
  slug: 'postgresql-date-functions/postgresql-current_timestamp'
---

**Summary**: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use the PostgreSQL `CURRENT_TIME` function to get the current time with the timezone.

## Introduction to the PostgreSQL CURRENT_TIME function

The following illustrates the syntax of the `CURRENT_TIME` function:

```phpsqlsql
CURRENT_TIME(precision)
```

The `CURRENT_TIME` function accepts one optional argument `precision`.

The `precision` specifies the returned fractional seconds precision. If you omit the `precision` argument, the result will include the full available precision.

The `CURRENT_TIME` function returns a [`TIME WITH TIME ZONE`](../postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-time) value that represents the current time with the timezone.

## PostgreSQL CURRENT_TIME function examples

Let’s explore some examples of using the `CURRENT_TIME` function.

### 1\) Basic PostgreSQL CURRENT_TIME function example

The following example uses the CURRENT_TIME function to get the current time with the timezone:

```
SELECT CURRENT_TIME;
```

The output is a `TIME WITH TIME ZONE` value as follows:

```
    current_time
--------------------
 14:42:10.884946-07
(1 row)

```

In this example, we don’t specify the precision argument. Therefore, the result includes the full precision available.

### 2\) Using the PostgreSQL CURRENT_TIME function with a precision example

The following example shows how to use the `CURRENT_TIME` function with the precision set to 2:

```sql
SELECT CURRENT_TIME(2);
```

Output:

```text
  current_time
----------------
 14:44:35.03-07
(1 row)
```

### 3\) Using the CURRENT_TIME function as the default value of a column

The `CURRENT_TIME` function can be used as the default value of `TIME` columns. For example:

First, [create a table](../postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-create-table) called `log`:

```
CREATE TABLE log (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    message VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
    created_at TIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIME,
    created_on DATE DEFAULT CURRENT_DATE
);
```

The `log` table has the `created_at` column with the default value is the result of the `CURRENT_TIME` function.

Second, [insert a row](../postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-insert) into the `log` table:

```
INSERT INTO log( message )
VALUES('Testing the CURRENT_TIME function');
```

In the statement, we only specify a value for the `message` column. Therefore, other columns will take the default values.

Third, check whether the row was inserted into the `log` table with the `created_at` column populated correctly by using the following [query](../postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-select):

```sql
SELECT * FROM log;
```

The following picture shows the result:

```
 id |              message              |   created_at    | created_on
----+-----------------------------------+-----------------+------------
  1 | Testing the CURRENT_TIME function | 14:46:28.188809 | 2024-01-26
(1 row)
```

The output indicates that the `created_at` column is populated with the time at which the `INSERT` statement executed.

## Summary

- Use the PostgreSQL `CURRENT_TIME` function to get the current time with the default timezone.