DuckDB has a today() function that returns the current date. It’s similar to the current_date function, which does the same thing.

Here, we’ll look at how the today() function works, along with some basic examples.

What is the today() Function?

DuckDB’s today() function is a built-in SQL function that returns the current date as a DATE type. It returns the current date (at start of current transaction) in UTC.

The function does not require (or accept) any arguments.

Syntax

The syntax for the today() function goes like this:

today()

So, no arguments are required, or accepted.

The function returns the current date in the format YYYY-MM-DD.

Example

Here’s a basic example to demonstrate:

SELECT today();

Result:

+------------+
|  today()   |
+------------+
| 2025-02-11 |
+------------+

Adding a Time Interval to the Date

We can combine today() with date operators to add a specified time interval to the current date:

SELECT 
    today(),
    today() + INTERVAL 11 MONTH;

Result:

+------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  today()   | (today() + to_months(CAST(trunc(CAST(11 AS DOUBLE)) AS INTEGER))) |
+------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 2025-02-11 | 2026-01-11 00:00:00                                               |
+------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

When we added to the date, the result is a timestamp/datetime value, as opposed to just the date.

Also, the header of the second column implies that DuckDB used the to_months() function, along with trunc() and CAST() to produce the result.

So we could use that method too:

SELECT (today() + to_months(CAST(trunc(CAST(11 AS DOUBLE)) AS INTEGER)));

Result:

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| (today() + to_months(CAST(trunc(CAST(11 AS DOUBLE)) AS INTEGER))) |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 2026-01-11 00:00:00                                               |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

But it’s a lot easier using the INTERVAL operator.

Subtracting a Time Interval

Here’s a similar example, but this time we subtract an interval instead of adding it:

SELECT 
    today(),
    today() - INTERVAL 11 MONTH;

Result:

+------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  today()   | (today() - to_months(CAST(trunc(CAST(11 AS DOUBLE)) AS INTEGER))) |
+------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| 2025-02-11 | 2024-03-11 00:00:00                                               |
+------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

No Arguments

No arguments are accepted. Here’s what happens when we pass an argument:

SELECT today(1);

Result:

Binder Error: No function matches the given name and argument types 'today(INTEGER_LITERAL)'. You might need to add explicit type casts.
	Candidate functions:
	today() -> DATE

LINE 1: SELECT today(1);
               ^

The current_date Function

DuckDB also has a current_date function that does the same thing as today():

SELECT 
    current_date,
    today();

Result:

+--------------+------------+
| current_date |  today()   |
+--------------+------------+
| 2025-02-11   | 2025-02-11 |
+--------------+------------+