Regex for Time (HH:MM:SS)

Validates 24-hour time format with valid ranges.

Pattern

/^([01]\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\d:[0-5]\d$/

Live Tester

Enter a string to test

Examples

✓ 00:00:00

✓ 12:30:45

✓ 23:59:59

✗ 24:00:00

✗ 12:60:00

✗ 1:30:00

Pattern Breakdown

^([01]\d|2[0-3]) — hour 00-23

:[0-5]\d — minutes 00-59

:[0-5]\d$ — seconds 00-59

Code Snippets

Javascript

const regex = /^([01]\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\d:[0-5]\d$/;
regex.test("12:30:45"); // true

Python

import re
pattern = r"^([01]\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\d:[0-5]\d$"
bool(re.match(pattern, "12:30:45"))  # True

Php

$pattern = '/^([01]\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\d:[0-5]\d$/';
preg_match($pattern, "12:30:45"); // 1

Related Patterns

Email Address /^[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}$/ URL /^https?:\/\/(www\.)?[a-zA-Z0-9@:%._+~#=]{1,256}\.[a-zA-Z0-9()]{1,6}\b([a-zA-Z0-9()@:%_+.~#?&/=-]*)$/ Phone Number (International) /^\+?[1-9]\d{1,14}$/ Phone Number (US) /^$?[2-9]\d{2}$?[-.\s]?\d{3}[-.\s]?\d{4}$/ Phone Number (EU) /^\+?[1-9][0-9]{0,3}[\s.-]?$?[0-9]{1,5}$?[\s.-]?[0-9]{1,5}[\s.-]?[0-9]{1,5}$/ IPv4 Address /^((25[0-5]|2[0-4]\d|[01]?\d\d?)\.){3}(25[0-5]|2[0-4]\d|[01]?\d\d?)$/

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the regex for Time (HH:MM:SS)?▾

The regex pattern for Time (HH:MM:SS) is /^([01]\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\d:[0-5]\d$/. Validates 24-hour time format with valid ranges.

How do I use the Time (HH:MM:SS) regex in JavaScript?▾

In JavaScript you create the pattern with a regex literal or the RegExp constructor and call .test() to check a string against it. A ready-to-copy example is shown in the Code Snippets section above, alongside Python and PHP versions.

What does the Time (HH:MM:SS) pattern match?▾

It matches strings like 00:00:00; it rejects strings like 24:00:00. See the Examples section above for the full list of matching and non-matching cases.