---
name: "time"
type: command
status: ok
groups: ["Time", "Mission Information"]
arma3_since: "0.50"
locality: {"argument": null, "effect": null, "server_exec": false}
source: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/time
revid: 379479
updated: 2026-10-31T00:12:00Z
---

# time

*Command · Time, Mission Information · Arma 3 v0.50 · introduced in Operation Flashpoint v1.00*

## Description

Returns time elapsed since mission started (in seconds). The value is different on each client. If you need unified time, use [serverTime](../commands/serverTime.md). Unlike [uiTime](../commands/uiTime.md) the [time](../commands/time.md) stops when game is [paused](../commands/isGamePaused.md).

## Syntax

```sqf
time
```

**Returns:** [Number](../topics/Number.md)

## Examples

### Example 1

```sqf
private _future = time + 30;
waitUntil { time >= _future };  // continue after 30 seconds
```

### Example 2

Wait until mission fully started:

```sqf
waitUntil { time > 0 };
```

## See also

[uiTime](../commands/uiTime.md) · [sleep](../commands/sleep.md) · [date](../commands/date.md) · [dayTime](../commands/dayTime.md) · [serverTime](../commands/serverTime.md) · [skipTime](../commands/skipTime.md) · [accTime](../commands/accTime.md) · [dateToNumber](../commands/dateToNumber.md) · [timeMultiplier](../commands/timeMultiplier.md) · [setTimeMultiplier](../commands/setTimeMultiplier.md) · [missionStart](../commands/missionStart.md) · [diag_tickTime](../commands/diag_tickTime.md) · [diag_deltaTime](../commands/diag_deltaTime.md) · [systemTime](../commands/systemTime.md) · [systemTimeUTC](../commands/systemTimeUTC.md) · [BIS_fnc_timeToString](../functions/BIS_fnc_timeToString.md)

## Community notes

**Hardrock** — 2006-08-04

*Notes from before the conversion:*\
Not to be confused with the **SQS** variable *_time*. Within an **SQS** script, the reserved local variable *_time* returns the time elapsed since the script started running. Note that the value of _time is not saved when the mission is saved and so will be reset to zero when a mission is restarted from a saved position. The value of [time](../commands/time.md) is saved correctly and will resume from where it was.

*_time* has only special meaning in SQS scripts, in SQF script it is just another variable. --Killzone_Kid

---

**Giova** — 2007-01-05

*Notes from before the conversion:*\
time works properly in sqf called with execVM command. In an other hand, _time does not works in sqf called with execVM command.(Arma v1.02.5103GER)

---

**TeaCup** — 2010-10-02

On overloaded servers (below ~10 server FPS), time readings are unreliable. Seconds actually take longer. While the clients keep a steady tempo, server time lags behind, resulting in considerable offset between client and server time (easily 30 minutes for a 2 hour game). Client time is synchronised to server time during JIP, but other than that it runs independently.

---

**Dr_Eyeball** — 2013-10-30

**Arma 3 JIP bug:**\
As of Arma 3 v1.02, for JIP clients 'time' value will start off counting from 0, not the real 'time' value. After about 2.5sec (on average), it will then jump to a high value and synchronise with the real 'time' value, which could be 900, for example.

Therefore, do not use 'time' for any start of mission init timeouts; it is unreliable. (It's odd that it doesn't synchronise at the same time as public variables.)

---

**Demellion** — 2016-09-01

**In MP**: Since per-client time and server time is unconsistant I strongly recommend execution of time-critical tasks from server-side scripts and with [remoteExec](../commands/remoteExec.md) or [remoteExecCall](../commands/remoteExecCall.md) (**Since only A3 1.50** alternative may be [publicVariableClient](../commands/publicVariableClient.md) with pre-defined handler) as this will eliminate any time calculation lags and make it reliable.

<sub>Source: [BI Community Wiki — time](https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/time) (revision 379479).</sub>