🔍Regex Recipes

Time Format (HH:MM 24-hour)

Validate 24-hour time format (HH:MM) with proper hour (00-23) and minute (00-59) validation.

Pattern

^([01]?[0-9]|2[0-3]):[0-5][0-9]$

Explanation

Matches 24-hour time format. Hours: 00-23 (with optional leading zero), Minutes: 00-59.

Examples

Valid
Input
09:30
Output
✓ Match
Valid
Input
23:59
Output
✓ Match
Valid
Input
0:00
Output
✓ Match
Invalid - hour > 23
Input
24:00
Output
✗ No match
Invalid - minute > 59
Input
12:60
Output
✗ No match

Code Examples

JavaScript 
const timeRegex = /^([01]?[0-9]|2[0-3]):[0-5][0-9]$/;

function parseTime(timeStr) {
  if (!timeRegex.test(timeStr)) {
    throw new Error('Invalid time format');
  }
  const [hours, minutes] = timeStr.split(':').map(Number);
  return { hours, minutes };
}

const time = parseTime('14:30'); // { hours: 14, minutes: 30 }

Try it Now

Open in Regex Tester

💡 Tips

  • Normalize to always use leading zeros for consistency
  • Consider adding seconds validation if needed
  • Handle timezone separately if required
  • Use native Date object for actual time manipulation

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

  • Does not include seconds
  • Leading zero is optional (accepts 9:30 or 09:30)
  • No timezone information
  • For user input, consider normalizing format
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