diff --git a/src/models/DriverProfile.ts b/src/models/DriverProfile.ts
index 91ad4c1..f5fc265 100644
--- a/src/models/DriverProfile.ts
+++ b/src/models/DriverProfile.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import mongoose, { Schema } from 'mongoose';
 import { IDriverProfile, ReputationTier } from '../interfaces/IDriverProfile';
+import { nowUTC } from '../utils/dateUtils';
 
 const vehicleDetailsSchema = new Schema(
   {
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ const vehicleDetailsSchema = new Schema(
     year: {
       type: Number,
       min: [1980, 'Vehicle year must be 1980 or later'],
-      max: [new Date().getFullYear() + 1, 'Vehicle year cannot be in the future'],
+      max: [nowUTC().getUTCFullYear() + 1, 'Vehicle year cannot be in the future'],
     },
     plateNumber: {
       type: String,
diff --git a/src/services/escrowService.ts b/src/services/escrowService.ts
index 1636c71..32162fb 100644
--- a/src/services/escrowService.ts
+++ b/src/services/escrowService.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import Escrow, { EscrowLockStatus, IEscrow } from '../models/Escrow';
 import { sorobanService } from '../blockchain/soroban.service';
 import AppError from '../utils/AppError';
 import logger from '../config/logger';
+import { nowUTC } from '../utils/dateUtils';
 
 // ─── DTOs ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ export interface ResolveEscrowInput {
  * or expiresAt field in the current Escrow model.
  */
 export const scanForExpiredEscrows = async (): Promise<ScanExpiredEscrowsResult> => {
-  const now = new Date();
+  const now = nowUTC();
 
   // Note: Commented out until EscrowStatus.EXPIRED and expiresAt field are added to model
   // const expiredCandidates = await Escrow.find({
diff --git a/src/services/idempotency.service.ts b/src/services/idempotency.service.ts
index e63f8b0..90a0cdf 100644
--- a/src/services/idempotency.service.ts
+++ b/src/services/idempotency.service.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import IdempotencyRecord, { IdempotencyStatus } from '../models/IdempotencyRecor
 import env from '../config/env';
 import logger from '../config/logger';
 import { AppError } from '../utils/AppError';
+import { toUTC } from '../utils/dateUtils';
 
 /** Payload stored against an idempotency key once a request completes. */
 export interface IdempotencyPayload {
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ export class IdempotencyService {
   // ─── MongoDB helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
   private expiresAt(): Date {
-    return new Date(Date.now() + this.ttlSeconds * 1000);
+    return toUTC(Date.now() + this.ttlSeconds * 1000);
   }
 
   private async getFromMongo(key: string, endpoint: string): Promise<IdempotencyPayload | null> {
diff --git a/src/sockets/location.service.ts b/src/sockets/location.service.ts
index de00385..381659c 100644
--- a/src/sockets/location.service.ts
+++ b/src/sockets/location.service.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { Server as SocketIOServer } from 'socket.io';
 import logger from '../config/logger';
 import { LocationUpdate } from '../models/LocationUpdate';
 import { redisClient } from '../config/redis';
+import { toUTC, nowUTC } from '../utils/dateUtils';
 import {
   DriverLocationUpdatePayload,
   LocationBroadcastPayload,
@@ -225,7 +226,7 @@ export class LocationService {
     }
 
     const capturedAt = payload.capturedAt ?? Date.now();
-    const receivedAt = new Date().toISOString();
+    const receivedAt = nowUTC().toISOString();
 
     // ── 2. Validate timestamp ────────────────────────────────────────────────
     const timestampError = this.validateTimestamp(capturedAt);
@@ -281,7 +282,7 @@ export class LocationService {
         driverId: new Types.ObjectId(driverId),
         deliveryId: new Types.ObjectId(payload.deliveryId),
         coordinates: { lat: payload.lat, lng: payload.lng },
-        capturedAt: new Date(capturedAt),
+        capturedAt: toUTC(capturedAt),
         isOfflineSync: false,
         status: 'pending',
       });
diff --git a/src/sockets/sync.service.ts b/src/sockets/sync.service.ts
index 185a189..195e8e7 100644
--- a/src/sockets/sync.service.ts
+++ b/src/sockets/sync.service.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Types } from 'mongoose';
 import logger from '../config/logger';
 import { LocationUpdate, ILocationUpdate } from '../models/LocationUpdate';
+import { toUTC, nowUTC } from '../utils/dateUtils';
 import {
   LocationSyncPayload,
   OfflineLocationPoint,
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ export class SyncService {
     driverId: string,
     payload: LocationSyncPayload,
   ): Promise<LocationSyncAck> {
-    const processedAt = new Date().toISOString();
+    const processedAt = nowUTC().toISOString();
 
     // ── 1. Validate driverId ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
     if (!Types.ObjectId.isValid(driverId)) {
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ export class SyncService {
     }
 
     // ── 4. Fetch existing capturedAt values for this driver to detect dupes ──
-    const capturedAtDates = validPoints.map((p) => new Date(p.capturedAt));
+    const capturedAtDates = validPoints.map((p) => toUTC(p.capturedAt));
 
     const existingDocs = await LocationUpdate.find(
       {
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ export class SyncService {
       { capturedAt: 1 },
     ).lean<Pick<ILocationUpdate, 'capturedAt'>[]>();
 
-    const existingSet = new Set<number>(existingDocs.map((d) => new Date(d.capturedAt).getTime()));
+    const existingSet = new Set<number>(existingDocs.map((d) => toUTC(d.capturedAt).getTime()));
 
     // ── 5. Build insertable documents, deduplicating within batch ─────────────
     const seenInBatch = new Set<number>();
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ export class SyncService {
         driverId: driverObjectId,
         deliveryId: point.deliveryId ? new Types.ObjectId(point.deliveryId) : undefined,
         coordinates: { lat: point.lat, lng: point.lng },
-        capturedAt: new Date(ts),
+        capturedAt: toUTC(ts),
         isOfflineSync: true,
         status: 'pending',
       });
diff --git a/src/utils/dateUtils.ts b/src/utils/dateUtils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b6738eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/dateUtils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/**
+ * Returns the current date/time as a UTC Date object.
+ */
+export const nowUTC = (): Date => {
+  return new Date();
+};
+
+/**
+ * Parses a date string, number, or Date into a UTC Date object.
+ */
+export const toUTC = (date: Date | string | number): Date => {
+  return new Date(date);
+};
+
+/**
+ * Formats a date to an ISO 8601 string in UTC.
+ */
+export const toISOUTC = (date: Date): string => {
+  return date.toISOString();
+};