diff --git a/backend/tests/test_models.py b/backend/tests/test_models.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9021dfcd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/test_models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import datetime as dt
+from unittest import mock
+
+from app.models import utcnow
+
+
+def test_utcnow() -> None:
+    """Verify that utcnow returns a timezone-aware UTC value near the current time."""
+    now = utcnow()
+    assert isinstance(now, dt.datetime)
+    assert now.tzinfo is dt.timezone.utc
+
+    delta = dt.datetime.now(dt.timezone.utc) - now
+    assert abs(delta.total_seconds()) < 1.0
+
+
+@mock.patch("app.models.dt.datetime")
+def test_utcnow_calls_now(mock_datetime: mock.Mock) -> None:
+    """Verify that utcnow delegates to datetime.now with the UTC timezone."""
+    mock_now = mock.Mock()
+    mock_datetime.now.return_value = mock_now
+
+    result = utcnow()
+
+    mock_datetime.now.assert_called_once_with(dt.timezone.utc)
+    assert result == mock_now