diff --git a/docs/release-notes.md b/docs/release-notes.md
index 11da26a1e3..89aa58f5c5 100644
--- a/docs/release-notes.md
+++ b/docs/release-notes.md
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@
 
 ## Latest Changes
 
+## 0.0.45 (2026-09-21)
+
 ### Breaking Changes
 
 * ✨ Use UTC datetimes by default. PR [#2099](https://github.com/fastapi/sqlmodel/pull/2099) by [@tiangolo](https://github.com/tiangolo).
+
 `datetime` fields now use `UTCDateTime`, a custom type based on `DateTime(timezone=True)`. It requires aware datetime parameters, normalizes them to UTC, and returns aware UTC values from database reads, including on SQLite and MySQL/MariaDB. Pydantic's `AwareDatetime` uses the same type, while `NaiveDatetime` explicitly selects `DateTime(timezone=False)`. Plain `datetime` validation still accepts both aware and naive values, but naive database parameters now raise an error.
 
 Existing databases are not changed automatically. To retain naive storage, use `NaiveDatetime` or an explicit `Field(sa_type=DateTime(timezone=False))`. Explicit SQLAlchemy types retain their existing behavior. PostgreSQL needs a column migration that explicitly specifies the timezone of existing values. SQLite and MySQL/MariaDB keep their column definitions, but existing non-UTC values need a data migration before adopting the new type. Update datetime producers, query parameters, comparisons, and any database defaults to follow the new UTC convention.
diff --git a/sqlmodel/__init__.py b/sqlmodel/__init__.py
index 89a34569d0..18f9edf3cf 100644
--- a/sqlmodel/__init__.py
+++ b/sqlmodel/__init__.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-__version__ = "0.0.44"
+__version__ = "0.0.45"
 
 # Re-export from Pydantic
 from pydantic import Discriminator as Discriminator