A wet (oil-lubricated) band brake is a critical component in the operation of automatic transmission systems in automotive applications. Its engagement characteristics significantly affect the quality of automatic shifting. During the automatic transmission design process, it is important to characterize band engagement behaviour accurately under a wide range of operating conditions. This paper describes a mathematical model which predicts the dynamic engagement behaviour of the wet band brake. The space-time-dependent model includes the effects of squeeze film, asperity deformation, porous oil diffusion, heat transfer and loading pressure distribution caused by a self-energizing mechanism. The model can be readily implemented and efficiently executed on a computer as a standalone program or as a subroutine for automatic transmission shift simulations. Knowledge of band engagement obtained through the model is expected to lead to improved band design and automatic transmission shift calibration processes.