---
title: "Create a Database | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/14/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: "database-engine"
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ms.technology: configuration
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords:
- "databases [SQL Server], creating"
- "database creation [SQL Server], SQL Server Management Studio"
- "creating databases"
ms.assetid: 4c4beea2-6cbc-4352-9db6-49ea8130bb64
author: "stevestein"
ms.author: "sstein"
---
# Create a Database
[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md](../../includes/appliesto-ss-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]
This topic describes how to create a database in [!INCLUDE[ssCurrent](../../includes/sscurrent-md.md)] by using [!INCLUDE[ssManStudioFull](../../includes/ssmanstudiofull-md.md)] or [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)].
> [!NOTE]
> To create a database in Azure SQL Database using T-SQL, see [Create database in Azure SQL Database](https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/t-sql/statements/create-database-azure-sql-database).
**In This Topic**
- **Before you begin:**
[Limitations and Restrictions](#Restrictions)
[Prerequisites](#Prerequisites)
[Recommendations](#Recommendations)
[Security](#Security)
- **To create a database, using:**
[SQL Server Management Studio](#SSMSProcedure)
[Transact-SQL](#TsqlProcedure)
## Before You Begin
### Limitations and Restrictions
- A maximum of 32,767 databases can be specified on an instance of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)].
### Prerequisites
- The CREATE DATABASE statement must run in autocommit mode (the default transaction management mode) and is not allowed in an explicit or implicit transaction.
### Recommendations
- The [master](../../relational-databases/databases/master-database.md) database should be backed up whenever a user database is created, modified, or dropped.
- When you create a database, make the data files as large as possible based on the maximum amount of data you expect in the database.
### Security
#### Permissions
Requires CREATE DATABASE permission in the master database, or requires CREATE ANY DATABASE, or ALTER ANY DATABASE permission.
To maintain control over disk use on an instance of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)], permission to create databases is typically limited to a few login accounts.
## Using SQL Server Management Studio
#### To create a database
1. In **Object Explorer**, connect to an instance of the [!INCLUDE[ssDEnoversion](../../includes/ssdenoversion-md.md)] and then expand that instance.
2. Right-click **Databases**, and then click **New Database**.
3. In **New Database**, enter a database name.
4. To create the database by accepting all default values, click **OK**; otherwise, continue with the following optional steps.
5. To change the owner name, click (**...**) to select another owner.
> [!NOTE]
> The **Use full-text indexing** option is always checked and dimmed because, beginning in [!INCLUDE[ssKatmai](../../includes/sskatmai-md.md)], all user databases are full-text enabled.
6. To change the default values of the primary data and transaction log files, in the **Database files** grid, click the appropriate cell and enter the new value. For more information, see [Add Data or Log Files to a Database](../../relational-databases/databases/add-data-or-log-files-to-a-database.md).
7. To change the collation of the database, select the **Options** page, and then select a collation from the list.
8. To change the recovery model, select the **Options** page and select a recovery model from the list.
9. To change database options, select the **Options** page, and then modify the database options. For a description of each option, see [ALTER DATABASE SET Options (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/alter-database-transact-sql-set-options.md).
10. To add a new filegroup, click the **Filegroups** page. Click **Add** and then enter the values for the filegroup.
11. To add an extended property to the database, select the **Extended Properties** page.
1. In the **Name** column, enter a name for the extended property.
2. In the **Value** column, enter the extended property text. For example, enter one or more statements that describe the database.
12. To create the database, click **OK**.
## Using Transact-SQL
#### To create a database
1. Connect to the [!INCLUDE[ssDE](../../includes/ssde-md.md)].
2. From the Standard bar, click **New Query**.
3. Copy and paste the following example into the query window and click **Execute**. This example creates the database `Sales`. Because the keyword PRIMARY is not used, the first file (`Sales_dat`) becomes the primary file. Because neither MB nor KB is specified in the SIZE parameter for the `Sales_dat` file, it uses MB and is allocated in megabytes. The `Sales_log` file is allocated in megabytes because the `MB` suffix is explicitly stated in the `SIZE` parameter.
```sql
USE master ;
GO
CREATE DATABASE Sales
ON
( NAME = Sales_dat,
FILENAME = 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\saledat.mdf',
SIZE = 10,
MAXSIZE = 50,
FILEGROWTH = 5 )
LOG ON
( NAME = Sales_log,
FILENAME = 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\DATA\salelog.ldf',
SIZE = 5MB,
MAXSIZE = 25MB,
FILEGROWTH = 5MB ) ;
GO
```
For more examples, see [CREATE DATABASE (SQL Server Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/create-database-sql-server-transact-sql.md).
## See Also
[Database Files and Filegroups](../../relational-databases/databases/database-files-and-filegroups.md)
[Database Detach and Attach (SQL Server)](../../relational-databases/databases/database-detach-and-attach-sql-server.md)
[ALTER DATABASE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/alter-database-transact-sql.md)
[Add Data or Log Files to a Database](../../relational-databases/databases/add-data-or-log-files-to-a-database.md)