--- description: "BACKUP CERTIFICATE (Transact-SQL)" title: "BACKUP CERTIFICATE (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs" ms.custom: "" ms.date: "04/16/2020" ms.prod: sql ms.prod_service: "sql-data-warehouse, pdw, sql-database" ms.reviewer: "" ms.technology: t-sql ms.topic: reference f1_keywords: - "DUMP_CERTIFICATE_TSQL" - "BACKUP CERTIFICATE" - "sql13.swb.exportcertificate.f1" - "DUMP CERTIFICATE" - "BACKUP_CERTIFICATE_TSQL" dev_langs: - "TSQL" helpviewer_keywords: - "encryption [SQL Server], certificates" - "decryption [SQL Server], certificates" - "exporting certificates" - "certificates [SQL Server], exporting" - "BACKUP CERTIFICATE statement" - "backing up certificates [SQL Server]" - "decryption [SQL Server]" - "cryptography [SQL Server], certificates" ms.assetid: 509b9462-819b-4c45-baae-3d2d90d14a1c author: VanMSFT ms.author: vanto monikerRange: ">=aps-pdw-2016||>=sql-server-2016||>=sql-server-linux-2017" --- # BACKUP CERTIFICATE (Transact-SQL) [!INCLUDE [sql-pdw](../../includes/applies-to-version/sql-pdw.md)] Exports a certificate to a file. ![link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md) ## Syntax ```syntaxsql -- Syntax for SQL Server BACKUP CERTIFICATE certname TO FILE = 'path_to_file' [ WITH PRIVATE KEY ( FILE = 'path_to_private_key_file' , ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'encryption_password' [ , DECRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'decryption_password' ] ) ] ``` ```syntaxsql -- Syntax for Parallel Data Warehouse BACKUP CERTIFICATE certname TO FILE ='path_to_file' WITH PRIVATE KEY ( FILE ='path_to_private_key_file', ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD ='encryption_password' ) ``` [!INCLUDE[sql-server-tsql-previous-offline-documentation](../../includes/sql-server-tsql-previous-offline-documentation.md)] ## Arguments *certname* Is the name of the certificate to backup. TO FILE = '*path_to_file*' Specifies the complete path, including file name, of the file in which the certificate is to be saved. This path can be a local path or a UNC path to a network location. If only a file name is specified, the file will be saved in the instance's default user data folder (which may or may not be the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] DATA folder). For SQL Server Express LocalDB, the instance's default user data folder is the path specified by the `%USERPROFILE%` environment variable for the account that created the instance. WITH PRIVATE KEY Specifies that the private key of the certificate is to be saved to a file. This clause is optional. FILE = '*path_to_private_key_file*' Specifies the complete path, including file name, of the file in which the private key is to be saved. This path can be a local path or a UNC path to a network location. If only a file name is specified, the file will be saved in the instance's default user data folder (which may or may not be the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] DATA folder). For SQL Server Express LocalDB, the instance's default user data folder is the path specified by the `%USERPROFILE%` environment variable for the account that created the instance. ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '*encryption_password*' Is the password that is used to encrypt the private key before writing the key to the backup file. The password is subject to complexity checks. DECRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '*decryption_password*' Is the password that is used to decrypt the private key before backing up the key. This argument is not necessary if the certificate is encrypted by the master key. ## Remarks If the private key is encrypted with a password in the database, the decryption password must be specified. When you back up the private key to a file, encryption is required. The password used to protect the private key in the file is not the same password that is used to encrypt the private key of the certificate in the database. Private keys are saved in the PVK file format. To restore a backed up certificate, with or without the private key, use the [CREATE CERTIFICATE](../../t-sql/statements/create-certificate-transact-sql.md) statement. To restore a private key to an existing certificate in the database, use the [ALTER CERTIFICATE](../../t-sql/statements/alter-certificate-transact-sql.md) statement. When performing a backup, the files will be ACLd to the service account of the SQL Server instance. If you need to restore the certificate to a server running under a different account, you will need to adjust the permissions on the files so that they are able to be read by the new account. ## Permissions Requires CONTROL permission on the certificate and knowledge of the password that is used to encrypt the private key. If only the public part of the certificate is backed up, this command requires some permission on the certificate and that the caller has not been denied VIEW permission on the certificate. ## Examples ### A. Exporting a certificate to a file The following example exports a certificate to a file. ```sql BACKUP CERTIFICATE sales05 TO FILE = 'c:\storedcerts\sales05cert'; GO ``` ### B. Exporting a certificate and a private key In the following example, the private key of the certificate that is backed up will be encrypted with the password `997jkhUbhk$w4ez0876hKHJH5gh`. ```sql BACKUP CERTIFICATE sales05 TO FILE = 'c:\storedcerts\sales05cert' WITH PRIVATE KEY ( FILE = 'c:\storedkeys\sales05key' , ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '997jkhUbhk$w4ez0876hKHJH5gh' ); GO ``` ### C. Exporting a certificate that has an encrypted private key In the following example, the private key of the certificate is encrypted in the database. The private key must be decrypted with the password `9875t6#6rfid7vble7r`. When the certificate is stored to the backup file, the private key will be encrypted with the password `9n34khUbhk$w4ecJH5gh`. ```sql BACKUP CERTIFICATE sales09 TO FILE = 'c:\storedcerts\sales09cert' WITH PRIVATE KEY ( DECRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '9875t6#6rfid7vble7r' , FILE = 'c:\storedkeys\sales09key' , ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '9n34khUbhk$w4ecJH5gh' ); GO ``` ## See Also [CREATE CERTIFICATE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/create-certificate-transact-sql.md) [ALTER CERTIFICATE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/alter-certificate-transact-sql.md) [DROP CERTIFICATE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/drop-certificate-transact-sql.md) [CERTENCODED (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/certencoded-transact-sql.md) [CERTPRIVATEKEY (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/certprivatekey-transact-sql.md) [CERT_ID (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/cert-id-transact-sql.md) [CERTPROPERTY (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/certproperty-transact-sql.md)