---
title: "Delete a Database | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/14/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: "database-engine"
ms.component: "databases"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.suite: "sql"
ms.technology:
- "database-engine"
ms.tgt_pltfrm: ""
ms.topic: conceptual
helpviewer_keywords:
- "database removal [SQL Server], SQL Server Management Studio"
- "removing databases"
- "deleting databases"
- "dropping databases"
- "databases [SQL Server], dropping"
- "database removal [SQL Server]"
ms.assetid: 1fd8c0f5-03e1-449a-af45-b8cacb479d9c
caps.latest.revision: 31
author: "stevestein"
ms.author: "sstein"
manager: craigg
monikerRange: "=azuresqldb-current||>=sql-server-2016||=sqlallproducts-allversions||>=sql-server-linux-2017"
---
# Delete a Database
[!INCLUDE[appliesto-ss-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md](../../includes/appliesto-ss-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]
This topic describes how to delete a user-defined database in [!INCLUDE[ssManStudioFull](../../includes/ssmanstudiofull-md.md)] in [!INCLUDE[ssCurrent](../../includes/sscurrent-md.md)] by using [!INCLUDE[ssManStudioFull](../../includes/ssmanstudiofull-md.md)] or [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)].
**In This Topic**
- **Before you begin:**
[Limitations and Restrictions](#Restrictions)
[Prerequisites](#Prerequisites)
[Recommendations](#Recommendations)
[Security](#Security)
- **To delete a database, using:**
[SQL Server Management Studio](#SSMSProcedure)
[Transact-SQL](#TsqlProcedure)
- **Follow Up:** [After deleting a database](#FollowUp)
## Before You Begin
### Limitations and Restrictions
- System databases cannot be deleted.
### Prerequisites
- Delete any database snapshots that exist on the database. For more information, see [Drop a Database Snapshot (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/databases/drop-a-database-snapshot-transact-sql.md).
- If the database is involved in log shipping, remove log shipping.
- If the database is published for transactional replication, or published or subscribed to merge replication, remove replication from the database.
### Recommendations
- Consider taking a full backup of the database. A deleted database can be re-created only by restoring a backup.
### Security
#### Permissions
To execute DROP DATABASE, at a minimum, a user must have CONTROL permission on the database.
## Using SQL Server Management Studio
#### To delete a database
1. In **Object Explorer**, connect to an instance of the [!INCLUDE[ssDEnoversion](../../includes/ssdenoversion-md.md)], and then expand that instance.
2. Expand **Databases**, right-click the database to delete, and then click **Delete**.
3. Confirm the correct database is selected, and then click **OK**.
## Using Transact-SQL
#### To delete 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**. The example removes the `Sales` and `NewSales` databases.
```sql
USE master ;
GO
DROP DATABASE Sales, NewSales ;
GO
```
## Follow Up: After deleting a database
Back up the **master** database. If **master** must be restored, any database that has been deleted since the last backup of **master** will still have references in the system catalog views and may cause error messages to be raised.
## See Also
[CREATE DATABASE (SQL Server Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/create-database-sql-server-transact-sql.md)
[ALTER DATABASE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/alter-database-transact-sql.md)