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title: "sys.identity_columns (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
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# sys.identity_columns (Transact-SQL)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all-md.md)]

  Contains a row for each column that is an identity column.  
  
 The **sys.identity_columns** view inherits rows from the **sys.columns** view. The **sys.identity_columns** view returns the columns in the **sys.columns** view, plus the **seed_value**, **increment_value**, **last_value**, and **is_not_for_replication** columns. For more information, see [Catalog Views (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/catalog-views-transact-sql.md).  
  
|Column name|Data type|Description|  
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|  
|**\<columns inherited from sys.columns>**||The **sys.identity_columns** view returns all columns in the **sys.columns** view. It also returns the additional columns described below. For a description of the columns that the **sys.identity_columns** view inherits from **sys.columns**, see [sys.columns &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-columns-transact-sql.md).|  
|**seed_value**|**sql_variant**|Seed value for this identity column. The data type of the seed value is the same as the data type of the column itself.|  
|**increment_value**|**sql_variant**|Increment value for this identity column. The data type of the seed value is the same as the data type of the column itself.|  
|**last_value**|**sql_variant**|Last value generated for this identity column. The data type of the seed value is the same as the data type of the column itself.|  
|**is_not_for_replication**|**bit**|Identity column is declared NOT FOR REPLICATION.|  
  
> [!NOTE]  
>  To create an automatically incrementing number that can be used in multiple tables or that can be called from applications without referencing any table, see [Sequence Numbers](../../relational-databases/sequence-numbers/sequence-numbers.md).  
  
## Permissions  
 [!INCLUDE[ssCatViewPerm](../../includes/sscatviewperm-md.md)] For more information, see [Metadata Visibility Configuration](../../relational-databases/security/metadata-visibility-configuration.md).  
  
## See Also  
 [Object Catalog Views &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/object-catalog-views-transact-sql.md)   
 [Catalog Views &#40;Transact-SQL&#41;](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/catalog-views-transact-sql.md)   
 [Querying the SQL Server System Catalog FAQ](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/querying-the-sql-server-system-catalog-faq.md)