--- title: "GRANT Symmetric Key Permissions (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs" ms.custom: "" ms.date: "08/10/2017" ms.prod: "sql-non-specified" ms.reviewer: "" ms.suite: "" ms.technology: - "database-engine" ms.tgt_pltfrm: "" ms.topic: "language-reference" dev_langs: - "TSQL" helpviewer_keywords: - "symmetric keys [SQL Server], permissions" - "permissions [SQL Server], symmetric keys" - "encryption [SQL Server], symmetric keys" - "GRANT statement, symmetric keys" - "cryptography [SQL Server], symmetric keys" - "granting permissions [SQL Server], symmetric keys" ms.assetid: 5c61557f-67ae-4e55-b86d-713575b27cea caps.latest.revision: 28 author: "BYHAM" ms.author: "rickbyh" manager: "jhubbard" --- # GRANT Symmetric Key Permissions (Transact-SQL) [!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md)] Grants permissions on a symmetric key. ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md) ## Syntax ``` GRANT permission [ ,...n ] ON SYMMETRIC KEY :: symmetric_key_name TO [ ,...n ] [ WITH GRANT OPTION ] [ AS ] ::= Database_user | Database_role | Application_role | Database_user_mapped_to_Windows_User | Database_user_mapped_to_Windows_Group | Database_user_mapped_to_certificate | Database_user_mapped_to_asymmetric_key | Database_user_with_no_login ``` ## Arguments *permission* Specifies a permission that can be granted on a symmetric key. For a list of the permissions, see the Remarks section later in this topic. ON SYMMETRIC KEY ::*asymmetric_key_name* Specifies the symmetric key on which the permission is being granted. The scope qualifier (::) is required. TO \<*database_principal*> Specifies the principal to which the permission is being granted. WITH GRANT OPTION Indicates that the principal will also be given the ability to grant the specified permission to other principals. AS \ Specifies a principal from which the principal executing this query derives its right to grant the permission. *Database_user* Specifies a database user. *Database_role* Specifies a database role. *Application_role* Specifies an application role. *Database_user_mapped_to_Windows_User* Specifies a database user mapped to a Windows user. *Database_user_mapped_to_Windows_Group* Specifies a database user mapped to a Windows group. *Database_user_mapped_to_certificate* Specifies a database user mapped to a certificate. *Database_user_mapped_to_asymmetric_key* Specifies a database user mapped to an asymmetric key. *Database_user_with_no_login* Specifies a database user with no corresponding server-level principal. ## Remarks Information about symmetric keys is visible in the [sys.symmetric_keys](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-symmetric-keys-transact-sql.md) catalog view. A symmetric key is a database-level securable contained by the database that is its parent in the permissions hierarchy. The most specific and limited permissions that can be granted on a symmetric key are listed in the following table, together with the more general permissions that include them by implication. |Symmetric key permission|Implied by symmetric key permission|Implied by database permission| |------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|------------------------------------| |ALTER|CONTROL|ALTER ANY SYMMETRIC KEY| |CONTROL|CONTROL|CONTROL| |REFERENCES|CONTROL|REFERENCES| |TAKE OWNERSHIP|CONTROL|CONTROL| |VIEW DEFINITION|CONTROL|VIEW DEFINITION| ## Permissions The grantor (or the principal specified with the AS option) must have either the permission itself with GRANT OPTION, or a higher permission that implies the permission being granted. If you are using the AS option, the following additional requirements apply. |AS *granting_principal*|Additional permission required| |------------------------------|------------------------------------| |Database user|IMPERSONATE permission on the user, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.| |Database user mapped to a Windows login|IMPERSONATE permission on the user, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.| |Database user mapped to a Windows group|Membership in the Windows group, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.| |Database user mapped to a certificate|Membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.| |Database user mapped to an asymmetric key|Membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.| |Database user not mapped to any server principal|IMPERSONATE permission on the user, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.| |Database role|ALTER permission on the role, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.| |Application role|ALTER permission on the role, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.| Principals with CONTROL permission on a securable can grant permission on that securable. Grantees of CONTROL SERVER permission, such as members of the sysadmin fixed server role, can grant any permission on any securable in the server. Grantees of CONTROL permission on a database, such as members of the db_owner fixed database role, can grant any permission on any securable in the database. ## Examples The following example grants `ALTER` permission on the symmetric key `SamInventory42` to the database user `HamidS`. ``` USE AdventureWorks2012; GRANT ALTER ON SYMMETRIC KEY::SamInventory42 TO HamidS; GO ``` ## See Also [sys.symmetric_keys (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-symmetric-keys-transact-sql.md) [DENY Symmetric Key Permissions (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/deny-symmetric-key-permissions-transact-sql.md) [REVOKE Symmetric Key Permissions (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/revoke-symmetric-key-permissions-transact-sql.md) [CREATE SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/create-symmetric-key-transact-sql.md) [Permissions (Database Engine)](../../relational-databases/security/permissions-database-engine.md) [Principals (Database Engine)](../../relational-databases/security/authentication-access/principals-database-engine.md) [Encryption Hierarchy](../../relational-databases/security/encryption/encryption-hierarchy.md)