---
title: "CLOSE (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
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ms.date: "03/06/2017"
ms.prod: sql
ms.prod_service: "database-engine, sql-database"
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ms.technology: t-sql
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f1_keywords: 
  - "CLOSE_TSQL"
  - "CLOSE"
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  - "TSQL"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "closing cursors"
  - "cursors [SQL Server], closing"
  - "CLOSE statement"
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author: "douglaslMS"
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---
# CLOSE (Transact-SQL)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]

  Closes an open cursor by releasing the current result set and freeing any cursor locks held on the rows on which the cursor is positioned. `CLOSE` leaves the data structures available for reopening, but fetches and positioned updates are not allowed until the cursor is reopened. CLOSE must be issued on an open cursor; `CLOSE` is not allowed on cursors that have only been declared or are already closed.  
  
 ![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  
  
```  
CLOSE { { [ GLOBAL ] cursor_name } | cursor_variable_name }  
```  
  
## Arguments  
 GLOBAL  
 Specifies that *cursor_name* refers to a global cursor.  
  
 *cursor_name*  
 Is the name of an open cursor. If both a global and a local cursor exist with *cursor_name* as their name, *cursor_name* refers to the global cursor when GLOBAL is specified; otherwise, *cursor_name* refers to the local cursor.  
  
 *cursor_variable_name*  
 Is the name of a cursor variable associated with an open cursor.  
  
## Examples  
 The following example shows the correct placement of the `CLOSE` statement in a cursor-based process.  
  
```sql  
DECLARE Employee_Cursor CURSOR FOR  
SELECT EmployeeID, Title FROM AdventureWorks2012.HumanResources.Employee;  
OPEN Employee_Cursor;  
FETCH NEXT FROM Employee_Cursor;  
WHILE @@FETCH_STATUS = 0  
   BEGIN  
      FETCH NEXT FROM Employee_Cursor;  
   END;  
CLOSE Employee_Cursor;  
DEALLOCATE Employee_Cursor;  
GO  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [Cursors](../../relational-databases/cursors.md)   
 [Cursors (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/language-elements/cursors-transact-sql.md)   
 [DEALLOCATE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/language-elements/deallocate-transact-sql.md)   
 [FETCH (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/language-elements/fetch-transact-sql.md)   
 [OPEN (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/language-elements/open-transact-sql.md)