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

  Creates a new database role in the current database.  
  
 ![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  
  
```  
CREATE ROLE role_name [ AUTHORIZATION owner_name ]  
```  
  
## Arguments  
 *role_name*  
 Is the name of the role to be created.  
  
 AUTHORIZATION *owner_name*  
 Is the database user or role that is to own the new role. If no user is specified, the role will be owned by the user that executes CREATE ROLE.  
  
## Remarks  
 Roles are database-level securables. After you create a role, configure the database-level permissions of the role by using GRANT, DENY, and REVOKE. To add members to a database role, use [ALTER ROLE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/alter-role-transact-sql.md). For more information, see [Database-Level Roles](../../relational-databases/security/authentication-access/database-level-roles.md).  
  
 Database roles are visible in the sys.database_role_members and sys.database_principals catalog views.  
  
 For information about designing a permissions system, see [Getting Started with Database Engine Permissions](../../relational-databases/security/authentication-access/getting-started-with-database-engine-permissions.md).  
  
> [!CAUTION]  
>  [!INCLUDE[ssCautionUserSchema](../../includes/sscautionuserschema-md.md)]  
  
## Permissions  
 Requires **CREATE ROLE** permission on the database or membership in the **db_securityadmin** fixed database role. When you use the **AUTHORIZATION** option, the following permissions are also required:  
  
-   To assign ownership of a role to another user, requires IMPERSONATE permission on that user.  
  
-   To assign ownership of a role to another role, requires membership in the recipient role or ALTER permission on that role.  
  
-   To assign ownership of a role to an application role, requires ALTER permission on the application role.  
  
## Examples  
The following examples all use the AdventureWorks database.   

### A. Creating a database role that is owned by a database user  
 The following example creates the database role `buyers` that is owned by user `BenMiller`.  
  
```  
CREATE ROLE buyers AUTHORIZATION BenMiller;  
GO  
```  
  
### B. Creating a database role that is owned by a fixed database role  
 The following example creates the database role `auditors` that is owned the `db_securityadmin` fixed database role.  
  
```  
CREATE ROLE auditors AUTHORIZATION db_securityadmin;  
GO  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [Principals (Database Engine)](../../relational-databases/security/authentication-access/principals-database-engine.md)   
 [ALTER ROLE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/alter-role-transact-sql.md)   
 [DROP ROLE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/drop-role-transact-sql.md)   
 [EVENTDATA (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/eventdata-transact-sql.md)   
 [sp_addrolemember (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-addrolemember-transact-sql.md)   
 [sys.database_role_members (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-role-members-transact-sql.md)   
 [sys.database_principals (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-principals-transact-sql.md)   
 [Getting Started with Database Engine Permissions](../../relational-databases/security/authentication-access/getting-started-with-database-engine-permissions.md)