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Register todayDROP SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Azure Synapse Analytics
SQL database in Microsoft Fabric
Removes a symmetric key from the current database.
Transact-SQL syntax conventions
Note
This syntax is not supported by serverless SQL pool in Azure Synapse Analytics.
syntaxsql
DROP SYMMETRIC KEY symmetric_key_name [REMOVE PROVIDER KEY]
symmetric_key_name
Is the name of the symmetric key to be dropped.
REMOVE PROVIDER KEY
Removes an Extensible Key Management (EKM) key from an EKM device. For more information about Extensible Key Management, see Extensible Key Management (EKM).
If the asymmetric key is mapped to an Extensible Key Management (EKM) key on an EKM device and the REMOVE PROVIDER KEY option is not specified, the key will be dropped from the database but not the device, and a warning will be issued.
Requires CONTROL permission on the symmetric key.
The following example removes a symmetric key named GailSammamishKey6 from the current database.
SQL
CLOSE SYMMETRIC KEY GailSammamishKey6;
DROP SYMMETRIC KEY GailSammamishKey6;
GO
CREATE SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)
ALTER SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)
Encryption Hierarchy
CLOSE SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)
Extensible Key Management (EKM)