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title CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY (Transact-SQL)
description CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY (Transact-SQL)
author VanMSFT
ms.author vanto
ms.date 02/27/2026
ms.service sql
ms.subservice t-sql
ms.topic reference
f1_keywords
DATABASE_ENCRYPTION_KEY_TSQL
ENCRYPTION_KEY_TSQL
sql13.swb.dbencryptionkeyo.f1
ENCRYPTION KEY
DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY
CREATE_DATABASE_ENCRYPTION_KEY_TSQL
CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY
sql13.swb.dbencryptionkeyg.f1
CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION
CREATE_DATABASE_ENCRYPTION_TSQL
helpviewer_keywords
database encryption key
CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY statement
database encryption key, create
dev_langs
TSQL
monikerRange >=aps-pdw-2016||>=sql-server-2016||>=sql-server-linux-2017||=azuresqldb-mi-current

CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY (Transact-SQL)

[!INCLUDE sql-asdbmi-pdw]

Creates an encryption key for transparently encrypting a database. For more information about transparent data encryption (TDE), see Transparent Data Encryption (TDE).

:::image type="icon" source="../../includes/media/topic-link-icon.svg" border="false"::: Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

-- Syntax for SQL Server  

CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY  
       WITH ALGORITHM = { AES_128 | AES_192 | AES_256 | TRIPLE_DES_3KEY }  
   ENCRYPTION BY SERVER   
    {  
        CERTIFICATE Encryptor_Name |  
        ASYMMETRIC KEY Encryptor_Name  
    }  
[ ; ]  

-- Syntax for Parallel Data Warehouse  

CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY  
       WITH ALGORITHM = { AES_128 | AES_192 | AES_256 | TRIPLE_DES_3KEY }  
   ENCRYPTION BY SERVER CERTIFICATE Encryptor_Name   
[ ; ]

Arguments

WITH ALGORITHM = { AES_128 | AES_192 | AES_256 | TRIPLE_DES_3KEY }
Specifies the encryption algorithm for the encryption key.

Warning

Beginning with SQL Server 2016, all algorithms other than AES_128, AES_192, and AES_256 are deprecated. To use older algorithms (not recommended) you must set the database to database compatibility level 120 or lower.

ENCRYPTION BY SERVER CERTIFICATE Encryptor_Name
Specifies the name of the encryptor used to encrypt the database encryption key.

ENCRYPTION BY SERVER ASYMMETRIC KEY Encryptor_Name Specifies the name of the asymmetric key used to encrypt the database encryption key. To encrypt the database encryption key with an asymmetric key, the asymmetric key must reside on an extensible key management provider.

Remarks

A database encryption key is required before a database can be encrypted by using transparent data encryption (TDE). When a database is transparently encrypted, the whole database is encrypted at the file level, without any special code modifications. The certificate or asymmetric key that encrypts the database encryption key must be located in the master system database.

Certificates or asymmetric keys used for TDE are limited to a private key size of 3072 bits.

Database encryption statements are allowed only on user databases.

The database encryption key can't be exported from the database. It's available only to the system, to users who have debugging permissions on the server, and to users who have access to the certificates that encrypt and decrypt the database encryption key.

The database encryption key doesn't have to be regenerated when a database owner (dbo) is changed.

A database encryption key is automatically created for a [!INCLUDEssSDS] database. You don't need to create a key using the CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY statement.

Permissions

Requires CONTROL permission on the database and VIEW DEFINITION permission on the certificate or asymmetric key that is used to encrypt the database encryption key.

Examples

For additional examples using TDE, see Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), Enable TDE on SQL Server Using EKM, and Extensible Key Management Using Azure Key Vault (SQL Server).

A. Create a database encryption key

The following example creates a database encryption key by using the AES_256 algorithm, and protects the private key with a certificate named MyServerCert.

USE AdventureWorks2022;
GO
CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY
WITH ALGORITHM = AES_256
ENCRYPTION BY SERVER CERTIFICATE MyServerCert;
GO

B. Restore a TDE-encrypted database to a different instance

To restore a TDE-encrypted database to a different SQL Server instance, you must first import the certificate that protects the database encryption key. Back up the certificate and its private key from the source server, then create the certificate on the target instance before you restore the database.

On the source server, back up the certificate:

-- On the SOURCE server
USE master;
GO
BACKUP CERTIFICATE MyServerCert
TO FILE = 'C:\Backup\MyServerCert.cer'
WITH PRIVATE KEY (
    FILE = 'C:\Backup\MyServerCert.pvk',
    ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '<strong_password>'
);
GO

On the target server, create the certificate from the backup files, then restore the database:

-- On the TARGET server
USE master;
GO
CREATE CERTIFICATE MyServerCert
FROM FILE = 'C:\Backup\MyServerCert.cer'
WITH PRIVATE KEY (
    FILE = 'C:\Backup\MyServerCert.pvk',
    DECRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '<strong_password>'
);
GO

-- Now you can restore the TDE-encrypted database
RESTORE DATABASE AdventureWorks2022
FROM DISK = 'C:\Backup\AdventureWorks2022.bak'
WITH MOVE 'AdventureWorks2022_Data' TO 'D:\Data\AdventureWorks2022.mdf',
     MOVE 'AdventureWorks2022_Log' TO 'D:\Data\AdventureWorks2022.ldf';
GO

Important

The certificate must have the same name and be created from the same backup files. If the certificate doesn't match, the restore fails with an encryption key error.

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