REVOKE Server Permissions (Transact-SQL)
Removes server-level GRANT and DENY permissions.
REVOKE [ GRANT OPTION FOR ] permission [ ,...n ]
{ TO | FROM } <grantee_principal> [ ,...n ]
[ CASCADE ]
[ AS <grantor_principal> ]
<grantee_principal> ::=SQL_Server_login
| SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_Windows_login
| SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_Windows_group
| SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_certificate
| SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_asymmetric_key<grantor_principal> ::=SQL_Server_login
| SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_Windows_login
| SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_Windows_group
| SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_certificate
| SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_asymmetric_key
Permissions at the server scope can be revoked only when the current database is master.
REVOKE removes both GRANT and DENY permissions.
Use REVOKE GRANT OPTION FOR to revoke the right to regrant the specified permission. If the principal has the permission with the right to grant it, the right to grant the permission will be revoked, and the permission itself will not be revoked. But if the principal has the specified permission without the GRANT option, the permission itself will be revoked.
Information about server permissions is visible in the sys.server_permissions catalog view, and information about server principals is visible in the sys.server_principals catalog view. Information about membership of server roles is visible in the sys.server_role_members catalog view.
A server is the highest level of the permissions hierarchy. The most specific and limited permissions that can be revoked on a server are listed in the following table.
Server permission | Implied by server permission |
|---|---|
ADMINISTER BULK OPERATIONS | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER ANY CONNECTION | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER ANY CREDENTIAL | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER ANY DATABASE | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER ANY ENDPOINT | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER ANY EVENT NOTIFICATION | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER ANY LINKED SERVER | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER ANY LOGIN | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER ANY SERVER AUDIT | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER RESOURCES | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER SERVER STATE | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER SETTINGS | CONTROL SERVER |
ALTER TRACE | CONTROL SERVER |
AUTHENTICATE SERVER | CONTROL SERVER |
CONNECT SQL | CONTROL SERVER |
CONTROL SERVER | CONTROL SERVER |
CREATE ANY DATABASE | ALTER ANY DATABASE |
CREATE DDL EVENT NOTIFICATION | ALTER ANY EVENT NOTIFICATION |
CREATE ENDPOINT | ALTER ANY ENDPOINT |
CREATE TRACE EVENT NOTIFICATION | ALTER ANY EVENT NOTIFICATION |
EXTERNAL ACCESS ASSEMBLY | CONTROL SERVER |
SHUTDOWN | CONTROL SERVER |
UNSAFE ASSEMBLY | CONTROL SERVER |
VIEW ANY DATABASE | VIEW ANY DEFINITION |
VIEW ANY DEFINITION | CONTROL SERVER |
VIEW SERVER STATE | ALTER SERVER STATE |
A. Revoking a permission from a login
The following example revokes VIEW SERVER STATE permission from the SQL Server login WanidaBenshoof.
USE master; REVOKE VIEW SERVER STATE FROM WanidaBenshoof; GO
B. Revoking the WITH GRANT option
The following example revokes the right to grant CONNECT SQL from the SQL Server login JanethEsteves.
USE master; REVOKE GRANT OPTION FOR CONNECT SQL FROM JanethEsteves; GO
The login still has CONNECT SQL permission, but it can no longer grant that permission to other principals.

