SQL Server Error 2714

Error number

2714

Severity

16 (user-correctable error)

State

6 (see the state table below)

Product

Microsoft SQL Server Database Engine

Versions

All supported SQL Server versions (2016 to 2025), Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance

Category

Syntax & Object Resolution

Last reviewed

23 October 2026

What it means

Error 2714 means a CREATE statement (or SELECT INTO) tried to create an object whose name is already taken in that schema, by a table, view, procedure, function or constraint.

Within a schema, tables, views, procedures, functions, triggers and constraints share one namespace (sys.objects). A CREATE TABLE, CREATE VIEW, CREATE PROCEDURE or SELECT INTO that names an object already present in that schema fails with 2714 at severity 16, and nothing is created. The name in quotes is the clashing name, without its schema.

Two details catch people out. Constraint names live in the same namespace, so a primary key called PK_Orders on one table blocks a second PK_Orders on another table, and the CREATE TABLE fails with 2714 followed by 1750. Temporary tables belong to your session, so re-running a script that creates #Totals in the same SSMS window fails until the first one is dropped or the session ends. The state differs by statement in our reproductions (see below), but the fix is decided by what already owns the name.

Common causes

• A deployment or setup script run a second time without an existence check.
• A constraint name copied from another table, such as PK_Orders reused on an archive table.
• A script that creates a #temp table run again in the same session.
• SELECT INTO a backup or staging table that a previous run already created.
• CREATE VIEW or CREATE PROCEDURE used to change an existing module instead of ALTER or CREATE OR ALTER.
• A new object whose name matches an object of a different type, for example a view with the same name as a table.

Diagnose it

Read-only These queries only read metadata and dynamic management views. They do not change data, permissions or configuration, so they are safe to run first.

SELECT SCHEMA_NAME(o.schema_id) AS schema_name, o.name, o.type_desc,
       OBJECT_NAME(o.parent_object_id) AS parent_table, o.create_date
FROM sys.objects AS o
WHERE o.name = N'PK_Orders';

SELECT OBJECT_ID(N'tempdb..#Totals') AS temp_table_id;

How to fix it

Each fix is labelled with what it changes. Try read-only checks and the least invasive fix first, and test changes outside production.

IF OBJECT_ID(N'dbo.Products', N'U') IS NULL
    CREATE TABLE dbo.Products (id INT PRIMARY KEY, name NVARCHAR(100));

CREATE OR ALTER PROCEDURE dbo.usp_GetOrders
AS
SELECT id, total FROM dbo.Orders;

CREATE TABLE dbo.OrdersArchive (
    id INT CONSTRAINT PK_OrdersArchive PRIMARY KEY,
    total DECIMAL(10,2)
);

DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #Totals;
CREATE TABLE #Totals (id INT, total DECIMAL(10,2));

Examples

A CREATE TABLE script run twice

CREATE TABLE dbo.Products (id INT PRIMARY KEY, name NVARCHAR(100));

CREATE TABLE dbo.Products (id INT PRIMARY KEY, name NVARCHAR(100), price DECIMAL(10,2));

Msg 2714, Level 16, State 6, Line 3
There is already an object named 'Products' in the database.

A constraint name copied from another table

CREATE TABLE dbo.Orders (id INT CONSTRAINT PK_Orders PRIMARY KEY, total DECIMAL(10,2));

CREATE TABLE dbo.OrdersArchive (
    id INT CONSTRAINT PK_Orders PRIMARY KEY,  -- name copied from dbo.Orders
    total DECIMAL(10,2)
);

Msg 2714, Level 16, State 5, Line 3
There is already an object named 'PK_Orders' in the database.
Msg 1750, Level 16, State 1, Line 3
Could not create constraint or index. See previous errors.

A temp table script run again in the same session

CREATE TABLE dbo.Orders (id INT PRIMARY KEY, total DECIMAL(10,2));

CREATE TABLE #Totals (id INT, total DECIMAL(10,2));
GO

CREATE TABLE #Totals (id INT, total DECIMAL(10,2));  -- script run again in the same session

Msg 2714, Level 16, State 6, Line 2
There is already an object named '#Totals' in the database.

How to prevent it

Write deployment scripts to be idempotent: guard CREATE TABLE with an existence check, and use CREATE OR ALTER for views, procedures, functions and triggers. Name constraints with a convention that includes the table (PK_Table, FK_Child_Parent, UQ_Table_Column) so names cannot collide.

For temp tables in scripts you run repeatedly, start with DROP TABLE IF EXISTS #name, or use a table variable whose lifetime ends with the batch. The DDL commands lesson covers CREATE, ALTER and DROP.

Common questions

Learn more on CodeWithSQL

• DDL commands lesson
• SQL constraints explained
• Database migration checklist

Official documentation

• CREATE TABLE (Transact-SQL)
• sys.objects (Transact-SQL)
• CREATE PROCEDURE (Transact-SQL)
• Database engine events and errors (2000 to 2999)

Last technically reviewed 23 October 2026; examples and diagnostics run on SQL Server 2025 (17.0.1145.4). Message text checked against the engine's sys.messages catalogue.