SQLSTATE 2BP01 ERROR Class 2B: Dependent Privilege Descriptors Still Exist

dependent_objects_still_exist Dependent Objects Still Exist — SQLSTATE 2BP01

The object cannot be dropped because other objects depend on it.

PG 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 Official docs
Last reviewed May 2025 Grounded in source

Symptoms

The object cannot be dropped because other objects depend on it.

  • The error is written to the server log and returned to the client carrying SQLSTATE 2BP01.
  • Any driver (libpq, JDBC, psycopg, npgsql, pgx) surfaces this code in its error object so you can branch on it programmatically.
  • PL/pgSQL can trap it by name: EXCEPTION WHEN dependent_objects_still_exist THEN.

Environment

Severity: ERROR  |  PostgreSQL versions: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Reproduce with the exact statement and read the full message in the server log (raise log_min_messages / set log_min_error_statement for more context).

Root Cause

A DROP without CASCADE was blocked by dependents — views, foreign keys, functions, and so on.

Diagnostic Queries

Recovery

Steps to resolve 2BP01:

  1. Read the dependent objects listed in the error detail.
  2. Drop the dependents first, or use DROP ... CASCADE once you know exactly what CASCADE removes.

Reference: PostgreSQL error codes — Class 2B (Dependent Privilege Descriptors Still Exist).

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