# DEALLOCATE / DROP PREPARE

## Syntax

```sql
{DEALLOCATE | DROP} PREPARE stmt_name
```

## Description

To deallocate a prepared statement produced with [PREPARE](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/prepared-statements/prepare-statement), use a`DEALLOCATE PREPARE` statement that refers to the prepared statement name.

A prepared statement is implicitly deallocated when a new `PREPARE` command is issued. In that case, there is no need to use `DEALLOCATE`.

Attempting to execute a prepared statement after deallocating it results in an error, as if it was not prepared at all:

```sql
ERROR 1243 (HY000): Unknown prepared statement handler (stmt_name) given to EXECUTE
```

If the specified statement has not been PREPAREd, an error similar to the following will be produced:

```sql
ERROR 1243 (HY000): Unknown prepared statement handler (stmt_name) given to DEALLOCATE PREPARE
```

## Example

See [example in PREPARE](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/prepare-statement#example).

## See Also

* [PREPARE Statement](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/prepared-statements/prepare-statement)
* [EXECUTE Statement](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/prepared-statements/execute-statement)
* [EXECUTE IMMEDIATE](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/sql-statements/prepared-statements/execute-immediate)

<sub>*This page is licensed: GPLv2, originally from*</sub> [<sub>*fill\_help\_tables.sql*</sub>](https://github.com/MariaDB/server/blob/main/scripts/fill_help_tables.sql)

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