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# PostgreSQL DROP TRIGGER Statement

**Summary**: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use the PostgreSQL `DROP TRIGGER` statement to drop a trigger from a table.

## Introduction to PostgreSQL DROP TRIGGER statement

To delete a trigger from a table, you use the `DROP TRIGGER` statement with the following syntax:

```sql
DROP TRIGGER [IF EXISTS] trigger_name
ON table_name
[ CASCADE | RESTRICT ];
```

In this syntax:

- First, specify the name of the trigger you want to delete after the `DROP TRIGGER` keywords.
- Next, use `IF EXISTS` to conditionally delete the trigger only if it exists. Deleting a non-existing trigger without specifying the `IF EXISTS` statement results in an error. If you use `IF EXISTS` to delete a non-existing trigger, PostgreSQL issues a notice instead. The `IF EXISTS` is optional.
- Then, specify the name of the table to which the trigger belongs. If the table belongs to a specific schema, you can use the schema-qualified name of the table such as `schema_name.table_name`.
- After that, use the `CASCADE` option to drop objects that depend on the trigger automatically. Note that `CASCADE` option will also delete objects that depend on objects that depend on the trigger.
- Finally, use the `RESTRICT` option to refuse to drop the trigger if any objects depend on it. By default, the `DROP TRIGGER` statement uses `RESTRICT`.

In SQL standard, trigger names are not local to tables so the `DROP TRIGGER` statement does not have the table to which the trigger belongs:

```sql
DROP TRIGGER trigger_name;
```

## PostgreSQL DROP TRIGGER statement example

First, [create a function](../postgresql-plpgsql/postgresql-create-function) that validates the username of a staff. The username is not null and its length must be at least 8.

```plsql
CREATE FUNCTION check_staff_user()
    RETURNS TRIGGER
AS $$
BEGIN
    IF length(NEW.username) < 8 OR NEW.username IS NULL THEN
        RAISE EXCEPTION 'The username cannot be less than 8 characters';
    END IF;
    IF NEW.NAME IS NULL THEN
        RAISE EXCEPTION 'Username cannot be NULL';
    END IF;
    RETURN NEW;
END;
$$
LANGUAGE plpgsql;
```

Second, [create a new trigger](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/creating-first-trigger-postgresql) on the `staff` table of the [sample database](../postgresql-getting-started/postgresql-sample-database) to check the username of a staff. This trigger will fire whenever you insert or update a row in the `staff` table:

```sql
CREATE TRIGGER username_check
    BEFORE INSERT OR UPDATE
ON staff
FOR EACH ROW
    EXECUTE PROCEDURE check_staff_user();

```

![PostgreSQL DROP Trigger Example](https://neon.com/postgresqltutorial/PostgreSQL-DROP-Trigger-Example.png)Third, use the `DROP TRIGGER` statement to delete the `username_check` trigger:

```sql
DROP TRIGGER username_check
ON staff;
```

## Summary

- Use the PostgreSQL `DROP TRIGGER` statement to delete a trigger from a table.

---

## Related docs (PostgreSQL Triggers)

- [Introduction](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/introduction-postgresql-trigger)
- [CREATE TRIGGER](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/creating-first-trigger-postgresql)
- [ALTER TRIGGER](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-alter-trigger)
- [AFTER INSERT Trigger](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-after-insert-trigger)
- [BEFORE INSERT Trigger](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-before-insert-trigger)
- [BEFORE UPDATE Trigger](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-before-update-trigger)
- [AFTER UPDATE Trigger](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-after-update-trigger)
- [BEFORE DELETE Trigger](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-before-delete-trigger)
- [AFTER DELETE Trigger](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-after-delete-trigger)
- [INSTEAD OF Triggers](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-instead-of-triggers)
- [BEFORE TRUNCATE Trigger](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-before-truncate-trigger)
- [Disable Triggers](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/managing-postgresql-trigger)
- [Enable Triggers](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/enable-triggers)
- [List All Triggers](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/how-to-list-all-triggers-in-postgresql)
- [Event Triggers](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-event-trigger)
- [Conditional Triggers](https://neon.com/postgresql/postgresql-triggers/postgresql-trigger-when-condition)