Fix “Trust Server Certificate” Error in SSMS

Did you encounter the following error while connecting to your SQL Server using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS):

“The certificate chain was issued by an authority that is not trusted.”

Then you are not alone. This is a common connection issue when working with SQL Server over encrypted connections. Fortunately, the fix is simple and quick.

Why does this error occur?

When SSMS tries to establish a secure (SSL/TLS) connection to a SQL Server, it checks whether the server’s SSL certificate is trusted by your computer or not. If the certificate is issued by an untrusted Certificate Authority (CA), SSMS throws this error.

This doesn’t necessarily mean the server is insecure—it just means that SSMS doesn’t trust the certificate being given.

How to resolve this error?

Here’s a step-by-step procedure to resolve this issue:

1. Launch SSMS Tool
   Open SQL Server Management Studio as usual.
2. Enter the Server Name
   Type the correct server’s name or click Browse for more… to select the server you want to connect to.
3. Click on Options
   In the Connect to Server window, click on the Options >> button at the bottom.
4. Go to Connection Properties
   Navigate to the Connection Properties tab.
5. Check “Trust server certificate”
   Enable the checkbox labelled “Trust server certificate.”
6. Click Connect
   Now try connecting. The error should be gone!

By enabling “Trust server certificate,” SSMS skips the certificate validation process. This is especially helpful in development or local environments where self-signed certificates are common.

🎓 Want to Master SQL and Unlock High-Paying Data Roles?

Join SQL School — India’s leading real-time training institute for SQL Server and T-SQL development.

✅ Learn SQL Server 2019 & 2022 step-by-step
✅ Master complex queries, joins, subqueries, indexing, and performance tuning
✅ Work on real-time projects with live enterprise servers
✅ Hands-on experience with SSMS, stored procedures, triggers, and optimization

📞 Call Now: +91 96666 40801
🌐 Visit: www.sqlschool.com for a FREE Demo Session

SQL School – Your Real-Time Guide to SQL Server Mastery & Career Success.