SQLCODE -604: Invalid length, precision or scale

What it means

Each Db2 data type has limits on its length, precision and scale. When a column, parameter or other data type definition goes past those limits, or is malformed, Db2 rejects the whole statement with -604. Nothing is created or altered.

The limits people hit most on Db2 for z/OS are these.

• DECIMAL precision runs from 1 to 31, and the scale can't be larger than the precision.
• CHAR is 1 to 255 bytes. Longer fixed text needs VARCHAR.
• VARCHAR and VARBINARY go up to 32704 bytes. Beyond that you need a CLOB or BLOB.
• GRAPHIC is 1 to 127 characters.
• FLOAT(n) takes n from 1 to 53.
• TIMESTAMP(p) takes a precision from 0 to 12.

A CREATE TABLE LIKE that copies a view can also get -604 when a column of the view has a length that isn't valid for a table column.

Common causes

• DDL converted from another database carries over a type Db2 can't hold, such as NUMBER(38) from Oracle becoming DECIMAL(38), or DECIMAL(38) from SQL Server.
• A CHAR column longer than 255 bytes, often from a design that used fixed-length text everywhere.
• A typo that puts the scale above the precision, such as DECIMAL(5,7), or a length of zero.
• A TIMESTAMP precision above 12.
• A modeling tool generated the DDL for a different target database.
• CREATE TABLE LIKE a view whose column has a length a table can't use.

How to find the problem

1. Read every data type in the failing statement and compare it with the limits above. The z/OS message doesn't always point at the column, so check each one.
2. For converted DDL, search for DECIMAL and NUMERIC with precision above 31, and CHAR above 255.
3. For CREATE TABLE LIKE a view, check the view's column lengths in SYSIBM.SYSCOLUMNS.

How to fix it

• Bring DECIMAL down to a precision of 31 or less. If the values really need more digits, consider DECFLOAT(34).
• Change CHAR longer than 255 to VARCHAR, and VARCHAR longer than 32704 to CLOB.
• Fix any scale larger than its precision.
• Set your modeling or conversion tool to generate DDL for Db2 for z/OS, then review the numeric and character types by hand.
• Remember that a long VARCHAR also has to fit the table space page size. A row that is too long gets its own error, -670.

Technical reviewer: Albert Joseph, WND Software.

Last reviewed 2026-10-18 by the WND Software team. Written in our own words. For the full reference, check IBM’s Db2 for z/OS documentation for your release.