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How to Create a Multiselect List Box in Microsoft Access

Jason Miller Oct 23, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to create a list box in Microsoft Access that allows multiple selections to manage and store relational data.

How to Create a Multiselect List Box in Microsoft Access

Product: Microsoft Access
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Designing data entry forms where users need to select multiple items from a predefined list and save them to a database.
Observed behavior: Standard list boxes only support single selections. Multiple selections require modifying the Multi Select property and utilizing VBA to process the selected values, or using alternative relational design approaches.

Before you start

Before starting, ensure your Access database tables and relationships are properly structured. If you plan to read and store the selected values programmatically, familiarize yourself with basic VBA.

Solution 1Recommended

Enable the Multi Select Property and Process with VBA

Change the list box properties to allow multiple selections and use VBA code to iterate through and store the selected items.

While standard list boxes only permit a single selection, Access allows you to enable multiple selections. However, unlike single-select boxes that automatically bind to a table field, multiselect list boxes require Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code to read and save the chosen data into your tables.

Add a List Box to your Form

Open your Microsoft Access form in Design View and add a List Box control from the Form Design ribbon.

Change the Multi Select Property

Select the newly added List Box, press F4 to open the Property Sheet, and navigate to the 'Other' tab. Find the 'Multi Select' property and change it from 'None' to either 'Simple' or 'Extended'.

Add a Processing Button

Add a command button to your form. This button will be used by the user to confirm their selections and trigger the data processing.

Write the VBA Code

In the button's On Click event, write a VBA loop using the 'ItemsSelected' collection to iterate through the list box and execute a SQL INSERT statement to store the selected values in your related table.

Enable the Multi Select Property and Process with VBA

Simple vs Extended: The 'Simple' setting allows users to click items to select or deselect them individually. The 'Extended' setting requires users to hold the Shift or Ctrl keys to select multiple items.

Solution 2

Use a Main Form with a Subform (No-Code Alternative)

Use a subform embedded within a main form as a no-code alternative to multiselect list boxes for managing one-to-many relationships.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I store multiselect list box values directly in a table without VBA?

No, a multiselect list box cannot be directly bound to a standard table field to store multiple choices automatically. You must use VBA to loop through the selected items and append the records to a related table, or use a subform instead.

Why shouldn't I just use a multivalued field in Access?

While Microsoft Access offers multivalued fields as a quick way to store multiple items, they are generally not recommended by professional database developers. They complicate queries, make migrating to external platforms like SQL Server difficult, and violate standard relational database normalization rules.

How do I clear all selections in a multiselect list box?

To clear all selections, you will need to create a command button and add a short VBA script that loops through the list box items, setting the Selected property of each item to False.

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