Massachusetts: Small Claims Court Dollar Limits
The short answer
Massachusetts's small claims procedure covers contract and tort claims (other than libel or slander) up to $7,000, the same figure for an individual or a business, with no dollar cap at all for property-damage claims arising from a motor vehicle accident. Attorneys are allowed to appear, though the court can limit how they participate to keep the hearing simple. There's no jury at the first hearing, and the appeal right is asymmetric: by filing in small claims, the plaintiff gives up the right to a jury trial and to appeal, but the defendant can demand a full jury (or judge) trial de novo within 10 days of the initial finding, and once the defendant does, the plaintiff gets its jury-trial right back too.
Ask Ezel about your situation
This is the general rule in Massachusetts. Ezel applies current Massachusetts law to your specific facts and answers with citations to the statutes.
| Governing law | M.G.L. c. 218, §§ 21-25 (§ 21 sets the jurisdictional amount and general framework; §§ 22-25 govern procedure, entry fees, and appeal); Uniform Small Claims Rules (Trial Court Rule III) fill in hearing and appeal mechanics |
|---|---|
| Dollar limit | $7,000 (M.G.L. c. 218, § 21), raised from $2,000 by St. 2010, c. 240, § 156. No dollar limit applies to a claim for property damage caused by a motor vehicle: § 21 expressly carves that category out of the cap entirely, regardless of amount |
| Limit for businesses/entities | No lower tier for a business plaintiff, the same $7,000 figure (or no limit, for motor-vehicle property damage) applies whether the plaintiff is an individual or an organization. One narrow entity-specific exception raises, rather than lowers, the ceiling: § 21 lets 'a city or town' sue for up to $15,000 in an action to collect unpaid personal-property taxes under G.L. c. 60, § 35, a higher figure available only to that specific government plaintiff and claim type, not to ordinary business plaintiffs generally |
| Court name and where to file | The 'Small Claims Session': not a separate court, but an informal procedure available within the District Court Department, the Boston Municipal Court Department, or the Housing Court Department (for housing-related claims), at the plaintiff's choice among these alternatives to the formal civil-action process (§ 21) |
| Can you bring a lawyer? | Permitted, not barred, but the court can limit how attorneys participate to keep the hearing simple and informal. Uniform Small Claims Rule 7(b): 'The participation by attorneys representing parties may be limited in a manner consistent with the simple and informal adjudication of the controversy.' The same rule separately allows non-attorneys to assist a party if the court finds it would help |
| Limit on how many claims you can file | None found in M.G.L. c. 218, §§ 21-25 or the Uniform Small Claims Rules (read in full, including Rule 2's separate disclosure requirements for a plaintiff suing over an assigned debt or a trade-or-commerce claim): no limit on how many small claims a single plaintiff may file in a given period |
| Can you appeal? | Asymmetric, and initiated only by the defendant, but the plaintiff's rights come back into play once that happens. Filing in small claims automatically waives the PLAINTIFF's jury-trial and appeal rights (§ 23: 'A plaintiff beginning a cause under the procedure shall be deemed to have waived a trial by jury and any right of appeal'). Only the DEFENDANT may, within 10 days of the magistrate's finding, claim a full trial before a jury of six or a single justice (§ 23), after posting a $25 entry fee and typically a $100 bond (waivable for indigency if the appeal isn't frivolous). Once the defendant does appeal, § 23 restores the plaintiff's own right to a jury trial in that same proceeding. No party is entitled to a formal appellate report as of right; the trial court may, at its own discretion, submit a pure question of law to the Appellate Division as a case stated |
| What you can sue for | Money damages for contract or tort claims, with two express carve-outs written into § 21 itself: defamation by libel or slander is excluded entirely, and the court has 'all equity powers' available under the general chapter-214 equity statutes for any claim within the procedure's jurisdiction, so equitable relief is available, not just money damages, within whatever dollar limit otherwise applies |
Compare this rule across all 50 states + DC →
Requirements one by one
Governing law
Massachusetts's small claims scheme sits in M.G.L. c. 218, §§ 21-25. Section 21 sets the dollar limit and describes the procedure generally; §§ 22-25 fill in entry fees, initial hearing mechanics, and the appeal process. The Uniform Small Claims Rules (Trial Court Rule III) add the day-to-day hearing and appeal detail the statute leaves to court rule.
Dollar limit
$7,000 — raised from $2,000 by a 2010 economic-development act (St. 2010, c. 240, § 156). There's no dollar limit at all for a claim over property damage caused by a motor vehicle; § 21 carves that category out of the cap by name, so a claim for the full value of a wrecked car can be brought in small claims regardless of how far over $7,000 it runs.
Limit for businesses/entities
No lower tier — a corporation or other business plaintiff faces the same $7,000 ceiling (or the same uncapped motor-vehicle exception) as an individual. There's a narrow exception that runs the other direction: § 21 lets a city or town sue for up to $15,000 to collect unpaid personal-property taxes, a higher figure available only to that specific government plaintiff and claim type — not a general rule for business plaintiffs.
Court name and where to file
The "Small Claims Session" — not its own court, but an informal procedural track available inside the District Court Department, the Boston Municipal Court Department, or the Housing Court Department for housing-related matters. A plaintiff chooses which of these to use; it isn't exclusive, and the same claim could instead be filed as an ordinary civil action.
Can you bring a lawyer?
Yes — Massachusetts doesn't bar attorneys the way some states do. Uniform Small Claims Rule 7(b) allows the court to limit "the participation by attorneys representing parties ... in a manner consistent with the simple and informal adjudication of the controversy," but that's a limit on style, not an outright ban. The same rule lets a non-attorney assist a party if the court decides that would help.
Limit on how many claims you can file
None. A full read of ch. 218, §§ 21-25 and the Uniform Small Claims Rules — including Rule 2(b)'s separate disclosure rules for a plaintiff pursuing an assigned debt or a trade-or-commerce claim — turns up no cap on how many claims a plaintiff may file in a given period.
Can you appeal?
Only the defendant can initiate an appeal, but the plaintiff's rights come back into play if that happens. Filing in small claims automatically means the plaintiff "shall have waived a trial by jury and any right of appeal" (§ 23). The defendant, though, may within 10 days of the magistrate's initial finding demand a full trial before a jury of six or a single justice, after paying a $25 entry fee and typically posting a $100 bond (both can be waived for an indigent defendant with a non-frivolous appeal). If the defendant does appeal, the plaintiff regains the right to demand a jury too, in that same proceeding — and the magistrate's original finding only counts as prima facie evidence at the new trial, not a binding result. Neither side is entitled to a formal appellate report as a matter of right; the court can, at its own discretion, send a pure question of law up as a "case stated" if it thinks appellate review is warranted.
What you can sue for
Money damages for contract or tort claims. Defamation by libel or slander is expressly excluded, no matter the amount. Beyond straightforward money damages, § 21 gives the court "all equity powers" available under the general chapter-214 equity provisions for any claim otherwise within the procedure's jurisdiction, so equitable relief is available within whatever dollar limit applies to the claim.
What trips people up
Filing in small claims gives away your own appeal rights as the plaintiff — but not the defendant's. If you lose as a plaintiff, there's no jury trial or appeal available to you; only a losing defendant can force a full do-over. Weigh that trade-off (speed and informality versus giving up your own appeal) before choosing small claims over a regular civil action.
A defendant's appeal isn't a review of what already happened — it's a brand-new trial. The original magistrate's finding only counts as some evidence at the appeal, not a result the new judge or jury has to respect; either side can put on a full case again.
The motor-vehicle property-damage exception has no cap at all, so a case that sounds "too big for small claims" might not be. A full-value claim for a wrecked car — even one worth far more than $7,000 — can still go through the small claims procedure.
Common questions
My business wants to sue for $6,500 — does the limit change because I'm not an individual? No — Massachusetts applies the same $7,000 figure to an individual or a business plaintiff.
Can I bring my attorney to a small claims hearing? Yes, attorneys are allowed on either side, though the court can limit how much a lawyer participates to keep the hearing simple and informal.
I won my case as the plaintiff, but the defendant wants a jury trial — can they do that? Yes. Only the defendant may claim a full jury (or single-justice) trial within 10 days of the magistrate's finding; if they do, you as the plaintiff also regain your own right to a jury for that new trial.
Statutes and sources
- M.G.L. c. 218, § 21 — "claims in the nature of contract or tort, other than slander and libel, in which the plaintiff does not claim as debt or damages more than $7,000 ... said dollar limitation shall not apply to an action for property damage caused by a motor vehicle" — https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mass-general-laws-c218-ss-21 — accessed 2026-07-09
- M.G.L. c. 218, § 23 — "A plaintiff beginning a cause under the procedure shall be deemed to have waived a trial by jury and any right of appeal ... The defendant may, within ten days after receipt of the magistrate's finding, file ... a claim of trial by jury" — https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleI/Chapter218/Section23 — accessed 2026-07-09
- Uniform Small Claims Rule 7(b) — "The participation by attorneys representing parties may be limited in a manner consistent with the simple and informal adjudication of the controversy." — https://www.mass.gov/trial-court-rules/uniform-small-claims-rule-7-trials-hearings-and-judgments — accessed 2026-07-09
- Uniform Small Claims Rule 2(b) — "Any plaintiff pursuing a claim incurred in the course of plaintiff's trade or commerce, or pursuing a claim for assigned debt, shall file along with the Statement of Small Claim form the Verification of Defendant's Address form" — https://www.mass.gov/trial-court-rules/uniform-small-claims-rule-2-filing-a-statement-of-claim — accessed 2026-07-09
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
Get the answer for your situation
You just read how Massachusetts handles this in general. Ezel applies current Massachusetts law to your facts and answers your specific question, with citations.
Opens in Ezel Pro. Every answer cites the authority it relies on.