State guide
Massachusetts
This is general information, not legal advice. Massachusetts holds small-claims sessions in every District Court, in the Boston Municipal Court, and in the Boston Housing Court. The state's Mass.gov page says this is an informal, inexpensive forum for disputes of $7,000 or less. It then lists limited exceptions. An award for automobile property damage may exceed $7,000. Statutory damages or attorney fees may push an award over $7,000 when the actual damages are $7,000 or less. Multiple damages under the consumer-protection law may do the same. Claims valued at more than $7,000, defamation, and requests for specific performance of a non-money promise are listed as cases that do not belong. You give up a jury.
Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Which court hears it
- Small claims sessions of the District Court, Boston Municipal Court, and Boston Housing Court
- Dollar limit we could verify
- The Mass.gov small-claims page says the session helps settle disputes of $7,000 or less. It lists exceptions for automobile property-damage awards, for statutory damages or attorney fees added to actual damages of $7,000 or less, and for multiple damages under the consumer-protection law.
- Statute or court page
- Official page →
- Filing or self-help page
- Official page →
The page says you may sue any person, business, partnership, or corporation, using the precise legal name. You may speak for yourself. A lawyer is permitted and is not required. The page says the hearing is often before a clerk-magistrate, with simplified procedure, and that the laws are the same laws that govern larger cases. File a statement of claim in the district where you or the defendant lives, works, or does business, or, in a landlord-tenant dispute, where the property is located. The page prints a filing-fee schedule by the size of the claim.
The page is candid about appeals. It says that only in very specific instances may the person suing appeal if the clerk-magistrate does not find for them, and that defendants always have the right to appeal. It also says the defendant has 10 days to appeal, must pay an appeal fee, and must post $100 unless the court waives it. Within one year a party may apply for relief from the judgment. Those are the page's numbers. Put the decision date on your calendar the day you receive it.
Collection is addressed directly. The page says a win may still be hard to collect. You can ask the clerk for a notice to show cause, served by a deputy sheriff or constable, or for an execution that lets the officer seize and sell property. A consumer-protection claim has an extra preparation step: the page says to notify the clerk and to bring the 30-day demand letter. Bring a timeline, contracts, photos, and witnesses. If a witness will not come, the clerk can help with a subpoena. This page is a guide, and it says so. It is not a substitute for advice on a close case.
Official resources in Massachusetts
Official page stating the $7,000 line, the listed exceptions, and the defendant appeal.
Legislature site for the General Laws, including the small-claims statutes.
Official General Laws collection.
Key facts for Massachusetts
- Small-claims sessions sit in District Court, Boston Municipal Court, and Boston Housing Court.
- Mass.gov states a general line of $7,000 or less.
- Automobile property-damage awards, statutory damages, attorney fees, and consumer multiple damages can exceed that line in the situations the page lists.
- There is no jury.
- The page says defendants always have a right to appeal and plaintiffs only in specific instances.
- The page says a defendant has 10 days to appeal and must post $100 unless the court waives it.
What to do next
- Read the exception list before you assume a claim over $7,000 is forbidden.
- Use the defendant's exact legal name.
- Calendar 10 days from the decision if you are the defendant and you may appeal.
- Bring the 30-day demand letter if you are suing under the consumer-protection law.
Looking for your city or county in Massachusetts?
We haven't found official court-level pages for Massachusetts we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Massachusetts, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.Massachusetts General Court
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Massachusetts page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.
Helpful guides
- What small claims court is
- How dollar limits work
- Who can sue and be sued
- A demand letter before you file