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Massachusetts small claims

How to fill out the Massachusetts Statement of Small Claim and Notice of Trial

Official form: Statement of Small Claim and Notice of Trial · Walkthrough written against Uniform trial-court form, English version dated 08/2012 (mass.gov posts a sample marked "SAMPLE, NOT FOR USE")

Massachusetts files this through the court's online system

There is no free-standing PDF to download and fill: the initiating document is generated inside the court's own filing system. The walkthrough below covers what that process asks for, and the official link goes to the court's page for it.

The official filing system — on the court's site

Filing here runs through the court's own online system, and the court's page is the authoritative starting point. We link the official source and never stand in between.

Open the court's filing page →

Link verified 2026-07-04. If it has moved, the court's forms index and clerk's office will have the current version — verify with the court before filing.

What this form is

Massachusetts small claims cases start with the Statement of Small Claim and Notice of Trial — a uniform trial-court form used in the Boston Municipal Court, District Court, and Housing Court for claims of $7,000 or less (claims based on automobile property damage can exceed that). The standard paper original is a multi-part carbonless (NCR) form picked up at a courthouse — the reference copy on mass.gov is watermarked "SAMPLE, NOT FOR USE" (mass.gov also posts a fillable eFiling version accepted in select divisions). The form is informally called the SC-1, though it carries no official numeric code.

The route the courts themselves point to is the Small Claims Guide & File online interview (hosted at massachusetts.tylertech.cloud). It asks questions in plain language, generates the completed Statement of Small Claim, and offers two paths: e-file it directly in the proper court (with a $7 eFiling fee), or print the generated forms and file them in person or by mail. The interview does not give legal advice — it fills in the same form fields described below.

Either way, the information collected is the same: which court division the claim is filed in, who the plaintiff and defendant are, the amount claimed and the reasons for it, whether the plaintiff is willing to attempt court mediation, and a sworn statement about the defendant's military status. The trial date is added by the court on the Notice of Trial portion, which is served on the defendant.

The form, field by field

What each part of the form asks for, in the form's own order. These are descriptions of the questions — what to answer depends on facts only you know, and the court clerk or the form's own instructions are the authoritative sources.

Part 1 — The court

Boston Municipal Court / District Court / Housing Court, and division

Checkboxes for which of the three court departments the claim is filed in, with a line for the division. A small claim can be brought in a BMC or District Court division where at least one plaintiff lives, works, or has a business, where at least one defendant lives, works, or has a place of business, or — for landlord-tenant claims — where the rental property is located; Housing Court venue follows the rental property.

Parts 2–3 — The parties

Part 2: Plaintiff's name, address, zip code, and phone; plaintiff's attorney (if any)

The filer's identifying and contact information, with an attorney block (including BBO number) completed only when an attorney files.

Part 3: Defendant's name, address, zip code, and phone; additional defendants (if any)

Who is being sued and where they can be notified, with a block for additional defendants. The court's guidance stresses accurate legal names: an individual, a person doing business under a trade name (d/b/a), a corporation (whose legal name is checkable through the Secretary of State's corporate records), or a trust identified by its trustee.

Part 4 — The claim

"The defendant owes $___ plus $___ court costs for the following reasons: Give the date of the event that is the basis of your claim." (eight lines), signature and date

The amount claimed, court costs as a separate figure, and a plain-language description of the claim including the date of the underlying event. The plaintiff signs and dates this part.

Parts 5–6 — Mediation and the military affidavit

Part 5: Mediation checkbox

Pre-printed text explaining that mediation may be available before trial if both parties agree, with a checkbox for the plaintiff to state willingness to attempt court mediation. The defendant may consent on the trial date.

Part 6: Military affidavit — checkboxes and signature

A statement under the pains and penalties of perjury that the defendant(s) is or is not serving in the military, with a second signature and date line. This implements the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act screening that precedes any default judgment.

Notice of Trial (court use)

Court name and address, date and time of trial, clerk-magistrate signature

The bottom of the form notifies the defendant they are being sued and directs both parties to appear on the trial date — all entered by the court, not the filer. The instructions state that the filer completes Parts 1–6.

Common reasons clerks reject this form

Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:

  • ⚠Printing and filing the mass.gov sample — it is watermarked "SAMPLE, NOT FOR USE." The paper original is a multi-part form picked up at a courthouse; the printable route is the set of forms generated by the Guide & File interview.
  • ⚠Claiming more than $7,000 — the small claims session cannot hear it unless the claim is for property damage caused by an automobile accident (statutory damages, as in some consumer-protection cases, can also exceed the cap).
  • ⚠Naming a business inaccurately — the court's guidance calls for the registered corporate name or the owner's name with the d/b/a, verified through the Secretary of State's corporate records or the local city or town clerk.
  • ⚠Skipping Part 6 — the military affidavit is signed under the pains and penalties of perjury, and a blank one stalls default judgments later.
  • ⚠Filing in a division with no connection to the parties or the property — venue follows where a party lives, works, or has a place of business, or where the rental property is located.
  • ⚠Writing in the trial date — the Notice of Trial portion is completed by the court and served on the defendant.

What filing costs, and where it happens

Massachusetts small claims filing fees are tiered by claim amount on the court's published schedule: $40 for claims of $500 and under, $50 for $501–$2,000, $100 for $2,001–$5,000, and $150 for $5,001–$7,000 (also $150 for auto-accident claims above $7,000). E-filing through Guide & File adds a $7 service fee. Fee waivers (indigency) are available for filers who qualify.

Filing runs three ways: online through the Guide & File interview with e-filing at the end; in person, by bringing the interview-generated forms (or a courthouse-completed original) to the clerk-magistrate's office; or by mail to the same office. After filing, the court sets the trial date on the Notice of Trial and the defendant is notified. Fee schedules and local practice can change — the clerk-magistrate's office for the chosen court confirms current amounts before filing.

Published fees and court locations for your county are in our Massachusetts small claims guide and the court directory. Fees change — verify the current amount with the clerk before filing.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't I just download and print the form?

The official paper Statement of Small Claim is a multi-part carbonless original distributed at courthouses, and mass.gov posts only a watermarked sample. The court's supported self-service route is the Small Claims Guide & File interview, which generates filled-in forms for e-filing or printing.

Is the online interview the same as the form?

It collects the same information — court division, parties, claim amount and reasons, mediation preference, and the military statement — through plain-language questions, then generates the completed forms. Mass.gov notes it will not give legal advice.

How much can I sue for in Massachusetts small claims?

Up to $7,000, with two exceptions the courts describe: claims for property damage caused by an automobile accident are not capped at $7,000, and statutory damages (as in some consumer-protection or landlord-tenant cases) can exceed it.

What does it cost to file?

$40 to $150 depending on the claim amount, per the court's fee schedule, plus $7 if e-filed. The clerk-magistrate's office confirms the current total — verify before filing.

Which court do I file in?

A BMC or District Court division where at least one plaintiff or one defendant lives, works, or has a place of business — or, for landlord-tenant matters, the Housing Court or division where the rental property is located. The trial-court locator on mass.gov lists each division's territory.

Related guides

Form link verified: 2026-07-04. Reviewed against our Editorial Standards.

This is general information to help you understand the form — not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Courts revise forms, fees, and procedures; the court's own instructions and your court clerk are the authoritative sources. Always verify with the court before filing.