Massachusetts Small Claims Court Forms: Every Form You Need to File

The Core Filing Form

The Statement of Small Claim and Notice of Suit is the document that starts your case. Every plaintiff files this form, whether online, in person, or by mail. It asks for:

• Your name and address (the plaintiff)
• The defendant's exact legal name and address
• The amount you're claiming and a brief description of why the defendant owes you
• Which court division you're filing in and why that venue is correct

Getting the defendant's name right matters more than people expect. An individual must be named by their legal first and last name. A business operating under a trade name needs both the owner's name and the DBA (for example, "John Doe d/b/a Doe's Plumbing"). Corporations and LLCs must be named exactly as registered with the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Corporations Division.

The form is available as a downloadable PDF from Mass.gov or through the online Guide & File interview tool on eFileMA.

Form MA-DC-SC-7: Verification of Defendant's Address

This form is mandatory if you're filing a claim that arose from your trade or business, or if you're pursuing an assigned debt. Under Uniform Small Claims Rule 2(b), you must certify the specific methods you used to verify the defendant's mailing address.

The stakes are real: if you're a commercial plaintiff who doesn't file this form and the defendant doesn't show up, the court cannot enter a default judgment. Your case stalls even though the defendant never appeared.

Regular individuals suing over a personal dispute (a security deposit, a contractor who took a deposit, a neighbor's property damage) do not need this form.

Affidavit of Indigency

If court fees would be a financial hardship, file the Affidavit of Indigency alongside your Statement of Claim. It requests a waiver of the filing fee under M.G.L. c. 261, §§ 27A–27G. You qualify if you receive means-tested public assistance, your income falls below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, or paying the fee would prevent you from meeting basic needs.

A Supplement to Affidavit of Indigency covers additional costs that come up later (like paying for constable service when mail service fails).

Form MA-DC-SC-8: Agreement for Judgment and Payment Order

This form comes into play if you and the defendant settle before or during the hearing. Both parties sign it, and the magistrate approves it as an enforceable court order. It specifies the agreed payment amount, any payment schedule, and the consequences of not paying.

You don't prepare this form in advance — it's available at the courthouse on hearing day if a settlement is reached.

Appeal Forms

Form MA-DCA SC / HC (Defendant's Claim of Appeal) — only a losing defendant can appeal a small claims decision. The defendant must file this form within 10 calendar days of receiving the judgment notice, pay the appellate filing fee, and post a $100 appeal bond. The appeal results in a completely new trial (de novo) before a District Court judge or Jury of Six.

Plaintiffs who lose in small claims have no appeal right under M.G.L. c. 218, § 23, with one narrow exception: if the defendant filed a counterclaim and the ruling on that counterclaim went against you.

Where to Get the Forms

All forms are free from Mass.gov's court forms page. The online route through eFileMA's Guide & File interview generates the Statement of Claim based on your answers — you don't need to download and fill out the PDF separately.

For in-person filing, print the forms, complete them, and bring one copy for each defendant plus one for yourself. The Court Service Centers at major courthouses can help you locate the right forms, though staff cannot tell you how to fill in the legal details.

For the full filing sequence — which forms to file first, how to fill in the claim description, and what to prepare for the hearing — see our Massachusetts Small Claims Filing Guide.

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