Middlesex County Small Claims Court (District Courts, MA): How to File
Middlesex County small claims: the court, limit, fees, where to file and case lookup. Checked 2026-10-27.
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Quick answer: In Middlesex County, small claims up to $7,000 are heard in the District Court. There are 12 district courts in the county. You can usually file where you or the defendant lives or works. Filing costs $40 to $150; e-filing adds $7.
This independent guide covers small claims cases in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, including Cambridge, Lowell, Newton, Somerville, Framingham, Waltham, Malden, Medford, Woburn and Marlborough. Small Claims Coach is not the court; we link to the court's official pages throughout.
Checked on 2026-10-27 against the mass.gov court pages and the Massachusetts General Laws. Sources are listed below. Jump to court addresses and phones ↓ For the statewide rules, see our Massachusetts small claims guide.
Filing in Middlesex County? See a filled-in sample first.
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Middlesex County small claims court: the District Court
- Court: the District Court Department (G.L. c. 218, § 21). Housing Court may also hear some claims about rental housing; ask the Housing Court clerk.
- Limit: contract or tort claims (not slander or libel) up to $7,000. The cap doesn't apply to property damage caused by a motor vehicle.
- Claims may carry statutory damages above $7,000 (for example consumer protection or some landlord-tenant cases).
Which district court do I file in?
- Your choice: file in the judicial district where either the plaintiff or the defendant lives or has a usual place of business or employment (c. 218, § 21).
- Claims against a residential landlord about the rental may also be filed where the property is.
- Find the town in each court's "serves" list below. Each town is served by exactly one district court.
Addresses, phone numbers and hours
Courthouse hours: all 12 courts, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., from each court's mass.gov location page. Court rules set clerk's office hours at 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., so plan to file before 4.
Ayer District Court
Address: 25 East Main St., Ayer, MA 01432
Phone: (978) 772-2100
Serves: Ashby, Ayer, Boxborough, Dunstable, Groton, Littleton, Pepperell, Shirley, Townsend, Westford, Devens Regional Enterprise Zone
Cambridge District Court
Address: 4040 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford, MA 02155
Phone: (781) 306-2715 (Clerk)
Serves: Cambridge, Arlington, Belmont
Concord District Court
Address: 305 Walden St., Concord, MA 01742
Phone: (978) 369-0500
Serves: Concord, Carlisle, Lincoln, Lexington, Bedford, Acton, Maynard, Stow
Framingham District Court
Address: 600 Concord St., Framingham, MA 01701
Phone: (508) 875-7461 (Clerk)
Serves: Ashland, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Sudbury, Wayland
Lowell District Court
Address: 370 Jackson St., Lowell, MA 01852
Phone: (978) 459-4101
Serves: Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro
Malden District Court
Address: 4040 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford, MA 02155
Phone: (781) 322-7500
Serves: Malden, Melrose, Everett, Wakefield
Marlborough District Court
Address: 45 Williams St., Marlborough, MA 01752
Phone: (508) 485-3700 (Clerk)
Serves: Marlborough, Hudson
Natick District Court
Address: 600 Concord St., Framingham, MA 01701 (sits in Framingham)
Phone: (508) 620-9110
Serves: Natick, Sherborn
Newton District Court
Address: 1309 Washington St., West Newton, MA 02465
Phone: (617) 244-3600
Serves: Newton
Somerville District Court
Address: 175 Fellsway, Somerville, MA 02145
Phone: (617) 666-8000
Serves: Medford, Somerville
Waltham District Court
Address: 38 Linden Street, Waltham, MA 02452
Phone: (781) 894-4500
Serves: Waltham, Watertown, Weston
Woburn District Court
Address: 30 Pleasant Street, Woburn, MA 01801
Phone: (781) 935-4000 (Civil Department x258)
Serves: Burlington, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Wilmington, Winchester, Woburn
How much does small claims cost in Middlesex County?
From the mass.gov small claims page:
- $500 and under: $40
- $501 to $2,000: $50
- $2,001 to $5,000: $100
- $5,001 to $7,000: $150
- Above $7,000 (car accident property damage): $150
- Service fee if you e-file: $7
- Fees can change; confirm with the clerk's office of your district court before you file.
Can I e-file in Middlesex County?
Yes. You can file online through the state's guided interview, with a $7 eFiling fee. You can also print the forms and file in person, or mail the form and fee to the Clerk-Magistrate's office.
Middlesex County small claims forms: the Statement of Small Claim
You start the case with the Statement of Small Claim and Notice of Trial. See the mass.gov small claims page.
How to file in Middlesex County, step by step
- Make sure your claim is $7,000 or less (unless it's car-accident property damage).
- Pick the district court for your town or the defendant's town.
- Complete the guided interview or the Statement of Small Claim.
- File online, in person or by mail, and pay the fee.
- Go to your hearing with your evidence.
- If you're the defendant and lost after a hearing, you may appeal within 10 days after written notice of the decision. A defendant who missed the hearing may not appeal, and the plaintiff has no right of appeal. Statewide rules are in our Massachusetts guide.
Ready to fill in your own form?
The steps above are free. The Playbook helps you do each one: a filled-in sample of the Massachusetts Statement of Small Claim and Notice of Trial with every box explained, plus your Massachusetts Playbook section with a made-up step-by-step filing example, what to expect at your hearing, collecting a judgment, and a Massachusetts day-of plan.
You also get prep guides that work in any state: a document checklist, exhibit labels, a prep timeline and a hearing-day outline. $149 for your first year (introductory offer), then $199 a year. Join now.
How to look up a Middlesex County small claims case
- Each court's mass.gov location page links to "Search court dockets, calendars, and case information". We couldn't confirm the search steps; ask your district court's clerk.
What does it cost to collect a judgment?
Winning doesn't mean you get paid automatically. Collection fees weren't on the pages we checked; ask the clerk's office of your district court.
Fee waivers and venue changes
- Can't afford the fees? Ask the clerk what options the court offers.
- Housing Court: may hear some rental-housing claims. Ask the Housing Court clerk whether yours qualifies.
- Appeal: the plaintiff has no right of appeal from a decision. A defendant who defaulted (missed the hearing) may not appeal. A defendant who lost after a hearing may appeal within 10 days after receiving written notice of the magistrate's decision, with the $25 appeal fee (non-refundable) and a $100 appeal bond or deposit; both may be reduced or waived if you're indigent. The new trial is before a judge or a jury of six in the District Court. If you lost on a counterclaim, ask the clerk about your options.
Coach's Tips for Middlesex County
- File in your own town. In Massachusetts you can usually file in the district court for YOUR town, not just the defendant's.
- Check the serves list, not the name. Cambridge and Malden district courts both sit in Medford, but Medford residents file at Somerville District Court.
- Car accidents are different. The $7,000 cap doesn't apply to property damage caused by a motor vehicle.
Middlesex County small claims checklist
- My claim is $7,000 or less, or it's car-accident property damage.
- I found the district court that serves my town or the defendant's.
- My Statement of Small Claim is ready.
- I budgeted the filing fee.
- My evidence is organized.
Middlesex County small claims FAQ
What is the small claims limit in Middlesex County?
$7,000. The cap doesn't apply to property damage caused by a motor vehicle.
How much does it cost to file small claims in Middlesex County?
$40 for $500 and under, $50 for $501 to $2,000, $100 for $2,001 to $5,000, and $150 for $5,001 to $7,000. E-filing adds a $7 service fee.
Which court handles small claims in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
Small claims in Middlesex County are filed in one of 12 District Courts, such as Cambridge, Lowell, Framingham or Woburn. Rental-property claims can also go to Housing Court.
Can I file small claims in my own town's District Court?
Yes. You can file where at least one plaintiff lives, works or has a business, or where at least one defendant lives, works or has a place of business.
What form starts a small claims case in Massachusetts?
The Statement of Small Claim and Notice of Trial. You can complete it with the online guided interview and eFile it, bring it to court, or mail it to the Clerk-Magistrate's office.
Who hears a small claims case in a Middlesex District Court?
Massachusetts law allows small claims to be heard in the first instance by a clerk-magistrate of the District Court.
Why do Cambridge and Malden District Courts list a Medford address?
Both sit at 4040 Mystic Valley Parkway, Medford. Medford residents file at Somerville District Court, so check which towns each court serves.
Sources
- mass.gov: File a small claim
- mass.gov: What to do if you lose your small claims case
- G.L. c. 218, § 21
- G.L. c. 218, § 23
Checked 2026-10-27.
More for Massachusetts: Massachusetts small claims guide · Ready to sue · Just got sued · How to serve small claims papers · What to say on hearing day
Free: the Small Claims Starter Kit (basic timeline and checklists).
You do the work. The Playbook hands you the plays.
This page covers where and how to file in Middlesex County. The Playbook coaches you from filing to hearing day: a filled-in sample of the Massachusetts Statement of Small Claim and Notice of Trial, your Massachusetts Playbook section, and step-by-step prep guides. $149 for your first year (introductory offer), then $199 a year. Join now.
Small Claims Coach is built to help you handle your case yourself, without a lawyer. But if your situation is complicated, doesn't fit our samples, or a deadline is close, you may want to call a lawyer.
Small Claims Coach uses public information to build the Playbook, which coaches you as you organize and present your own case. We are not your lawyer, there is no attorney-client relationship, and we don't want the details of your case.
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice.