{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/limited-guaranty","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/limited-guaranty","data_freshness":{"sba_records_through":"2026-05-31","fdic_records_through":"2026-03-31","dealroom_last_updated":"2026-06-15","timezone":"America/Chicago"},"source_summary":["Public SBA 7(a) loan records","FDIC institution data","DealRoom lender and franchise enrichment"],"term":{"slug":"limited-guaranty","term":"Limited Guaranty","group":"People and paperwork","definition":"A personal guarantee that caps the guarantor's liability at a specific amount or for specific obligations, rather than covering the entire debt. It limits personal financial exposure.","what_it_means":"While the SBA generally requires an unlimited personal guarantee from all owners of 20% or more, a limited guaranty might be used for certain non-owner affiliates or in specific situations. However, for the primary buyer of a business, expect to sign an unlimited personal guarantee.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/limited-guaranty","official_sources":[{"slug":"sop-50-10","title":"SOP 50 10 — Lender and Development Company Loan Programs","official_url":"https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs","official_label":"View on SBA.gov","authority_tier":2,"publisher":"U.S. Small Business Administration","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/sop-50-10"},{"slug":"13-cfr-part-120","title":"13 CFR Part 120 — Business Loans","official_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/chapter-I/part-120","official_label":"View on eCFR","authority_tier":1,"publisher":"Office of the Federal Register","source_guide_url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/sources/13-cfr-part-120"}],"related":[{"slug":"personal-guarantee","term":"Personal guarantee","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/personal-guarantee"},{"slug":"guaranty","term":"Guaranty","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/guaranty"},{"slug":"lender-recourse","term":"Lender Recourse","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/lender-recourse"},{"slug":"collateral","term":"Collateral","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/collateral"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Can the personal guaranty be limited for certain passive investors or minority owners?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/can-the-personal-guaranty-be-limited-for-certain-passive-investors-or-minority-owners"},{"question":"How does an unlimited personal guaranty differ from a limited one for an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/how-does-an-unlimited-personal-guaranty-differ-from-a-limited-one-for-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"How does the SBA differentiate between a general partner and a limited partner for personal guaranty requirements?","url":"https://dealroom.so/for-lenders/questions/how-does-the-sba-differentiate-between-a-general-partner-and-a-limited-partner-for-persona"},{"question":"What if the primary business assets are specialized machinery with limited resale value?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-the-primary-business-assets-are-specialized-machinery-with-limited-resale-value"},{"question":"What if the business I'm buying has limited tangible assets for collateral?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-the-business-i-m-buying-has-limited-tangible-assets-for-collateral"},{"question":"What if the business I'm acquiring is a startup with limited operating history?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/what-if-the-business-i-m-acquiring-is-a-startup-with-limited-operating-history"}]},"caveats":["Definitions represent DealRoom's plain-English interpretation for buyers; verify regulatory terms against the official SBA and eCFR sources listed.","Not legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an SBA eligibility determination."],"citation":{"label":"DealRoom.so Glossary — Limited Guaranty","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/limited-guaranty","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}