{"ok":true,"canonical_url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/maximum-loan-limit","api_url":"https://dealroom.so/api/public/glossary/maximum-loan-limit","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":"maximum-loan-limit","term":"Maximum loan limit","group":"The loan itself","definition":"This is the highest dollar amount the SBA will guarantee for a single 7(a) loan to any one borrower. For 7(a), it's currently $5 million.","what_it_means":"Your 7(a) loan cannot exceed the SBA's maximum loan limit of $5 million. This limit applies to the total principal amount of the loan, not just the guaranteed portion. If your total project costs exceed what a $5 million loan can cover, you'll need more equity or a seller note to bridge the gap.","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/maximum-loan-limit","official_sources":[{"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"},{"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"}],"related":[{"slug":"aggregate-outstanding-principal-balance","term":"Aggregate outstanding principal balance","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/aggregate-outstanding-principal-balance"},{"slug":"7a-loan","term":"7(a) loan","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/7a-loan"},{"slug":"total-project-costs","term":"Total project costs","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/total-project-costs"},{"slug":"equity-injection","term":"Equity injection","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/equity-injection"}],"related_questions":[{"question":"Is there a maximum dollar limit for an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/is-there-a-maximum-dollar-limit-for-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"Is there a maximum age limit for a business to be eligible for an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/is-there-a-maximum-age-limit-for-a-business-to-be-eligible-for-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"Is there an age limit for business owners to get an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/is-there-an-age-limit-for-business-owners-to-get-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"Is there an income limit for my business to be \"small\" by SBA rules?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/is-there-an-income-limit-for-my-business-to-be-small-by-sba-rules"},{"question":"Is there a limit to how much money a business can get from an SBA 7(a) loan?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-loans/basics/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-money-a-business-can-get-from-an-sba-7-a-loan"},{"question":"Is there a limit on the amount of business goodwill that an SBA 7(a) loan can finance?","url":"https://dealroom.so/sba-7a/questions/is-there-a-limit-on-the-amount-of-business-goodwill-that-an-sba-7-a-loan-can-finance"}]},"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 — Maximum loan limit","url":"https://dealroom.so/glossary/maximum-loan-limit","source_type":"DealRoom Data"}}