Prop Firm Contract Limits and Position Size

A contract limit is the largest position a prop firm lets you hold at once. On a 50K futures account, the most common limit is 4 mini contracts or 40 micros. Going over it can break a rule even on a winning trade, and some firms raise the limit as your account grows.

Key takeaways

• Contract limits cap your position size. Drawdown caps your losses. You need both.
• Among 50K futures programs we track, 4 minis or 40 micros is the most common limit, set by 11 programs.
• Most firms count ten micros as one mini, but check how your program counts them.
• The limit is the most you can trade, not the right amount. Size to your drawdown first.

What is a contract limit?

A contract limit, also called maximum position size, is the total number of contracts you can have open at one time. If your limit is 4 minis and you hold 3 long, you can add 1 more, but not 2. Firms set it by account size, so larger accounts get larger limits.

The limit exists because size and drawdown work together. A $2,000 drawdown means very different things on 1 contract and on 10.

What are typical limits by account size?

On 50K futures accounts, when we checked on September 26 and 27, 2026, the most common limits were:

• 4 minis or 40 micros: 11 programs
• 3 minis or 30 micros: 8 programs
• 5 minis or 50 micros: 4 programs
• 6 minis or 60 micros: 4 programs

Smaller accounts sit lower, and 150K accounts often allow 10 minis or more. Each firm page lists the limit for every size.

How do micros and minis count?

A micro contract is one-tenth the size of a mini. On the Nasdaq-100, one point is worth $2 on the micro (MNQ) and $20 on the mini (NQ). Most firms count ten micros as one mini against your limit, which is why limits are written as "4 minis or 40 micros". A few set separate limits for each. Micro vs mini contracts covers the math.

What is a scaling plan?

A scaling plan starts you with a smaller limit and raises it as your profit grows. For example, a funded account might start at half the maximum size and unlock the full limit after a set profit. Scaling plans are more common in funded accounts than in evaluations, and the steps are listed on the firm's rules page.

How should you size inside the limit?

Start from your drawdown, not the limit. Say your 50K account has a $2,000 drawdown and a 4-mini limit. If your stop is 20 points on NQ, one mini risks $400, and four minis risk $1,600, or 80% of your drawdown on a single trade. The limit allows it, but one loss would leave you almost nothing.

At one mini, or a few micros, the same stop risks a small share of your room. That's the position the limit was never meant to stop you from taking.

Common questions

What happens if I go over the contract limit?

Depending on the firm, the extra position may be closed automatically, or it may count as a rule break. Stay under it.

Do pending orders count toward the limit?

Usually only filled positions count, but some platforms block orders that would exceed the limit. Check your firm's rules.

Does the limit change once I'm funded?

It can, especially with a scaling plan. Read both the evaluation and funded rules. For the full rule set, start with prop firm drawdown rules.

How we got these numbers

Figures come from each firm's published rules, reviewed by a person and dated September 26–27, 2026. Confirm current terms on the firm's site. See our methodology.