Topstep Rules: Maximum Loss Limit, 55% Consistency Rule and Prohibited Conduct by Account Size
- As of 2026-11-04, you pass the Topstep Trading Combine by reaching the profit target ($3,000 on 50K), never touching the Maximum Loss Limit ($2,000 on 50K), keeping your best day at 55% or less of total profit, and trading at least 2 days.
- The Maximum Loss Limit is monitored including intraday unrealized losses, rises with your end-of-day balance and stops at the starting balance.
- Positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT on weekdays. Hedging between your own accounts and placing orders through a VPN or VPS are prohibited.
What are the Topstep Combine rules to pass?
The Topstep evaluation (Trading Combine) has 4 conditions: reach the profit target, never touch the Maximum Loss Limit (MLL), meet the 55% consistency rule and trade at least 2 days. You cannot pass in 1 day.
You also have to follow the maximum position size and trading hours, but these 4 conditions decide whether you pass. There is no deadline, and you can keep trying as long as your subscription is active.
| Condition | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profit target | $3,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 |
| Consistency rule | Best day at 55% or less of total profit | Same | Same |
| Minimum days | 2 days | 2 days | 2 days |
Sources for this section (5)
Source: Official help: Combine rules / Official help: Max drawdown / Official help: Consistency / Official help: Subscriptions / Official help: Pricing
Topstep Trading Combine rules by account size
The Topstep Trading Combine comes in 3 sizes: 50K, 100K and 150K. Larger sizes have a larger profit target and Maximum Loss Limit and allow more contracts. The table below includes figures beyond the pass conditions.
| Item | 50K | 100K | 150K |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profit target | $3,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,500 |
| Maximum position size | 5 mini / 50 micro | 10 mini / 100 micro | 15 mini / 150 micro |
| Optional DLL (set at purchase) | $1,000 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| Best day guide (55%) | Under $1,650 | Under $3,300 | Under $4,950 |
1Rules on account count, resets and profiles
- There is no limit on how many Combines you can hold or buy.
- You can reset up to 2 times per account per calendar day.
- Each person may have 1 profile. Holding multiple profiles violates the terms.
- Profit at the time you pass does not carry over to the XFA.
- With an active Combine, you can use a 150K practice account (up to 15 lots) for free. Practice account resets are also free.
All prices are before tax. Local VAT or similar taxes may be added at purchase.
Sources for this section (6)
Source: Official help: Combine rules / Official help: Consistency / Official help: XFA / Official help: Reset limits / Official help: Article / Official help: Pricing
How does the Topstep Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) work?
The Topstep Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) is the line where the account ends if your balance falls to it. It is a trailing drawdown, common at futures prop firms, and at Topstep it moves on an end-of-day basis.
It rises end of day, but is monitored intraday including unrealized P&L
Whether you touched the MLL is checked in real time, including intraday unrealized P&L. The MLL line itself rises only when your end-of-day balance rises. Intraday unrealized gains do not push the line up.
Once the MLL rises, it does not come back down. The official help center states there are no adjustments or exceptions to the MLL.
Example of locking at the starting balance (50K)
A 50K Combine starts with a $50,000 balance and an MLL of $48,000. As the end-of-day balance rises, the MLL rises by the same amount, and it stops once it reaches the $50,000 starting balance.
| End-of-day balance | MLL | Status |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 (start) | $48,000 | Start |
| $50,500 | $48,500 | Rises $500 |
| $50,200 (down the next day) | $48,500 | Does not fall |
| $52,000 | $50,000 | Locked at the starting balance |
| $53,000 | $50,000 | Stays put after locking |
What happens when you hit the MLL?
If you touch the MLL in the Combine, that account loses its eligibility for funding. Your subscription continues, though, and you can keep trading for practice. You get 1 Reset Credit at the next renewal, and using a reset moves your next billing date back 30 days. Reset Credits issued on or after 2025-12-11 expire 1 year after issue.
If you touch the MLL in the XFA, the account is closed. The XFA MLL moves differently from the Combine, as explained under the XFA and Live rules below.
Sources for this section (2)
What is the Topstep consistency rule (Consistency Target 55%)?
The Topstep consistency rule says the profit on your best day must be 55% or less of your total profit. Going over does not fail you; it raises your profit target instead.
The formula, and how the profit target rises when you go over
The formula is best day profit / total profit <= 55%. If your best day is so large that it exceeds 55%, the profit target rises to best day / 0.55. There is no rounding and no buffer.
| 50K best day | Total profit needed | Profit target |
|---|---|---|
| $1,500 | $3,000 (original target) | $3,000 |
| $1,650 | $3,000 | $3,000 (exactly 55%) |
| $2,000 | $3,636.36... | Raised |
| $2,500 | $4,545.45... | Raised |
The official help center gives best day guides of under $1,650 on 50K, under $3,300 on 100K and under $4,950 on 150K. If you stop each day's profit below these amounts, the profit target stays at its original level.
When the best day becomes final, and how losing days count
The best day is finalized at 3:10 PM CT each trading day. Losing days do not reset the best day. A large winning day stays on record for the whole Combine.
How it differs from the old rule (50% + buffer)
The Combine consistency rule used to be 50% plus a buffer. It is now 55% with no buffer. The help center does not state when this changed, so the timing is Under review. If older sources show different numbers, check the official help center.
The payout consistency rule (40% in XFA Consistency) is a separate rule. Payout conditions are covered in our Topstep payout article.
See the Topstep payout rules and methods
Source: Official help: Consistency
Is the Topstep Daily Loss Limit (DLL) required?
The Topstep Daily Loss Limit (DLL) is optional in the Combine and the XFA. If you want it, you set it when buying the Combine, and it cannot be changed later. The DLL you set carries over to the XFA as is.
- DLL amount: 50K $1,000, 100K $2,000, 150K $3,000
- When you hit it: not a rule violation; trading just stops for the day
- Resuming: from 5 PM CT at the next session
- Separate tool: you can also set your own Personal DLL (fixed or trailing)
Adding a DLL also comes with benefits. On the No Activation Fee Path, adding a DLL at Combine purchase lowers the monthly price by $10 on 50K, $20 on 100K and $30 on 150K, applied every month.
Also, since 2026-06-02, adding a DLL at Combine purchase doubles the XFA per-payout cap for a limited time. No end date has been announced. Adding it at XFA activation or at Back2Funded does not qualify.
The DLL is required in the Live Funded Account. See the table below for the amounts.
See Topstep pricing and plan differences
Sources for this section (3)
Source: Official help: XFA / Official help: Pricing / Official help: Payouts
How do the Topstep XFA and Live rules differ (Scaling Plan)?
After passing the Topstep Combine, you move to the simulated Express Funded Account (XFA). The XFA has no profit target; instead, a Scaling Plan sets your contract count based on your balance. The Live Funded Account (LFA) is a real-capital account that the risk team invites traders into.
| Item | Trading Combine | XFA | Live (LFA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profit target | $3,000 on 50K, etc. | None | Targets for releasing the reserve |
| MLL | Trails from the starting balance and locks at the starting balance | Trails from -$2,000 on 50K, etc., locks at $0, fixed at $0 after the first payout | Liquidated and closed below a $1,000 balance |
| DLL | Optional | Optional (carried over from the Combine) | Required |
| Contract rules | Maximum position by size | Scaling Plan | Starting maximum position, expanded with performance |
| Accounts at once | No limit | Up to 5 accounts | 1 account only |
| Inactivity | Not stated | May close after more than 30 days | May close after more than 30 days |
The XFA MLL starts from $0
The XFA starting balance is $0 (50K and other sizes show buying power). The MLL trails from -$2,000 on 50K, -$3,000 on 100K and -$4,500 on 150K, and locks once it reaches $0. After your first payout, the MLL is fixed at $0.
Scaling Plan and micro:mini at 10:1
Your maximum XFA position depends on your balance and does not increase during a session. Micro and mini contracts count at 10:1. Micro Silver counts at 5:1, or 2 micros, and MBT and MET count the same as minis toward the limit.
Exceeding the limit for less than 10 seconds is not penalized. Exceeding it for 10 seconds or more triggers a review.
The contract table by balance for standard products is posted as an image in the official help center, and the figures are Under review. Prop Up does not publish numbers read from the image.
Other XFA rules
- You can hold up to 5 XFAs at once. Mixing sizes and payout types (Standard and Consistency) is allowed.
- The XFA size and type cannot be changed later.
- An account with no trading for more than 30 days may be closed, and it cannot be put on hold.
Live (LFA) rules
| LFA size | Required DLL | Starting max position |
|---|---|---|
| $25K | $1,000 | 3 |
| $50K | $2,000 | 5 |
| $100K | $3,000 | 10 |
| $150K | $4,500 | 15 |
| $250K | $5,000 | 15 |
In the LFA, if your tradable balance is $10,000 or less, the DLL drops to $2,000 with a maximum of 5 contracts, and at $5,000 or less to a DLL of $1,000 with a maximum of 3 contracts (updated every Friday). There is also Dynamic Live Risk Expansion, which raises your contract count as you profit.
Moving to Live closes all your XFAs, and you cannot decline and keep the XFAs.
See Topstep payouts and Live conditions
Sources for this section (8)
Source: Official help: XFA / Official help: Max drawdown / Official help: Scaling / Official help: Product limits / Official help: Live funded / Official help: Article / Official help: TopstepX / Official help: Combine rules
Topstep trading hours, the overnight ban and news trading limits
Trading hours and no overnight holding
Topstep allows day trading only. Holding positions overnight or over the weekend is not allowed. The trading day runs from 5:00 PM CT to 3:10 PM CT the next day.
| Time (CT) | Applies to | Positions | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday 5:00 PM | Start of the week | New positions allowed | Trading week opens |
| Weekdays 3:08 PM | Every trading day | Closed by risk management | Risk management starts closing positions |
| Weekdays 3:10 PM | Every trading day | Must be flat | All positions must be closed by this time |
| Weekdays 5:00 PM | Every trading day | New positions allowed | Next trading day begins |
Plan to be flat before the daily close. After 3:08 PM CT, risk management starts closing any remaining positions.
Limits around economic releases
Topstep restricts trading for 5 minutes before and after Tier 1 economic releases (CPI, the FOMC statement and press conference, NFP, PPI), 10 minutes in total. In simulated accounts, you cannot open new positions in equity index and metals minis, and micros are limited to a count set by account size. You can still hold and manage existing positions.
| Account size | Micro limit | MHG and SIL limit |
|---|---|---|
| 25K | 1 contract | 1 contract |
| 50K | 3 contracts | 2 contracts |
| 100K | 6 contracts | 5 contracts |
| 150K | 9 contracts | 7 contracts |
| 250K | 15 contracts | 12 contracts |
Other products such as energy, interest rates and FX are not covered by this restriction. In Live, the limit is 1 contract when the balance is below $3,000. The release times are not listed in the relevant help center article, so Prop Up does not list them.
Contract limits on high-volatility products
Some products have separate contract limits in the Combine, XFA and Pro Account. Figures are listed as 50K / 100K / 150K.
- CL, RB, HO, QM: 3 / 6 / 9
- MCL: 30 / 60 / 90
- GC: 3 / 6 / 9
- MGC: 30 / 60 / 90
- SI, HG, PL: 0 (not tradable)
- SIL, MHG: 2 / 5 / 7
In the LFA, MCL is 3 / 6 / 9, MGC is 5 / 10 / 15, and SIL and MHG are 2 / 4 / 6. Holding positions within 2% of the price limit is also prohibited.
Sources for this section (3)
Source: Official help: Hours and products / Official help: Product limits / Official help: Prohibited conduct
What is prohibited at Topstep, and what happens if you break the rules?
Topstep's prohibited activities are collected in 2 help center articles: prohibited conduct and prohibited strategies.
Prohibited conduct
- Hedging between your own accounts (opposite positions in the same or correlated products, for example MES and ES, MNQ and NQ)
- Using a VPN, proxy or TOR, or placing orders through a VPS or remote server
- Getting around geographic or technical restrictions
- Trading on behalf of others, or coordinated trading with others
- Exploiting price display or data delays, spoofing, using external or delayed data feeds
- Buying more Combines or resets than needed, or making improper chargebacks
- Holding multiple profiles
Prohibited strategies
- Account stacking
- Trading to deliberately draw down a Live account
- Unfair trading using software, AI, ultra-fast systems or large data inputs
- Trades far removed from the real market, or orders away from the best bid and offer
- Entering major releases at maximum position size
- Exploiting simulated fills (hundreds of rapid trades, targeting abnormal fills on gaps, narrow bracket orders and similar)
Automated trading is allowed with conditions, but there is no help with setup and no relief for malfunctions. The TopstepX API is for the Sim environment and costs $29 per month. Our TopstepX article covers the details.
See how TopstepX works and the automated trading conditions
What happens if you break the rules
The Topstep Trust Team reviews the case and takes one of these actions: a warning, removal of trading days, a reset, permanent closure, or a delayed or denied payout. Disputes are accepted only if Topstep contacts you.
Repeated violations (such as hedging between accounts) place you in the Focused Trader Program: all accounts are closed with no refund, pending payouts are denied, and for 6 months you are limited to a single $50K account. A ban permanently ends access and forfeits balances. You can appeal only once through help@topstep.com, and new profiles created after a ban are closed immediately with no refund.
Sources for this section (7)
Source: Official help: Prohibited conduct / Official help: Prohibited conduct 2 / Official help: Hedging / Official help: Combine rules / Official help: TopstepX / Official help: Focused Trader / Official help: Article
How have the Topstep rules changed?
These are the main changes related to Topstep rules (checked in the official help center on 2026-11-04).
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| Under review | Combine consistency rule changed from 50% plus a buffer to 55% with no buffer |
| 2025-12-11 | Reset Credits issued on or after this date expire after 1 year |
| 2026-05-29 | Back2Funded reactivation window extended from 7 days to 30 days |
| 2026-06-02 | Limited time: adding a DLL at Combine purchase doubles the XFA payout cap |
| 2026-09-21 | Terms of use updated |
| 2026-10-01 | Exchange fees revised for MCL and MNG (up $0.10 per side) |
Before you start trading, check the update dates and figures in the official help center again.
Sources for this section (6)
Source: Official help: Consistency / Official help: Resets / Official help: Back2Funded / Official help: Payouts / Official terms of use / Official help: Commissions
Topstep FAQ
Is the Topstep consistency rule 50%?
The current Trading Combine uses 55%. Your best day must be 55% or less of total profit, and if it goes over, the profit target rises to best day / 0.55. The old 50% plus buffer rule has been retired, and there is no buffer.
What is the fastest you can pass the Topstep Combine?
Is the Topstep Maximum Loss Limit (MLL) trailing?
Yes. It is monitored intraday including unrealized P&L, and the MLL line rises with your end-of-day balance and never falls. In the Combine, it locks once it reaches the starting balance ($50,000 on 50K).
Can you hold positions overnight or over the weekend at Topstep?
No. All positions must be closed by 3:10 PM CT on weekdays, and risk management starts closing positions at 3:08 PM CT.
Is hedging allowed at Topstep?
How many Topstep XFAs can you hold?
Can you trade during economic releases at Topstep?
For 5 minutes before and after CPI, FOMC, NFP and PPI, you cannot open new equity index or metals mini positions, and micros are limited by size, such as 3 contracts on 50K. You can manage existing positions. Energy, interest rates and FX are not covered.