Apex Trader Funding rules (2026): evaluation, PA, payout, every rule with a date
The rules in force on Apex evaluations and Performance Accounts after 4.0, each with its source and the date it changed.
Every Apex rule, with its source and date
The rules in force on Apex Trader Funding evaluations and Performance Accounts as of September 2026, each with where it is published and when it changed. Most dates read 1 March 2026 because the 4.0 rulebook rewrote the funded stage; the rules card is the one-screen summary.
| Rule | Current value | Source | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drawdown model | EOD trailing or Intraday trailing, sold as separate products; same amounts ($2,500 on 50K); same model on the Performance Account | apextraderfunding.com, help center | 1 Mar 2026 (4.0) |
| Daily loss limit | EOD evaluations: soft, pauses the day without ending the account; Intraday evaluations: none; PA: tiered | help center | 1 Mar 2026 |
| Maximum adverse excursion rule | removed | 4.0 rulebook | 1 Mar 2026 |
| 5:1 risk-reward rule | removed | 4.0 rulebook | 1 Mar 2026 |
| Minimum days | none in the evaluation (one-day pass possible); 5 qualifying days per PA payout request | help center | standing |
| Consistency | 50% at every PA payout: the largest day may not exceed half of the amount requested (was 30%) | help center | 1 Mar 2026 |
| Safety Net | starting balance + trailing drawdown + $100 (about $52,600 on 50K); reaching it on an end-of-day balance locks the floor at start + $100 and unlocks the full contract tier | help center | standing |
| Contract caps | evaluation 6 on 50K; PA opens at 2, full 4 at the Safety Net; 100K: card says 8, one source 16, verify | help center, trackers | standing |
| Payout ladder | 6 payouts per PA with rising caps ($1,500 first request on a 50K EOD, $3,000 on the sixth); $500 minimum; balance must stay above the Safety Net | help center | standing |
| Split | 100% of the first $25,000 per account, then 90/10 | help center | standing |
| Bracket orders | mandatory on Rithmic and Tradovate: every order needs a stop and a target | 4.0 rulebook | 1 Mar 2026 |
| Resets | discontinued; a breached PA is closed | 4.0 rulebook | 1 Mar 2026 |
| Fees | one-time evaluation fee with 30 days of access; passed accounts activated within 7 calendar days | 4.0 rulebook | 1 Mar 2026 |
| Automation | fully automated trading prohibited on the PA; semi-automated with a human in the loop allowed | help center | standing |
| News | allowed | help center | standing |
| Hours and inactivity | flat before the 4:59 pm ET close; a PA with no trades for 30 days is closed permanently | help center | standing |
| Legacy accounts | accounts bought before 1 March 2026 keep their original rules | 4.0 announcement | 1 Mar 2026 |
What changed in 2026
One date, eight changes: on 1 March 2026 Apex 4.0 replaced the subscription with a one-time fee, split EOD and Intraday into separate products, removed the MAE and 5:1 rules, loosened PA consistency from 30% to 50%, discontinued resets, made bracket orders mandatory and gave legacy accounts their old rules. Detail: Apex 4.0, what changed.
Evaluation, PA, payout: where each rule bites
Evaluation: the trailing drawdown is the only hard rule on Intraday products; EOD products add a soft daily limit. Performance Account: half the contract tier until the Safety Net, a tiered daily loss limit, bracket orders, no bots, 30-day inactivity. Payout: 5 qualifying days, 50% consistency, the Safety Net and the six-payout ladder, all at once. Deeper: EOD vs Intraday, PA payout rules; head-to-head with Topstep and MFF; all 40 firms on the comparison table.
FAQ
What are the Apex trading rules in 2026?
A trailing drawdown (EOD or Intraday, chosen at purchase), a soft daily limit on EOD evaluations only, no minimum days to pass, and on the Performance Account: 5 qualifying days and 50% consistency per payout, the Safety Net at start + drawdown + $100, a six-payout ladder, mandatory bracket orders and no fully automated trading.
What did Apex 4.0 change?
On 1 March 2026: one-time fees, EOD and Intraday as separate products, MAE and 5:1 rules removed, PA consistency 30% → 50%, resets discontinued, bracket orders mandatory; legacy accounts keep old rules.
Does Apex have a daily loss limit?
On EOD evaluations a soft one that pauses the day; none on Intraday evaluations; a tiered limit on Performance Accounts.
Source: the firm’s help center and program pages, cross-checked with the Apex Trader Funding rules card, September 2026. Rules change quarterly; the help center is binding.