The Problem (Q-score 8, ranked #13th of 67 in the Access VBA archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2011
I have created some queries in MS Access 2007. they are giving error if I use LIMIT in query. Can anyone help me out in this? How to use LIMIT in MS Access 2007 query?
Why community consensus is tight on this one
Across 67 Access VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds strong answer (top 25 %%) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.
The Verified Solution — strong answer (top 25 %%) (+15)
Advisory answer — community consensus with reference links
Note: the verified answer below is a reference / advisory response rather than a copy-ready snippet.
There is no LIMIT keyword in Access (if you use the JET engine). You can use TOP x to give the first x results.
Usage:
SELECT TOP 5 id FROM users ORDER BY joindate
From Microsoft Jet Database Engine Programmer’s Guide – Chapter 4:
TOP N and TOP N PERCENT Predicates
Although you can use the WHERE and HAVING clauses to filter the selection of records, sometimes this isn’t sufficient. For example, you may want to select all records where the state is CA, but only see the orders for the top 10 customers. Microsoft Jet provides TOP N and TOP N PERCENT predicates to limit the presentation of records after they’re selected.
TOP N Predicate
You can use the TOP N predicate to specify that your query return only a specific number of records to your program:
When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)
Ranked #13th in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 52% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Access VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2011 and 2026
The answer is 15 years old. The Access VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.