diff --git a/query/autocomplete.js b/query/autocomplete.js
index b0a9039c..620dbb81 100644
--- a/query/autocomplete.js
+++ b/query/autocomplete.js
@@ -6,11 +6,12 @@ const logger = require('pelias-logger').get('api');
 
 // additional views (these may be merged in to pelias/query at a later date)
 var views = {
-  ngrams_strict:              require('./view/ngrams_strict'),
-  ngrams_last_token_only:     require('./view/ngrams_last_token_only'),
-  phrase_first_tokens_only:   require('./view/phrase_first_tokens_only'),
-  pop_subquery:               require('./view/pop_subquery'),
-  boost_exact_matches:        require('./view/boost_exact_matches')
+  ngrams_strict:                      require('./view/ngrams_strict'),
+  ngrams_last_token_only:             require('./view/ngrams_last_token_only'),
+  phrase_first_tokens_only:           require('./view/phrase_first_tokens_only'),
+  pop_subquery:                       require('./view/pop_subquery'),
+  boost_exact_matches:                require('./view/boost_exact_matches'),
+  max_character_count_layer_filter:   require('./view/max_character_count_layer_filter')
 };
 
 //------------------------------
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ query.score( peliasQuery.view.popularity( views.pop_subquery ) );
 query.score( peliasQuery.view.population( views.pop_subquery ) );
 
 // non-scoring hard filters
+query.score( views.max_character_count_layer_filter('address', 2), 'must_not' );
 query.filter( peliasQuery.view.sources );
 query.filter( peliasQuery.view.layers );
 query.filter( peliasQuery.view.boundary_rect );
diff --git a/query/view/max_character_count_layer_filter.js b/query/view/max_character_count_layer_filter.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0cfd7b59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/query/view/max_character_count_layer_filter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+const _ = require('lodash');
+const peliasQuery = require('pelias-query');
+
+/**
+  Layer terms filter view which counts the length of 'input:name' and only
+  applies the filter condition if the text is shorter than or equal to $maxCharCount.
+
+  eg. to filter by 'layer=address' for all one & two digit inputs:
+  view = filter('address',2)
+**/
+
+// lowest and highest valid character count (enforced)
+const MIN_CHAR_COUNT = 1;
+const MAX_CHAR_COUNT = 99;
+
+module.exports = function( layerName, maxCharCount ) {
+
+  // validate args, return no-op view if invalid
+  if( !_.isString(layerName) || _.isEmpty(layerName) ||
+      !_.isNumber(maxCharCount) ){
+    return () => null;
+  }
+
+  // ensure char count is within a reasonable range
+  maxCharCount = _.clamp(maxCharCount, MIN_CHAR_COUNT, MAX_CHAR_COUNT);
+
+  return function( vs ){
+
+    // validate required params
+    if( !vs.isset('input:name') ){
+      return null;
+    }
+
+
+    // enforce maximum character length
+    let charCount = vs.var('input:name').toString().length;
+    if( !_.inRange(charCount, 1, maxCharCount+1) ){
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    return {
+      terms: {
+        layer: layerName
+      }
+    };
+  };
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/query/view/max_character_count_layer_filter.js b/test/unit/query/view/max_character_count_layer_filter.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d2934407
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/query/view/max_character_count_layer_filter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+const VariableStore = require('pelias-query').Vars;
+const maxCharFilter = require('../../../../query/view/max_character_count_layer_filter');
+
+module.exports.tests = {};
+
+module.exports.tests.interface = function(test, common) {
+  test('interface: factory', function(t) {
+    t.equal(typeof maxCharFilter, 'function', 'valid factory function');
+    t.equal(maxCharFilter.length, 2, 'factory takes 2 args');
+    t.end();
+  });
+  test('interface: view', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter('layer_name', 1);
+    t.equal(typeof view, 'function', 'returns view');
+    t.equal(view.length, 1, 'view takes 1 arg');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+module.exports.tests.factory_missing_required_args = function(test, common) {
+  test('layerName undefined', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter(undefined, 1);
+    t.equal(view(), null, 'should have returned null');
+    t.end();
+  });
+  test('layerName not string', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter([], 1);
+    t.equal(view(), null, 'should have returned null');
+    t.end();
+  });
+  test('layerName too short', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter('', 1);
+    t.equal(view(), null, 'should have returned null');
+    t.end();
+  });
+  test('maxCharCount undefined', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter('layer_name', undefined);
+    t.equal(view(), null, 'should have returned null');
+    t.end();
+  });
+  test('maxCharCount not number', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter('layer_name', '1');
+    t.equal(view(), null, 'should have returned null');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+module.exports.tests.view_missing_required_params = function(test, common) {
+  test('input:name not set in VariableStore should return null', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter('layer_name', 1);
+    let vs = new VariableStore();
+    t.equal(view(vs), null, 'should have returned null');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+module.exports.tests.view_within_range = function(test, common) {
+  test('text length within range', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter('layer_name', 99);
+    let vs = new VariableStore();
+    vs.var('input:name', 'example text');
+
+    let actual = view(vs);
+    let expected = {
+      terms: {
+        layer: 'layer_name'
+      }
+    };
+
+    t.deepEquals(actual, expected, 'should have returned object');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+module.exports.tests.view_exceeds_range = function(test, common) {
+  test('text length exceeds range', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter('layer_name', 11);
+    let vs = new VariableStore();
+    vs.var('input:name', 'example text');
+    t.equal(view(vs), null, 'should have returned null');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+module.exports.tests.view_clamp_range_low = function(test, common) {
+  test('maxCharCount less than one is equal to one', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter('layer_name', -999);
+    let vs = new VariableStore();
+    vs.var('input:name', 'ex');
+    t.equal(view(vs), null, 'should have returned null');
+    t.end();
+  });
+  test('maxCharCount less than one is equal to one', function(t) {
+    let view = maxCharFilter('layer_name', -999);
+    let vs = new VariableStore();
+    vs.var('input:name', 'e');
+
+    let actual = view(vs);
+    let expected = {
+      terms: {
+        layer: 'layer_name'
+      }
+    };
+
+    t.deepEquals(actual, expected, 'should have returned object');
+    t.end();
+  });
+};
+
+module.exports.all = function (tape, common) {
+  function test(name, testFunction) {
+    return tape('filter ' + name, testFunction);
+  }
+  for( let testCase in module.exports.tests ){
+    module.exports.tests[testCase](test, common);
+  }
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/run.js b/test/unit/run.js
index c8eee73a..1727400d 100644
--- a/test/unit/run.js
+++ b/test/unit/run.js
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ var tests = [
   require('./query/search_original'),
   require('./query/structured_geocoding'),
   require('./query/text_parser'),
+  require('./query/view/max_character_count_layer_filter'),
   require('./sanitizer/_boundary_country'),
   require('./sanitizer/_debug'),
   require('./sanitizer/_flag_bool'),