Seismic protection systems include the use of special passive devices to introduce supplemental damping into a structure. In building applications, passive devices are normally used in brace configurations and activated by a component of the structural drift. However, in applications where small elastic inter-story displacements are expected, the conventional usage of such devices may not be suitable. Lever mechanisms, which amplify the displacements and velocities affecting the damping device, can be employed to overcome this deficiency. This work describes a Displacement Amplification Device (DAD) that is based on a gear type mechanism and is connected in series with a Fluid Viscous Damper (FVD). Laboratory test results are given here for a small-scale version of the DAD-FVD system. Potential implementations of this amplification system in civil structures are briefly described.