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Abuse & Harassment

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When you are being abused or harassed, or are afraid someone might be dangerous to themselves or others, a restraining order may help you.

This page contains information for Parties seeking a Restraining Order, if you received papers requesting a Domestic Violence Restraining Order against you, please click here for information on how to comply with gun orders, how to respond, and how to prepare for your hearing.

A restraining order can protect you from physical, emotional, financial abuse and/or harassment and prevent violence. There are different types of restraining orders-what type you may need depends on your relationship with the person you need protection from, and the type of abuse, harassment, or danger.

There are different types of restraining orders:

Elder or Dependent Abuse Restraining Order Domestic Violence Restraining Orders Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
You are 65 or older, or you are between 18 and 64 and have certain disabilities, and you are a victim of:
  • Physical or nancial abuse,
  • Neglect, abandonment or isolation, or
  • Treatment that has physically or mentally hurt you.
 You want to protect you and your family from someone: you are dating (or used to date),
  • You are married to (or were married to),
  • You have a child with, or
  • You are closely related to (like a parent, child, brother or sister, grandparent, or grandchild, including stepparents, stepchildren, stepsiblings, and current in-laws)
 You are worried about your safety because you are being:
  • stalked,
  • harassed,
  • sexually assaulted, or
  • threatened

by someone you do not have a close relationship with, like a neighbor, roommate, or someone you don't know.
This kind of order is not for people who have dated or who are closely related.
  • Not contact you in any way
  • Stay away from you and your home
  • Move out of your home
  • Not contact you in any way
  • Stay away from you, your home and your work
  • Move out of your home

The court can also make orders about child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, payments of certain bills, transferring rights to a cellphone number, and more.
  • Not contact you in any way
  • Stay away from you, your home (unless you are roommates), and your work

Click to see a chart of the different types of restraining orders.

Other Language

Also in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Russian, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Self-Prep & File

  • Self-Prep & File

    Click for a computer program that can help you figure out which type of restraining order may be best in your situation.

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Restraining Orders

To find out more about restraining orders, click on a topic below:

Civil Harassment Restraining Orders

You can ask for a civil harassment restraining order if:

  • A person has abused (or threatened to abuse), sexually assaulted, stalked, or seriously harassed you, AND
  • You are scared or seriously annoyed or harassed, AND
  • The person you want to restrain is NOT:
    • Your spouse/partner or former spouse/partner
    • Someone you dated at any point
    • A close relative (parent, child, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, in-law)

    If the person you want to restrain IS one of these people (your current or former spouse/partner, someone you dated, or someone you are closely related to), learn about Domestic Violence Restraining Orders.

For a civil harassment restraining order, the person you want to restrain CAN be:

  • A neighbor
  • A roommate (if you never dated)
  • A friend
  • A family member more than 2 degrees removed, like an aunt or uncle, a niece or nephew, cousins, and more distant relatives
  • Other people you are not closely related to

A restraining order can order the person who is abusing or harassing you to:

  • Not contact you or any member of your household,
  • Not go near you, your children, or others who live with you, no matter where you go,
  • Stay away from your work, your school, or your children's school, and
  • Not have a gun. 

Self-Prep & File

  • Self-Prep & File

    Click for a computer program that asks you simple questions and helps you fill out the forms you need.

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Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse

You can ask for an elder and dependent adult abuse restraining order if:

  • You are 65 years old or older, or
  • You are between 18 and 64 and have certain mental or physical disabilities that keep you from being able to do normal activities or protect yourself. AND
  • You are a victim of:
    • Physical or financial abuse,
    • Neglect or abandonment,
    • Treatment that has physically or mentally hurt you, or
    • Deprivation (withholding) by a caretaker of basic things or services you need so you will not suffer physically, mentally, or emotionally.

A restraining order can order the person who is abusing or neglecting you to:

  • Not contact you or any member of your household,
  • Not go near you, your children, or others who live with you, no matter where you go,
  • Stay away from your work, your school, or your children's school,
  • Move out of your house if you have a legal right to live there, and
  • Not have a gun.

Self-Prep & File

  • Self-Prep & File

    Click for a computer program that asks you simple questions and helps you fill out the forms you need.

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