District of Columbia Restraining Order Laws (2026): How to Get a Civil Protection Order
District of Columbia Restraining Order Laws (2026): How to Get a Civil Protection Order
In DC, the protective order is called a Civil Protection Order (CPO). Any person who has experienced an intrafamily offense, sexual assault, stalking, or trafficking can petition the DC Superior Court. A final CPO lasts up to 2 years and can be extended by the court.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For confidential help 24/7, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (text START to 88788).
Types of restraining orders in DC
The District of Columbia consolidates its civil protective order framework under DC Code 16-1001 through 16-1007. There is one petition form, but it covers several distinct tracks.
The intrafamily offense track is the domestic-violence path. It applies when the petitioner and respondent share an intimate-partner or family or household relationship. This track covers physical abuse, threats, harassment, stalking, and related conduct between people who are close in that defined sense.
The sexual assault track is available to any person who is at least 16 years old, regardless of whether they know the respondent. The stalking track similarly has no relationship requirement and is available to any victim of stalking as defined under DC law. DC also includes labor-trafficking survivors and child sex-trafficking survivors within the CPO framework, which is broader than most states.
These distinctions matter practically. If you were harmed by a stranger or acquaintance, the stalking or sexual-assault track may be the right path even though there is no prior relationship.
Who can get a restraining order in DC?
For the intrafamily offense track, the petitioner must fall within one of three defined categories under DC Code 16-1003.
An intimate partner includes a person to whom the respondent is or was married, a person in or formerly in a domestic partnership with the respondent, a person who shares a child in common with the respondent, or a person who is or was in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship with the respondent. That last category is broad enough to cover current and former dating partners at any stage of a relationship.
A family member means a person related to the respondent by blood, adoption, legal custody, or marriage. A household member means any person who currently shares a residence with the respondent.
If none of those categories applies, DC's stalking and sexual assault CPO tracks are still available to any victim, so there is a civil remedy for most situations in the District. You do not need a prior police report to file a CPO petition, though documented evidence always strengthens a case.
How to file for a restraining order in DC
You file at the DC Superior Court, Domestic Violence Division, located at 500 Indiana Avenue NW. The Domestic Violence Division operates an intake unit that assists petitioners throughout the day.
Filing a CPO petition is free. Under the federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), no court may charge a filing fee or service fee for a domestic-violence protective order. DC goes a step further: the Office of the Attorney General's Victim Services Unit may provide free legal representation to petitioners from the moment they walk in.
When you arrive, court staff will help you complete the petition form. You will describe what happened and ask for specific relief (no-contact, stay-away from your home or workplace, temporary custody of children, firearm surrender, and so on). A judge or magistrate judge will review the petition on the same day and, if there is good cause to believe you are in danger, issue a TPO without notifying the respondent first.
If you cannot get to the courthouse, a domestic-violence advocate from a local organization such as the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence can assist you with forms and accompany you to court. Court staff and advocates are trained to help people navigate the process safely.
Temporary vs. final orders: how long they last
DC uses a two-stage process that is common across the country but has some specifics worth knowing.
| Order | How it is issued | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary Protection Order (TPO) | Ex parte, without notice to respondent; issued same day | Up to 14 days; extendable in 14-day increments, or longer with the respondent's consent, until the full hearing |
| Civil Protection Order (CPO) | After a hearing at which the respondent has notice and an opportunity to appear | Up to 2 years (recently extended from the prior 1-year limit); extendable by the court on motion |
The TPO is designed to bridge the gap between the day you file and the day of the full hearing. The judge can include immediate relief such as ordering the respondent out of a shared home, prohibiting contact, and requiring firearm surrender, all effective from the moment of issuance.
At the full CPO hearing, the petitioner presents evidence and the respondent may contest the allegations. If the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that an intrafamily offense, stalking, or sexual assault occurred, it issues the final CPO. Because DC recently extended the maximum CPO duration to 2 years, petitioners generally do not need to return to court as soon as they did under the old 1-year rule. Courts can extend CPOs further on motion if the threat continues.
Firearms and a DC protective order
Both the TPO and the final CPO carry firearm consequences that take effect immediately upon issuance.
Under DC Code 16-1004 and 16-1005, the court may order the respondent to relinquish all firearms and ammunition in their possession and to refrain from acquiring new firearms or ammunition while the order is in effect. This is not automatic in every case, but petitioners should ask for it explicitly in the petition and the court routinely includes it where there is any indication that firearms were present during the incident.
The federal prohibition applies independently of whatever the state order says. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(8), any person subject to a qualifying final protective order issued after notice and a hearing is prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition anywhere in the United States. A qualifying TPO (if it includes a restraint on harassment or requires the respondent to act affirmatively) can also trigger a separate federal prohibition.
Respondents who possess firearms while subject to a qualifying order face both DC criminal exposure and federal felony charges. If you are the petitioner and the respondent has not surrendered firearms as ordered, you can report non-compliance to the Domestic Violence Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department.
What happens if someone violates the order?
Violating a CPO or TPO in DC is a criminal matter under DC Code 16-1005(f). A violation can be prosecuted as criminal contempt of court or as a separate misdemeanor offense. The penalty is a fine and/or imprisonment for up to 180 days.
Metropolitan Police officers have authority to arrest a respondent without a warrant if they have probable cause to believe a CPO or TPO has been violated, even if the violation did not happen in the officer's presence. This warrantless-arrest authority is important because it means police can act on your report immediately.
If a violation involves physical assault, threats with a weapon, or other aggravated conduct, prosecutors can charge the underlying offense separately on top of the contempt or misdemeanor violation charge, which substantially increases potential penalties.
If the respondent violates your order, call 911 first if you are in immediate danger. Then make a report to the Domestic Violence Unit and document the violation as specifically as you can, including the date, time, what was said or done, and any witnesses or evidence. Courts take violations seriously, and a documented pattern of violations can support a motion to extend or strengthen the order.
This article is general legal information, not legal advice, and it is not a safety plan. Protective-order rules vary by state and change. If you are in danger, call 911. For help with your specific situation, contact your local court's self-help center, a domestic-violence advocate, or a licensed attorney.
Sources
- DC Code 16-1001 through 16-1007 (Civil Protection Orders) (official DC Council codification)
- DC Code 16-1004 (Temporary Protection Order; firearm surrender) (official DC Council codification)
- DC Code 16-1005 (Civil Protection Order; penalty for violation) (official DC Council codification)
- DC Superior Court, Domestic Violence Division (official court page with forms and intake information)
For a full comparison of how DC's CPO stacks up against other jurisdictions, see the restraining order laws by state hub. You may also find the DC recording law page helpful if you are documenting harassment for evidence purposes: see DC recording laws.