If someone who is not your spouse, partner, or close relative is harassing, threatening, or stalking you, Form CH-100 is the way to ask a California court for protection from them.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you need to talk to someone about abuse or harassment at any hour, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788. If the person harassing you is a spouse, partner, someone you are dating or used to date, a co-parent, or a close relative, a court self-help center can help you confirm whether a domestic violence restraining order is the better fit before you file.
Form CH-100, Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders, is the California Judicial Council form that starts a civil harassment restraining order case. This guide explains what counts as harassment, how fees work, and, most importantly, how to tell whether CH-100 or a domestic violence restraining order is the right form for your situation. It is general information only, not legal advice, and it does not replace a conversation with a court self-help center or an attorney about your specific circumstances.
<h2 id="what-is-ch-100">What Is Form CH-100?</h2>Form CH-100 asks a court to protect you from someone who is harassing you, threatening you, or has been violent toward you, when that person is not a spouse, partner, or close relative. It identifies who needs protection, who you are asking the court to restrain, how you know that person, and what happened.
Filing fees can apply to a CH-100 request, covered later in this guide, though a fee waiver is available when the harassment involved violence or threats.
For a civil harassment restraining order, harassment generally means one of two things:
- Violence, or a credible threat of violence, directed at you
- A knowing and willful course of conduct, meaning a pattern of behavior over time, that seriously alarmed, annoyed, or harassed you, served no legitimate purpose, and caused you substantial emotional distress
A single angry conversation or an isolated disagreement usually does not meet this standard on its own. Courts generally look for either an act or threat of violence, or a repeated pattern of conduct, such as unwanted contact, following, surveillance, or threats over time.
<h2 id="civil-harassment-vs-domestic-violence">Civil Harassment vs Domestic Violence</h2>This is the most important distinction to get right before you file, because it determines which form you should use.
Key Takeaway: Whether you file CH-100 or DV-100 depends on your relationship with the other person, not on how serious the harassment or abuse is. If your relationship qualifies for a domestic violence restraining order, you generally cannot use CH-100 instead.
| Relationship to the Other Person | Which Form Generally Applies |
|---|---|
| Current or former spouse or registered domestic partner | DV-100 |
| Someone you are dating or used to date | DV-100 |
| A parent you share a child with | DV-100 |
| A close relative, such as a parent, child, sibling, or grandparent | DV-100 |
| A neighbor, coworker, landlord, tenant, or roommate you have not dated | CH-100 |
| A stranger or acquaintance you have no close relationship with | CH-100 |
| A more distant relative, such as an aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew | CH-100 |
If the person harassing you fits one of the close relationship categories in the left column, our guide on How to Fill Out Form DV-100 covers the domestic violence restraining order request instead. Filing the wrong type of request can slow your case down, so it is worth confirming the relationship category before you start.
If you are unsure which category your situation fits, a court self-help center can help you sort it out before you file.
You can file CH-100 if you have experienced harassment, as described above, from someone who does not fit the close relationship categories that qualify for a domestic violence restraining order. In some cases, you can also ask the court to include other people in your household, such as family members who live with you, as protected persons in the same request.
A business can also file a CH-100 request in some circumstances, such as when an employee or customer has harassed or threatened staff, though workplace violence situations sometimes fall under a related, separate form instead. If your situation involves a workplace, a court self-help center can help you confirm which form applies before you file.
<h2 id="describing-the-harassment">Describing the Harassment</h2>CH-100 asks you to describe what happened in detail, including specific incidents, dates, and, where relevant, whether the person used or threatened violence. As with other restraining order requests, judges generally give more weight to specific, detailed accounts than to general statements, so include dates, locations, what was said or done, and whether anyone else witnessed the incidents.
Key Takeaway: If you are checking the boxes for violence, stalking, or threats of violence on CH-100, described later on the form, write those incidents out as specifically as you can. These are the same boxes that waive your filing fee.
CH-100 lets you ask the court to order the other person not to harass, threaten, stalk, attack, strike, molest, destroy the property of, or disturb the peace of you and anyone else the order protects. Depending on your situation, you can also request:
- Stay away orders, keeping the person a set distance from you, your home, and your workplace
- No contact orders, prohibiting phone calls, texts, email, social media contact, or contact through a third party
- Orders addressing specific behavior described in your request, such as surveillance or unwanted deliveries
As with a domestic violence case, ask for every protection that applies to your situation, since a judge generally cannot grant more than what you requested. If you are not sure whether a specific protection is available, list what you need in your own words and let the court sort out how to address it, rather than leaving it out entirely.
<h2 id="filing-fees-and-fee-waivers">Filing Fees and Fee Waivers</h2>Standard civil filing fees generally apply to a CH-100 request. However, there is no fee if the person you want restrained has used violence against you, has stalked you, or has threatened violence, provided you check the corresponding boxes and describe those incidents on the form.
If your situation does not involve violence, stalking, or threats of violence, but you still cannot afford the filing fee, you may qualify for a separate fee waiver based on income using Form FW-001. Our guide on How to Fill Out Form FW-001 covers that process. A court self-help center can help you determine which fee waiver option applies to your situation.
<h2 id="after-you-file">After You File CH-100</h2>Once you file CH-100, your case generally moves forward with two related forms:
- Form CH-109, Notice of Court Hearing, tells both parties the date, time, and location of the hearing
- Form CH-110, Temporary Restraining Order, is the order a judge can sign to provide protection before the hearing, if the facts support it
Both the CH-100 request and any CH-110 temporary order must be personally served on the restrained person before the hearing, the same personal service requirement that applies in domestic violence cases. If granted after the hearing, a civil harassment restraining order can generally last up to three years and can potentially be renewed.
You will also generally file Form CLETS-001, Confidential CLETS Information, alongside CH-100. This form gives law enforcement the identifying details needed to enforce the order once it is granted, and it is not part of the public case file. Our guide on How to Fill Out Form CLETS-001 explains why this form is kept confidential and how it is used.
At the hearing, both you and the restrained person have the opportunity to present evidence and testimony. Bring anything that supports your account, such as messages, photos, witness contact information, or a written timeline of incidents, and consider asking your court self-help center what to expect the day of the hearing if this is your first time in family or civil court.
<h2 id="common-mistakes">Common Mistakes to Avoid</h2>- Filing CH-100 when the relationship actually qualifies for a domestic violence restraining order instead
- Describing the harassment in vague or general terms instead of specific incidents, dates, and details
- Forgetting to check the violence, stalking, or threat boxes when they apply, since they also waive the filing fee
- Leaving out household members who are also at risk from the same person
- Not requesting all the protections that actually apply to your situation
If your situation involves shared children with the person you want restrained, that generally means you should be filing DV-100 rather than CH-100, since a shared child establishes the kind of relationship a domestic violence restraining order is meant to address. See the Restraining Orders by County hub for county specific resources either way.
<h2 id="faqs">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>What is Form CH-100 used for?
Form CH-100, Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders, is the form you file to ask a California court to restrain someone who is harassing, threatening, or has been violent toward you, when that person is not a spouse, partner, or close relative.
What is the difference between a civil harassment restraining order and a domestic violence restraining order?
The difference is the relationship between the parties, not how serious the conduct is. Domestic violence restraining orders, requested on Form DV-100, apply to spouses, partners, dating relationships, co-parents, and close relatives. Civil harassment restraining orders, requested on CH-100, apply to people without that kind of relationship, such as neighbors, coworkers, or strangers.
Do I have to pay a filing fee for CH-100?
There is no filing fee if the person you want restrained has used violence against you, has stalked you, or has threatened violence, provided you check the corresponding boxes on the form and describe the incidents. If your situation does not involve violence, stalking, or threats, standard filing fees generally apply unless you qualify for a separate income based fee waiver.
How long does a civil harassment restraining order last?
If a judge grants a civil harassment restraining order after the hearing, it can generally last up to three years and can potentially be renewed.
What if the person I want to restrain is a spouse, partner, or close relative?
If your relationship with the other person qualifies for a domestic violence restraining order, such as a current or former spouse, someone you are dating or used to date, a co-parent, or a close relative, you generally file Form DV-100 instead of CH-100.
What other forms are related to CH-100?
Form CH-109, Notice of Court Hearing, tells both parties when and where the hearing will happen, similar to how DV-109 works in a domestic violence case. Form CH-110, Temporary Restraining Order, is the order a judge can sign to provide protection before the hearing. Both are typically filed and served together with CH-100.
Can Virdix help me with CH-100?
Virdix is a document preparation service, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. We can help make sure your CH-100 request is organized, complete, and consistent, but we encourage anyone filing a civil harassment restraining order request to also speak with a court self-help center or an attorney about their specific situation.
How Virdix Helps
Virdix is a document preparation service, not a law firm, and this article is information, not legal advice. Because a civil harassment case can move quickly and the relationship category determines which form applies, we strongly encourage anyone filing a CH-100 request to also speak with a court self-help center or an attorney about their specific situation. Virdix can help with the practical side of the paperwork:
- Guided questions, plain language prompts that help you organize incidents, dates, and requested protections
- Completeness checks, so protected household members and requested orders are not accidentally left off
- Consistency checks, so your CH-100 lines up with any related forms, such as CLETS-001
Get Started With Your Paperwork
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Virdix is a document preparation service, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed California attorney.
Sources: California Courts Self-Help Center (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov), Judicial Council of California