Reviewed August 2026
Protective Orders in Rhode Island
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. Rhode Island's civil remedy for domestic abuse is the protective order under R.I. General Laws Chapter 15-15, the Domestic Abuse Prevention Act. It covers present or former family members, parents and children, co-parents, and people in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past year. Every case is filed and heard in Family Court. A plaintiff files a complaint without any filing fee. The court can enter a temporary order without notice to the defendant. This happens if immediate and irreparable harm would otherwise occur before a hearing can be held. This page covers eligibility, the ex parte process, firearm surrender, and how it fits with a divorce case.
Virdix's document-preparation product currently prepares divorce paperwork for California and Florida cases. This page explains how protective orders works under Rhode Island law for people researching before they file. It is not legal advice, and Virdix does not prepare or file Rhode Island paperwork. See how Virdix works for California divorces.
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Who qualifies
Under R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-1, domestic abuse means attempting or causing physical harm. It also means placing someone in fear of imminent serious physical harm, causing involuntary sexual relations by force, threat, or duress, or stalking or cyberstalking. The law applies between present or former family members, or parents and stepparents. It also applies between a parent and a minor child, even if the other party is not a blood relative. Adult co-parents qualify if they were in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past year. So are people in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past year where at least one person is a minor.
Filing: free, in Family Court, independent of divorce
Under R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-2, a complaint is filed, heard, and decided in the Family Court of the county where the plaintiff lives. This proceeding is independent of any divorce case. There is no filing fee, though the plaintiff must disclose any prior or pending divorce or separation action. If the plaintiff left home to escape abuse, they can file in either the court where they used to live or where they live now. Rhode Island has no minimum residency requirement to bring this kind of case.
Ex parte temporary orders
Under R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-4, once a complaint is filed, the court can enter any temporary order it finds necessary to protect the plaintiff. If specific facts in an affidavit or verified complaint show immediate and irreparable injury would occur before notice and a hearing can happen, the court can act now. It can issue a temporary order without notifying the defendant first. That order expires within a time the court sets, not to exceed 21 days, unless extended for good cause after a hearing. When Family Court is closed after business hours, a family court judge can grant relief by telephone to a law enforcement officer, who records the order.
Firearms: 24-hour surrender
Under R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-3, a protective order can require the defendant to surrender physical possession of all firearms. It can also bar the defendant from purchasing or receiving any firearm while the order is in effect. The defendant must surrender those firearms within 24 hours of being notified of the order. Surrender goes to the Rhode Island State Police, a local police department, or a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Custody and other relief
Under R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-3, a protective order can restrain the defendant from contacting, assaulting, molesting, or interfering with the plaintiff. It can order the defendant to immediately vacate a shared household, while addressing the safety of household pets. And it can award the plaintiff custody of the parties' minor children. Because a protective order case proceeds independently of a divorce case, filing for one does not require or replace filing for the other. The statute specifically requires disclosure of any pending divorce or separation action, so the two can be tracked together.
Sources: R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-1, Definitions, R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-2, Filing of complaint, R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-3, Protective orders, R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-4, Temporary orders; ex parte proceedings, Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Not independently confirmed
- This page relies on the statute text directly, since the Rhode Island Judiciary's own self-help pages were not fetched during verification
Protective Orders in Rhode Island: frequently asked questions
How do I get a protective order in Rhode Island?+
File a complaint in the Family Court of the county where you live. There is no filing fee. If you show immediate and irreparable harm would happen before a hearing, the court can issue a temporary order without notifying the other person first.
Who qualifies for a protective order in Rhode Island?+
You need to be a present or former family member, a parent or child, or a co-parent. A substantive dating or engagement relationship with the other person in the past year also qualifies. This comes from R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-1.
Does it cost money to file for a protective order in Rhode Island?+
No. R.I. Gen. Laws Section 15-15-2 says you can file a complaint without paying any filing fee.
How long does a temporary order last in Rhode Island before a hearing?+
An ex parte temporary order expires within a period the court sets, not to exceed 21 days, unless it is extended for good cause after a hearing.
Does a Rhode Island protective order take away someone's guns?+
Yes. The order can require the defendant to surrender all firearms and bars them from purchasing or receiving any firearm while the order is in effect. Surrender must happen within 24 hours of notice, to state or local police or a federally licensed dealer.
Will a Rhode Island protective order case interfere with my divorce?+
No, it proceeds independently of a divorce case, though you must disclose any pending divorce or separation action when you file. The protective order can still award temporary custody of the parties' children as part of its own relief.
This page is general information about protective orders in Rhode Island, not legal advice for your situation. Laws, fees, and procedures change over time; confirm current details with Rhode Island's own courts before relying on anything here. Virdix is not a law firm and is not licensed to practice law in Rhode Island. Virdix does not prepare or file Rhode Island divorce paperwork. It is not a substitute for an attorney licensed in Rhode Island.
More Rhode Island divorce guides
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