Domestic Violence Restraining Orders in Alpine County, California

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.

Alpine County has one courthouse for the whole county. Every domestic violence restraining order request starts at the same counter: 14777 State Route 89 in Markleeville, CA 96120, phone (530) 694-2113. Fewer than 1,200 residents live in Alpine, the least populated county in California, and the court has shaped its process around that fact. Petitioners can email DV-100 paperwork to dvgvro@alpine.courts.ca.gov instead of driving in. That can matter when the nearest neighboring town may be an hour away.

Filing costs nothing. California charges no fee for a domestic violence restraining order request in any county, including Alpine. Alpine County Self-Help Services, 1-530-545-1535, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., can walk you through Form DV-100 and the related paperwork at no charge.

A judge can issue a temporary order the same day you ask. That order lasts until your hearing, which state law generally sets within 21 days under Family Code sections 242 and 6320. In Alpine County, send or bring your ex parte paperwork to the Clerk's Office by 1 p.m. for a same-day ruling. Paperwork filed after 1 p.m. usually waits for the next business day.

How a domestic violence restraining order works in California

A domestic violence restraining order is for protection from someone you have a close relationship with, such as a spouse or former spouse, a partner you live with or used to live with, someone you dated, a co-parent, or a close family member. If the other person is a neighbor, coworker, or stranger, a different order called a civil harassment restraining order may apply instead. California uses the same statewide forms in every county, including Alpine County. The basic steps are:

1. File a Request for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order (Form DV-100), with the related forms DV-109 and DV-110, at the court. There is no filing fee.
2. A judge reviews your request, often the same day or the next court day, and can grant a temporary restraining order that lasts until your hearing.
3. The other person is served with the paperwork and can file a response (Form DV-120).
4. You attend a court hearing, usually within about three weeks.
5. If the judge grants a restraining order after the hearing, it can last up to five years and can be renewed.

A domestic violence restraining order can do more than order someone to stay away. It can set temporary child custody and visitation, order child or spousal support, require the other person to move out, and require them to turn in any firearms. Local domestic violence advocates and the court's self-help center can help you fill out the forms, often at no cost.

Where to file in Alpine County

Restraining order requests in Alpine County are filed with the Superior Court of California, County of Alpine. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local domestic violence resources change over time, confirm current details using the official California Courts court finder:

Find the Alpine County Superior Court (official California Courts finder)

Local notes for Alpine County

Alpine has only one courthouse, so you do not have to choose a branch for your case. The main choice is how to get your paperwork there. Bring the completed DV-100, DV-109, and DV-110 forms, plus a CLETS-001 confidential information sheet, to the Markleeville counter. If driving in is not realistic, send the DV-100 packet to dvgvro@alpine.courts.ca.gov.

The Self-Help Services desk, 1-530-545-1535, can review your paperwork before you file. Staff can also connect you with Vista Rise Collective, 1-530-544-4444, or the county's Victim Witness program, 1-530-694-2971, for support outside the court process.

Alpine is a one-courthouse county with limited staff, so call ahead before you drive to Markleeville. Hours, the current service-of-process contact, and remote appearance rules can change with staffing in a county this small. Confirm the details during the same week you plan to file.

A domestic violence restraining order in Alpine can do more than order someone to stay away. A judge can also set temporary child custody and visitation, order child or spousal support, require the restrained person to move out of a home you share, and require that person to turn in any firearms. Before you file, ask the Self-Help Services desk how to include these additional requests in your DV-100 paperwork.

Official restraining order resources in Alpine County

Alpine County Courthouse handles restraining-orders filings, located at 14777 State Route 89, Markleeville 96120. Phone: (530) 694-2113.

The filing fee is $0 (no fee for DV-100 restraining order requests). E-filing is available. Electronic submission of DV-100 paperwork is accepted by email to dvgvro@alpine.courts.ca.gov.

Alpine County Self-Help Services (https://www.alpine.courts.ca.gov/self-help) can help with procedure and paperwork.

• Alpine County Courthouse
• Alpine County domestic violence restraining order info
• Alpine County Self-Help Services
• Form DV-100 (Request for Domestic Violence Restraining Order)
• California Courts Self-Help: Domestic Violence Restraining Order

Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.

Alpine County Restraining Order FAQs