Injunction for Protection (Restraining Order) in Clay County, Florida

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. Florida's statewide hotline is 1-800-500-1119.

Quigley House describes itself as Clay County's only certified domestic violence center. Its 24-hour hotline, 904-284-0061, is worth calling for shelter and safety planning before or after a courthouse visit.

To file the injunction, go to the Judge William A. Wilkes Judicial Complex, 825 North Orange Avenue, in Green Cove Springs. None of the five injunction types, domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking, carries a filing fee. That holds even though Clay County's own dissolution filing fee is published only as a range, $408 to $411.50, rather than a single figure.

A judge can sign a temporary injunction the same day, without notifying the respondent first, if the petition shows immediate and present danger. That order lasts up to 15 days, and Florida law requires the full hearing before it expires.

How an injunction for protection works in Florida

An injunction for protection against domestic violence (Fla. Stat. 741.30) is for someone you have a close relationship with, such as a spouse or former spouse, someone you live with or used to live with as a family, a co-parent, or a close relative. Florida has related injunctions for repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking that may apply instead if the relationship does not fit the domestic violence category.Florida uses the same statewide forms in every county, including Clay County, FL. The basic steps are:

1. File a Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence (Florida Supreme Court approved family law form 12.980(a)) at the courthouse. There is no filing fee.
2. A judge reviews your petition, often the same day, and can grant a temporary injunction that lasts until your hearing.
3. The other person is served with the paperwork and can respond.
4. You attend a full hearing, generally within about 15 days of a temporary injunction.
5. If the judge grants a final injunction, it can last a fixed term or until further order of the court, and can be extended.

An injunction for protection can do more than order someone to stay away. It can set temporary time-sharing with children, require the other person to leave a shared home, and require them to surrender firearms. Local domestic violence advocates and the clerk's office can help you fill out the forms, often at no cost.

Where to file in Clay County, FL

Injunction requests in Clay County, FL are filed with the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Clay County. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local domestic violence resources change over time, confirm current details using the Florida court clerk directory:

Find the Clay County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)

Local notes for Clay County, FL

Clay County shares its Family Court Services Self-Help program with Duval and Nassau Counties through the Fourth Judicial Circuit. The same jud4.org self-help resources and staff serve all three counties, so Clay does not have a separate standalone office.

Once a judge signs the order, the Clay County Sheriff's Office serves the respondent at no cost to the petitioner. The clerk pays for that service directly.

Quigley House is described on its own site as Clay County's only certified center, so there is no secondary shelter to look for locally. The 904-284-0061 hotline is the single point of contact for county-specific domestic violence services.

Clay County sits just south of Jacksonville, so many residents know the larger Duval County court system better. But injunction jurisdiction follows residency, not proximity, so a Clay County resident still files at the Green Cove Springs courthouse rather than in Jacksonville.

Clay's own dissolution fee is published as a range rather than a single number. A petitioner filing any family case here, injunction or otherwise, should confirm exact costs by phone rather than relying solely on the website.

The Fourth Circuit's self-help page also links to Florida Courts Help, a statewide resource with a downloadable app, for anyone who wants a general overview of injunction procedure before arriving at the Green Cove Springs courthouse in person.

Official injunction resources in Clay County, FL

Judge William A. Wilkes Judicial Complex handles restraining-orders filings, located at 825 North Orange Avenue (P.O. Box 698), Green Cove Springs 32043.

The filing fee is $0. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing portal is described on its own homepage as a single access point covering all Florida counties, Clay included; most injunction petitioners still file in person at the Green Cove Springs courthouse for same-day review.

Fourth Judicial Circuit Family Court Services Self-Help (https://www.jud4.org/family-court-services/self-help) can help with procedure and paperwork. The Fourth Judicial Circuit's Family Court Services Self-Help page serves Clay, Duval, and Nassau Counties together. Clay's own Clerk directs family/civil filers to purchase dissolution packets from the Clerk's office.

• Fourth Judicial Circuit - Family Court Services Self-Help
• Fla. Stat. 741.30 - Domestic Violence Injunction
• Form 12.980(a) - Petition for Injunction Against Domestic Violence
• Quigley House

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

Clay County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs