If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
For free, confidential support 24 hours a day, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (1-800-799-SAFE), or text START to 88788. Help is available in many languages, and your call does not create any court record.
Updated July 2026
Injunction for Protection (Restraining Order) in Dixie County, Florida
How to ask for an injunction for protection against domestic violence in Dixie County, FL, from the forms you file at the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Dixie County to temporary orders, the hearing, and where to find local help. There is no fee to file, and you do not need a lawyer to start.
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.
Dixie County residents file for an injunction for protection at the Dixie County Courthouse, 214 NE Highway 351, in Cross City. The clerk's website does not post its own family law self-help packets. Call ahead, or plan to fill out the 12.980 petition form at the courthouse counter.
Filing costs nothing, no matter which of the five injunction types applies: domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking. Florida law bars the clerk from charging a fee for any of them.
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 a 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 Dixie County, FL. The basic steps are:
- 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.
- A judge reviews your petition, often the same day, and can grant a temporary injunction that lasts until your hearing.
- The other person is served with the paperwork and can respond.
- You attend a full hearing, generally within about 15 days of a temporary injunction.
- 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 Dixie County, FL
Injunction requests in Dixie County, FL are filed with the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Dixie County. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local domestic violence resources change over time, confirm current details using the Florida court clerk directory:
Find the Dixie County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)
Local notes for Dixie County, FL
Dixie County's own site is built mostly for recording fee calculators, deed and mortgage stamp taxes, not court filings. Its Online Services page links to a third-party DIY-forms company rather than the Florida Supreme Court's official 12.980 series. Get the petition form from flcourts.gov instead, or directly from the courthouse counter in Cross City.
The Dixie County Sheriff's Office serves the signed order on the respondent at no cost to the petitioner. The clerk pays for that service rather than billing the person who filed.
Dixie is one of seven counties served by Another Way, Inc., along with Columbia, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, and Suwannee. The same 24-hour hotline, 1-866-875-7983, connects a caller from Cross City to the same shelter network as a caller from Lake City.
Dixie County is rural, stretching from Cross City toward the Gulf coast at Horseshoe Beach. Plan for travel time to the county's single courthouse, especially if a same-day temporary injunction hearing is the goal.
Dixieclerk.com's Online Services page is built mainly around recording fees, not court filings. A first-time petitioner here should expect to rely more on a phone call to the Clerk's office than on the website for procedural questions.
Official injunction resources in Dixie County, FL
Dixie County Courthouse handles restraining-orders filings, located at 214 NE Highway 351, Cross City 32628.
The filing fee is $0. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing portal applies, though most petitioners in Dixie County file in person at the Cross City courthouse for a same-day judicial review.
The self-help center can help with procedure and paperwork. dixieclerk.com's Online Services section lists only fee calculators for deed and mortgage stamp tax, not court filing fees, and links a third-party DIY-forms vendor rather than hosting its own family law self-help page.
- Fla. Stat. 741.30 - Domestic Violence Injunction
- Form 12.980(f) - Petition for Injunction Against Repeat Violence
- Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
- Another Way, Inc.
Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.
Dixie County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs
Where do I file for an injunction for protection in Dixie County?
File at the Dixie County Courthouse, 214 NE Highway 351, Cross City. It is the county's only courthouse for family and civil filings, so every Dixie County resident files there.
Does Dixie County charge a fee for a restraining order petition?
No. Fla. Stat. 741.30(2)(a) bars a filing fee for domestic violence petitions statewide, and 784.046(3)(b) does the same for repeat, dating, and sexual violence, regardless of what fees the clerk lists for other filings.
How quickly can a judge grant a temporary injunction in Dixie County?
The same day, if the petition shows immediate and present danger, under Fla. Stat. 741.30(5)(a). No notice to the respondent is required first, and the order stays active for up to 15 days.
When will my full hearing happen after a temporary injunction in Dixie County?
Florida law requires the hearing to be set before the 15-day temporary injunction expires, so it falls within that window. The clerk's notice states the exact courtroom, date, and time to appear.
Who serves the respondent in a Dixie County injunction case?
The Dixie County Sheriff's Office serves the order once a judge signs it. This is free to the petitioner because the clerk pays the agency directly under Fla. Stat. 741.30(2)(a), capped at $20.
What domestic violence center serves Dixie County?
Another Way, Inc. is the certified domestic violence center covering Dixie County and six neighboring counties. Reach its 24-hour hotline at 1-866-875-7983, or Florida's statewide hotline at 1-800-500-1119.
This page is general information about Florida domestic violence injunction procedure in Dixie County, FL, not legal advice for your situation, and it is not a substitute for help in an emergency. If you are in danger, call 911, or reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Court locations, forms, and resources change; always confirm current details with the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Dixie County, a local domestic violence advocate, or the official Florida family court self-help program resources. Virdix is not a law firm and is not a substitute for an attorney.
Restraining order guides for nearby counties
Preparing family court paperwork in Dixie County, FL
If your situation also involves divorce, custody, or support, Virdix can help you prepare the related Florida Supreme Court approved family law forms so your paperwork is complete and consistent. For the injunctionitself, the court and local advocates provide the forms at no cost.
If the court clerk rejects a document we prepared, we fix it for free until it's accepted. See how the guarantee works