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 Franklin County, Florida
How to ask for an injunction for protection against domestic violence in Franklin County, FL, from the forms you file at the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Franklin 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.
Call 911 if you're in immediate danger. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. Florida's statewide hotline is 1-800-500-1119.
Franklin County has one courthouse, so you file an injunction for protection at the Clerk's Civil Division, 33 Market Street, Suite 203, in Apalachicola. This applies no matter where you live in the county, including Carrabelle, Eastpoint, or St. George Island.
None of the five injunction types has a filing fee. Domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking petitions are all free under Florida law. A judge can sign a temporary order the same day, before the respondent is notified, if your petition shows immediate and present danger.
The temporary injunction lasts up to 15 days, and state law requires a full hearing before it expires. The Franklin County Sheriff's Office then serves the order, and the clerk covers that cost rather than billing you.
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 Franklin 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 Franklin County, FL
Injunction requests in Franklin County, FL are filed with the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Franklin County. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local domestic violence resources change over time, confirm current details using the Florida court clerk directory:
Find the Franklin County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)
Local notes for Franklin County, FL
The Clerk's Office doesn't operate its own self-help center. The Family Law page directs self-represented litigants to the Florida Supreme Court's statewide forms on flcourts.org, or to packets sold at the Civil Division counter. Anyone filing here should bring or print the correct 12.980 series form ahead of time.
Franklin County falls within the territory served by Refuge House, the certified domestic violence center for the Big Bend region. Its main 24-hour line, 850-681-2111, connects callers to shelter, advocacy, and safety planning no matter which Big Bend county they're in.
Franklin County has just one courthouse, so travel time from outlying communities is the main practical hurdle. Someone in Carrabelle or on St. George Island should plan for the drive into Apalachicola when a same-day hearing is needed.
Because Franklin County is compact with a single courthouse, the drive to Apalachicola is the main logistical challenge rather than a choice between offices. Residents of Carrabelle or Eastpoint should factor in that travel time when timing matters, especially for a same-day temporary injunction hearing.
Official injunction resources in Franklin County, FL
Franklin County Courthouse handles restraining-orders filings, located at 33 Market Street, Suite 203, Apalachicola 32320.
The filing fee is $0. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing portal is available; an injunction petitioner in Franklin County most often files in person at the Civil Division counter so a judge can review the request right away.
Franklin County Clerk Civil Division (https://www.franklinclerk.com/courts/family-law/) can help with procedure and paperwork. The Clerk's Family Law page explains the dissolution and family case process and directs self-represented litigants to Florida Supreme Court-approved forms on flcourts.org or self-help packets purchasable at the Clerk's Civil Division; it does not host a dedicated online self-help portal of its own.
- Franklin County Clerk - Family Law
- Fla. Stat. 741.30 - Domestic Violence Injunction
- Form 12.980(a) - Petition for Injunction Against Domestic Violence
- Refuge House
Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.
Franklin County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs
Where do I file for an injunction for protection in Franklin County?
File at the Franklin County Clerk's Civil Division, 33 Market Street, Suite 203, Apalachicola. This is the county's only courthouse, so everyone in Franklin County, including those in Carrabelle and Eastpoint, files here.
Does Franklin County charge a fee to file for a restraining order?
No. Fla. Stat. 741.30(2)(a) bars a filing fee for domestic violence petitions, and 784.046(3)(b) does the same for repeat, dating, and sexual violence petitions. None of the five injunction types costs the petitioner anything.
How fast can I get a temporary injunction in Franklin County?
You can get one the same day if your petition shows immediate and present danger. Under Fla. Stat. 741.30(5)(a), a judge can sign a temporary injunction without notifying the respondent first, and it stays in effect for up to 15 days.
When is the full hearing after a temporary injunction is granted in Franklin County?
Florida law requires the hearing to be set before the 15-day temporary injunction expires. The clerk's notice lists the exact courtroom, date, and time both parties must appear.
Who serves the paperwork on the respondent in Franklin County?
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office serves the signed order. This costs you nothing; the clerk pays the agency directly under Fla. Stat. 741.30(2)(a), capped at $20.
What domestic violence center serves Franklin County?
Refuge House is the certified domestic violence center for the Big Bend region, which includes Franklin County. Its 24-hour hotline is 850-681-2111, and Florida's statewide line, 1-800-500-1119, is also available to you.
This page is general information about Florida domestic violence injunction procedure in Franklin 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 Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Franklin 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 Franklin 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