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

If you're in immediate danger, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. Florida's statewide hotline is 1-800-500-1119. Hardee County keeps everything in one office: the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller at 417 W. Main Street, Suite 202, in Wauchula. That's where you file an injunction for protection petition in person.

One office means one clear path. You won't have to guess which building or branch to visit, and the clerk's Pro Se Packets & Fees page lists the state's approved injunction forms alongside its other self-represented packets. Call the Family Court Self-Help Program at 1-800-780-5346 ext. 4015 if you have questions before you drive in.

Five injunction types apply here: domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking. Filing any of them in Hardee County is free. That's a statewide rule, not a local courtesy, and it applies no matter how complicated your case is.

Peace River Center is the certified domestic violence provider for Hardee, Highlands, and Polk Counties. Its crisis line for Hardee and Highlands is 863-386-1167. That number connects you to advocacy and shelter resources, not the clerk's office. For anything urgent about the legal filing itself, call 911 or contact the courthouse directly.

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 Hardee 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 Hardee County, FL

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

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

Local notes for Hardee County, FL

The clerk's office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:00pm. Staff there can hand you the correct packet for your situation, whether it's the domestic violence form or one of the other four injunction types. The clerk's site doesn't spell out how same-day judicial review works in a small circuit like Hardee's, so call ahead to ask, especially if you're filing later in the day.

Once a judge grants a temporary injunction, Florida law requires the return hearing to be scheduled within 15 days. That timeline applies in every Florida county, regardless of size.

Hardee is a rural county, so Florida Rural Legal Services is the legal aid organization most likely to serve residents here for related family law matters. Peace River Center's Hardee/Highlands hotline is a direct line to support that isn't limited to court hours.

Official injunction resources in Hardee County, FL

Hardee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller handles restraining-orders filings, located at 417 W. Main Street, Suite 202, Wauchula 33873.

The filing fee is Free. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Hardee is small and rural; the clerk's own site has limited detail on e-filing specifics beyond linking to the statewide portal. Injunctions are filed in person so a judge can review the petition quickly.

Hardee County Pro Se Packets & Fees / Family Court Self-Help Program (https://www.hardeeclerk.com/departments/family-law/pro-se-packets-fees/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Family Court Self-Help Program phone 1-800-780-5346 ext. 4015. Clerk's office at 417 W. Main St, Suite 202, Wauchula, FL 33873, Monday through Friday 8:30am-4:00pm.

• Hardee County Clerk - Pro Se Packets & Fees
• Peace River Center
• Florida Rural Legal Services
• Fla. Stat. 741.30 (injunction statute)

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

Hardee County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs