Injunction for Protection (Restraining Order) in Liberty 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.

Liberty County is Florida's least populous county. Its Clerk of Court, 10818 NW SR 20 in Bristol, is the only place to file an injunction for protection, whether the case involves domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking.

None of the five injunction types carry a filing fee. State law bars the clerk from charging one, and that rule applies in Bristol the same way it applies in a much larger county.

A judge can sign a temporary injunction the same day, before the respondent is notified, 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 Liberty 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 Liberty County, FL

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

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

Local notes for Liberty County, FL

The Liberty County Clerk's website, libertyclerk.com, does not have its own family-law self-help section. Bring a printed 12.980 petition from flcourts.gov, or ask the Clerk's staff to provide one in person, rather than expecting a downloadable local packet.

The Liberty County Sheriff's Office serves the signed order on the respondent, and this costs the petitioner nothing, since the clerk pays the agency directly.

Liberty County sits within Refuge House's Big Bend coverage area, so residents reach the same 24-hour hotline, 850-681-2111, used across Leon, Wakulla, Franklin, Gadsden, and Jefferson Counties.

Liberty County's small size and population mean the Clerk's staff at the Bristol office often handle a wider range of questions in person than a larger county's counter would, simply because there is no separate department to route someone to. Call ahead, and you'll likely reach the same person who processes the actual filing.

Because Liberty County has no dedicated online self-help center, plan extra time at the counter if you're unfamiliar with the 12.980 forms, rather than expecting to arrive with everything pre-filled from a downloadable local packet.

Filing at the Liberty County Clerk of Court in Bristol remains the fastest route to a same-day temporary injunction for a Liberty County resident, since the office reviews petitions locally rather than routing them through a larger regional courthouse first.

Official injunction resources in Liberty County, FL

Liberty County Clerk of Court handles restraining-orders filings, located at 10818 NW SR 20, Bristol 32321.

The filing fee is $0. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing portal applies, though given Liberty is Florida's least populous county, most people filing an injunction here do so in person at the small Bristol courthouse.

The self-help center can help with procedure and paperwork. libertyclerk.com does not host a dedicated family-law self-help page or fee schedule; its Courts page points general filers to flcourts.gov rather than county-specific packets.

• Fla. Stat. 741.30 - Domestic Violence Injunction
• Form 12.980(a) - Petition for Injunction Against Domestic Violence
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Refuge House

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

Liberty County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs