Injunction for Protection (Restraining Order) in Marion 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.

Marion County's Self-Help Office sits inside the Law Library on the first floor of the Marion County Courthouse, 110 NW 1st Avenue in Ocala. It works by telephonic appointment, not walk-in, so anyone filing an urgent injunction for protection should go straight to the filing counter instead.

None of the five injunction types, domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking, comes with a filing fee. That differs from Marion County's $408 dissolution filing fee.

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 Marion 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 Marion County, FL

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

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

Local notes for Marion County, FL

The Marion County Self-Help Office works by telephonic appointment through MarionFamilySelfHelp@circuit5.org rather than in-person walk-ins. It works best for reviewing paperwork ahead of a hearing, not for the initial injunction filing itself.

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

Ocala is the largest population center in the Fifth Judicial Circuit, so its courthouse handles a significant share of the circuit's family filings. Bringing a complete petition and arriving early in the day can help avoid a longer wait.

Marion County is the most populous county in the Fifth Judicial Circuit, so Ocala's courthouse handles a heavier volume of family filings than Citrus, Hernando, Lake, or Sumter. That is part of why its self-help office operates by appointment rather than walk-in.

A petitioner moving between Marion and its smaller Fifth Circuit neighbors would find the same statewide injunction rules apply throughout: free filing, same-day ex parte review, and a 15-day hearing deadline, regardless of county size.

The Marion Self-Help Office's telephonic appointment system, reached through MarionFamilySelfHelp@circuit5.org, works well for someone who has already filed and needs help reviewing paperwork. The initial injunction petition itself should still go to the courthouse filing counter directly.

Official injunction resources in Marion County, FL

Marion County Courthouse handles restraining-orders filings, located at 110 NW 1st Avenue, Ocala 34475.

The filing fee is $0. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing portal; e-filing is mandatory for attorneys under Fla. R. Jud. Admin. 2.525, but self-represented parties may still file paper documents in person or by mail.

Fifth Judicial Circuit Marion County Self-Help Office (https://www.circuit5.org/marion-county-family-court/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Located on the first floor of the Marion County Courthouse inside the Law Library; helps pro se litigants with procedural information and reviews filings for completeness by telephonic appointment (MarionFamilySelfHelp@circuit5.org).

• Fifth Judicial Circuit - Marion County Family Court
• Fla. Stat. 741.30 - Domestic Violence Injunction
• Form 12.980(a) - Petition for Injunction Against Domestic Violence
• Fifth Judicial Circuit - Domestic Violence Injunctions

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

Marion County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs