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 Okaloosa County, Florida
How to ask for an injunction for protection against domestic violence in Okaloosa County, FL, from the forms you file at the First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Okaloosa 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.
Okaloosa County has two places to file an injunction for protection: the Okaloosa County Courthouse in Crestview, 101 E James Lee Blvd, and the Courthouse Annex Extension in Fort Walton Beach, 1940 Lewis Turner Blvd. Both counters accept petitions for domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking. None of the five carries a filing fee.
A judge who sees evidence of immediate and present danger can sign a temporary injunction the same day, before the respondent knows a petition exists. That order lasts up to 15 days. Florida law requires the full hearing to happen before it expires.
Once signed, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office serves the order on the respondent. The petitioner never pays for that service. The clerk covers it 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 Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa County, FL
Injunction requests in Okaloosa County, FL are filed with the First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Okaloosa County. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local domestic violence resources change over time, confirm current details using the Florida court clerk directory:
Find the Okaloosa County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)
Local notes for Okaloosa County, FL
Shelter House is the certified domestic violence center for both Okaloosa and Walton Counties. Residents on either side of the county line reach the same 24-hour hotline, 850-863-4777, for shelter and safety planning.
Okaloosa's clerk offers self-help packets, not legal advice, through the DIY Forms page. The office also promotes TurboCourt as an interactive tool for simplified filings, but most people filing an injunction for protection still do it in person because of the urgency.
With two courthouse locations serving the county, someone filing from the coastal side, around Fort Walton Beach or Destin, can usually skip the drive north to Crestview and use the Lewis Turner Blvd Annex instead.
Okaloosa's clerk also promotes TurboCourt, an interactive online tool, mainly for simplified dissolution rather than injunctions. It still points to the same statewide 12.980 forms a petitioner needs here. Anyone unsure which courthouse, Crestview or the Fort Walton Beach Annex, is faster on a given day can call either office before making the drive.
Official injunction resources in Okaloosa County, FL
Okaloosa County Courthouse handles restraining-orders filings, located at 101 E James Lee Blvd, Crestview 32536. Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex Extension at 1940 Lewis Turner Blvd handles Family law filings including injunctions for protection, closer to the coastal half of the county.
The filing fee is $0. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing exists, but an injunction petitioner in Okaloosa can walk into either the Crestview courthouse or the Fort Walton Beach Annex and file directly at the counter.
Okaloosa County Clerk DIY Forms (https://okaloosaclerk.com/court-services/diy-forms/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Self-help packets for pro se filers. Fort Walton Beach Annex phone (850) 651-7200. Okaloosa also offers TurboCourt as an interactive DIY tool, though injunctions are typically filed in person rather than online.
- Okaloosa County Clerk - DIY Forms
- Fla. Stat. 741.30 - Domestic Violence Injunction
- Form 12.980(n) - Petition for Injunction Against Dating Violence
- Shelter House of Northwest Florida
Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.
Okaloosa County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs
Where do I file for an injunction for protection in Okaloosa County?
File at the Okaloosa County Courthouse, 101 E James Lee Blvd, Crestview, or the Courthouse Annex Extension, 1940 Lewis Turner Blvd, Fort Walton Beach. Both locations accept injunction petitions and can check that the paperwork is complete before it goes to a judge.
How much does it cost to file for a restraining order in Okaloosa County?
Nothing. 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. Sheriff's Office service on the respondent is also free to the person who filed.
Can I get a same-day temporary order in Okaloosa County?
Yes, if the petition shows immediate and present danger. A judge can sign a temporary injunction without notifying the respondent first, under Fla. Stat. 741.30(5)(a). That order stays in effect for up to 15 days while the case proceeds.
When is the full hearing held after a temporary injunction in Okaloosa County?
Florida law requires the full hearing, where both parties can appear, to happen before the 15-day temporary injunction expires. The clerk's notice lists the specific courtroom, date, and time to appear.
Which agency serves the respondent in Okaloosa County injunction cases?
The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office serves the signed order on the respondent. It's free to the petitioner because the clerk pays the agency directly, capped at $20 under Fla. Stat. 741.30(2)(a).
What is the domestic violence hotline for Okaloosa County?
Shelter House is the certified domestic violence center for Okaloosa and Walton Counties. Its 24-hour hotline is 850-863-4777. Florida's statewide hotline, 1-800-500-1119, can also connect a caller to local shelter and advocacy services.
This page is general information about Florida domestic violence injunction procedure in Okaloosa 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 First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa 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