Injunction for Protection (Restraining Order) in Orange 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. In Orange County, you file an injunction for protection petition in person at the Orange County Courthouse in downtown Orlando. The clerk's injunction desk handles these filings directly; petitions filed early in the day give a judge the most time for same-day review.

The Self Help Center sits inside the courthouse at rooms 320 and 340 and offers more than forms. Staff there provide low-cost attorney consultations, help with paperwork, notarization, and copying, all for people representing themselves in family court. The office is open weekdays from 7:30am to 4:00pm, but judges review new injunction petitions the same day whenever possible, so filing as early in the day as you can matters when your safety depends on moving quickly.

Filing costs nothing, regardless of which of the five injunction types fits your situation: domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking. Orange County charges no filing fee, and law enforcement serves the respondent at no cost to you.

Harbor House of Central Florida is Orange County's certified domestic violence center and runs a 24-hour crisis line separate from the court process. Contacting Harbor House does not file anything with the court, but it connects you to shelter and safety planning before, during, or after the injunction process.

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 Orange 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 Orange County, FL

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

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

Local notes for Orange County, FL

Bring photo ID and, if possible, any details about where to find the respondent, since that helps law enforcement complete service. Self Help Center staff can walk you through which of the five approved injunction forms fits your relationship to the respondent, and they'll print copies for you if you don't have your own.

Once a judge grants a temporary injunction, it takes effect once the respondent is served. Florida law requires the return hearing to be set within 15 days of that temporary order. Watch for the court's notice; it spells out exactly when and where to appear.

Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida offers income-qualified legal help across Central Florida, including Orange County, and can help if your case overlaps with a custody or divorce matter. Clerk staff, including at the Winter Park location, can answer procedural questions but cannot give legal advice or predict how a judge will rule.

Official injunction resources in Orange County, FL

Orange County Courthouse handles restraining-orders filings, located at 425 N. Orange Ave., Orlando 32801. Winter Park Courthouse at Winter Park handles Some Self Help Center services; injunction filings are handled downtown at the main courthouse.

The filing fee is Free. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Injunction petitions are filed in person at the courthouse so a judge can review them the same day; e-filing is used mainly by attorneys and for later documents.

Orange County Clerk Self Help Center (https://www.myorangeclerk.com/Divisions/Self-Help-Center/Self-Help-Center) can help with procedure and paperwork. Located at the Orange County Courthouse, rooms 320/340.

• Orange County Clerk Self Help Center
• Harbor House of Central Florida
• Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida
• 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.

Orange County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs