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

Call 911 if you're in immediate danger. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. Florida's statewide hotline is 1-800-500-1119. Once you're safe, you can file for an injunction for protection in Pasco County at the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey or the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City. Either clerk's office can take your petition the same day.

Pasco County has two family law filing points because it stretches from the Gulf coast to the eastern county line, and the clerk wants a courthouse within reach no matter where you live. West Pasco handles most new petitions from New Port Richey, Land O' Lakes, and Wesley Chapel. Dade City covers Zephyrhills and the rural east side. Both locations accept walk-in petitioners and route paperwork to a judge for same-day review whenever the schedule allows.

Filing costs nothing. Florida law bars clerks from charging any fee, cost, or service charge for a domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking injunction. The sheriff serves the respondent at no charge as well. You don't need a lawyer to file, but the clerk's office can't help you decide what to say in the petition or predict how a judge will rule.

Pasco's self-help program can point you to the correct form and answer procedural questions. For safety planning, shelter, and a full explanation of what happens after you file, the county's certified domestic violence center, Sunrise Domestic & Sexual Violence Center, is the better resource.

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 Pasco 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 Pasco County, FL

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

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

Local notes for Pasco County, FL

The Sixth Judicial Circuit's self-help page lists the current, locally approved packet for each of the five injunction types. Both West Pasco and Dade City locations keep printed copies on hand, so you don't need a home printer or reliable internet to start. Bring a photo ID and, if you have one, the respondent's current address, since the sheriff needs a location to attempt service.

After you file, a judge decides whether to grant a temporary injunction without a hearing, based only on your written petition. If granted, it takes effect once the respondent is served and stays in place until the return hearing, which state law sets within 15 days. You may be asked to appear briefly the same day if the judge wants more information before deciding.

Sunrise Domestic & Sexual Violence Center covers both Pasco and Hernando Counties and can help with a safety plan whether or not you pursue an injunction. Bay Area Legal Services handles some family law matters for income-qualified Pasco residents and is worth a call if your case is contested or complicated by custody issues.

Official injunction resources in Pasco County, FL

West Pasco Judicial Center handles restraining-orders filings, located at 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey 34654. Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center at 38053 Live Oak Avenue handles Family law filings for east Pasco, including injunction for protection petitions.

The filing fee is Free. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Injunction petitions are handled in person at the clerk's office so a judge can review the request the same day; the e-filing portal is used mainly by attorneys and for later filings in an open case.

Pasco Legal Resource Center / Sixth Judicial Circuit Self-Help (https://www.jud6.org/representing-yourself-in-court/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Locations at both the West Pasco Judicial Center and the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City. Phone 1-800-368-2411. Staff can point to the right form but cannot fill it out for you or give legal advice.

• Sixth Judicial Circuit self-help resources
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal
• Fla. Stat. 741.30 (injunction statute)
• National Domestic Violence Hotline

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

Pasco County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs