Domestic Violence Restraining Orders in Northern California, California

If you are being abused or threatened by a spouse, partner, someone you dated, a co-parent, or a close family member, a domestic violence restraining order can help protect you. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For free and confidential support at any hour, reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.

This page covers domestic violence restraining orders in 13 of California's smaller, largely rural northern counties: Mendocino and Del Norte on the coast, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba in the Sacramento Valley, Siskiyou, Lassen, Modoc, Trinity, and Plumas in the mountains and high desert, and Lake around Clear Lake. Each keeps its own Superior Court, and each follows the exact same statewide process. California uses the same forms in every county, and there is no fee to file for a domestic violence restraining order. A judge can grant a temporary order quickly, often the same day or the next court day, and it lasts until your hearing, usually within about three weeks. After the hearing, a longer order can last up to five years.

You do not need a lawyer to start. Local domestic violence advocates and each county's self-help center can help you fill out Form DV-100 at no cost. What differs practically in a small county is mostly administrative: many of these counties handle restraining order requests through a single courthouse in the county seat, so confirm the current filing location and hours using the official California Courts court finder before you go in person or send documents. A domestic violence restraining order can include more than a stay-away order: it can set temporary child custody and visitation, order child or spousal support, require the other person to move out, and require them to surrender firearms.

If the other person is a neighbor, coworker, or stranger rather than someone you have a close relationship with, ask the court about a civil harassment restraining order instead, since a domestic violence restraining order applies to spouses, partners, co-parents, and close family members.

How a domestic violence restraining order works in California

A domestic violence restraining order is for protection from someone you have a close relationship with, such as a spouse or former spouse, a partner you live with or used to live with, someone you dated, a co-parent, or a close family member. If the other person is a neighbor, coworker, or stranger, a different order called a civil harassment restraining order may apply instead. California uses the same statewide forms in every county, including all of the counties in Northern California. The basic steps are:

1. File a Request for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order (Form DV-100), with the related forms DV-109 and DV-110, at the court. There is no filing fee.
2. A judge reviews your request, often the same day or the next court day, and can grant a temporary restraining order that lasts until your hearing.
3. The other person is served with the paperwork and can file a response (Form DV-120).
4. You attend a court hearing, usually within about three weeks.
5. If the judge grants a restraining order after the hearing, it can last up to five years and can be renewed.

Where to file by county in Northern California

Find your county's Superior Court (official California Courts finder)

Northern California Restraining Order FAQs