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 Santa Rosa County, Florida
How to ask for an injunction for protection against domestic violence in Santa Rosa County, FL, from the forms you file at the First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Santa Rosa 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.
Santa Rosa County shares its certified domestic violence center, FavorHouse of Northwest Florida, with neighboring Escambia County. The partnership dates back to 1980. Its 24-hour line, 850-434-6600, is a good place to start before or after you file a petition.
To open an injunction for protection case, go to the Clerk's Civil/Family Division at 6495 Caroline St Suite A in Milton, or the Clerk's counter at the Santa Rosa County Courthouse, 4025 Avalon Blvd. Filing is free for all five injunction types: domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking. Florida law bars the clerk from charging a fee.
A judge can sign a temporary injunction the same day if the petition shows immediate and present danger, before the respondent is told anything. That order lasts up to 15 days. State law requires a full hearing with both sides present 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 Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa County, FL
Injunction requests in Santa Rosa County, FL are filed with the First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Santa Rosa County. Because courthouse locations, hours, and local domestic violence resources change over time, confirm current details using the Florida court clerk directory:
Find the Santa Rosa County, FL Clerk of Court (Florida court clerk directory)
Local notes for Santa Rosa County, FL
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office serves the signed order on the respondent. That service costs the petitioner nothing; the clerk pays the agency directly instead of billing whoever filed.
The Civil/Family Division's forms page mixes county-specific paperwork, service acceptance forms, hearing requests, and financial disclosure waivers, with the standard statewide injunction petitions: 12.980(a), (f), (n), (q), and (t). Someone filing in Santa Rosa can usually get everything they need from that one page or the counter in Milton.
Santa Rosa and Escambia share FavorHouse as their certified center, so a caller from either county reaches the same 24-hour line and the same shelter network. There is no separate Santa Rosa-only hotline.
The Civil/Family Division office sits at 6495 Caroline St, a few blocks from the Santa Rosa County Courthouse. Someone who heads to the courthouse first by mistake still has time to walk over to Caroline St without losing the whole visit.
Official injunction resources in Santa Rosa County, FL
Santa Rosa County Courthouse handles restraining-orders filings, located at 4025 Avalon Blvd, Milton 32583.
The filing fee is $0. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Available statewide, but most injunction petitioners in Santa Rosa file in person at the Civil/Family Division counter so a judge can review the request the same day.
Santa Rosa County Clerk Civil/Family Division (https://santarosaclerk.com/links/online-forms/domestic-relations-child-support-family-law/) can help with procedure and paperwork. Civil/Family Division office at 6495 Caroline St Suite A, Milton FL 32570, (850) 981-5554. The clerk's Domestic Relations/Family Law page hosts county-specific forms and checklists alongside the statewide 12.980 injunction packets.
- Santa Rosa County Clerk - Family Law Forms
- Fla. Stat. 741.30 - Domestic Violence Injunction
- Form 12.980(t) - Petition for Injunction Against Stalking
- FavorHouse of Northwest Florida
Local details reviewed August 2026. Offices and locations can change, so confirm with the official sites above before you file.
Santa Rosa County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs
Where do I go to file for a restraining order in Santa Rosa County?
Go to the Clerk's Civil/Family Division, 6495 Caroline St Suite A, Milton FL 32570, or the Clerk's counter at the Santa Rosa County Courthouse, 4025 Avalon Blvd, Milton. Either location can give you the correct injunction petition and check that it's filled out completely.
Is there a filing fee for an injunction for protection in Santa Rosa County?
No. 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 petitions. Service by the Sheriff's Office is also free to the petitioner.
How quickly can a Santa Rosa County judge grant a temporary injunction?
A judge can sign a temporary injunction the same day if the petition shows immediate and present danger, 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 moves toward a full hearing.
When will my full injunction hearing be scheduled in Santa Rosa County?
State law requires the full hearing to happen no later than when the 15-day temporary injunction expires, so the court typically sets it within that window. The notice from the clerk's office will state the exact courtroom, date, and time.
Who serves the injunction paperwork on the respondent in Santa Rosa County?
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office serves the respondent after a judge signs the temporary or final injunction. The clerk pays for that service directly, so the petitioner is never billed for it.
What domestic violence center serves Santa Rosa County?
FavorHouse of Northwest Florida is the certified domestic violence center for both Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties, a role it has held since 1980. Reach its 24-hour hotline at 850-434-6600 or Florida's statewide line at 1-800-500-1119.
This page is general information about Florida domestic violence injunction procedure in Santa Rosa 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, Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa 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