Injunction for Protection (Restraining Order) in Sarasota 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. Sarasota County lists injunctions for protection alongside divorce and custody services on its Family Court Self-Help page. File the petition in person at the Sarasota County Courthouse, 2000 Main Street.

Self-represented parties can bring completed forms to Customer Service inside the courthouse for review and notarization before filing. Some counties handle this step separately, so it's worth using here: a second set of eyes on your paperwork before it reaches a judge. Staff there cannot advise you on what to write, though.

Sarasota County charges no filing fee for any of the five injunction types: domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking. State law forbids the fee. The sheriff also serves the respondent at no cost to you.

SPARCC, Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center, is Sarasota County's certified domestic violence provider. It keeps outreach offices in Sarasota, North Port, Venice, and Englewood, so help is available close to home across the county. Its 24-hour crisis line is 941-365-1976.

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 Sarasota 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 Sarasota County, FL

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

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

Local notes for Sarasota County, FL

Customer Service at the courthouse can notarize your paperwork and check it for completeness, which can save you a second trip if something is missing. Bring a photo ID and any details you have about the respondent's location to help with service.

Once a temporary injunction is granted and served, Florida law requires the return hearing be scheduled within 15 days. That deadline is set statewide, not by Sarasota County.

SPARCC runs offices in North Port, Venice, and Englewood in addition to Sarasota, so residents in the south county area don't have to travel downtown for advocacy and safety planning. The injunction itself still gets filed at the Main Street courthouse. Gulfcoast Legal Services provides income-qualified legal help in Sarasota County for related family law matters like custody.

Sarasota County's five approved injunction forms track different relationships under Florida law. Domestic violence covers spouses, former spouses, relatives, or people living together as a family. Repeat violence covers two incidents against someone outside that circle. Dating violence, sexual violence, and stalking each cover their own specific circumstances. Every form carries the same statewide protections: free filing, free service by the sheriff, and a return hearing within 15 days, regardless of which one applies to your situation. If the respondent violates the injunction once it takes effect, that's a separate criminal offense. Call 911, not a new filing.

Official injunction resources in Sarasota County, FL

Sarasota County Courthouse handles restraining-orders filings, located at 2000 Main Street, Sarasota 34237.

The filing fee is Free. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Self-represented parties may bring forms to Customer Service at the Clerk's Office for review and notarization; injunctions are filed in person for same-day judicial review.

Sarasota County Family Court Self-Help (Pro Se) (https://www.sarasotaclerk.com/Courts/Family-Court/Family-Court-Self-Help-Pro-Se) can help with procedure and paperwork. Listed alongside divorce, child support, restraining orders, adoption, name change, paternity, and guardianship services on the clerk's site.

• Sarasota County Clerk - Family Court Self-Help
• SPARCC - Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center
• Gulfcoast Legal Services
• 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.

Sarasota County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs