Injunction for Protection (Restraining Order) in Walton 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.

Walton County runs from DeFuniak Springs to the Gulf. Because of that distance, the Clerk keeps two filing locations for injunctions for protection: the Walton County Courthouse at 571 US Highway 90 East in DeFuniak Springs, and the Annex at 31 Coastal Centre Blvd in Santa Rosa Beach, for residents along US 98 and 30A.

Filing costs nothing, no matter which of the five injunction types applies: domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking. Florida law forbids the clerk from charging a fee for any of them. That's an exception worth noting, since the clerk's own fee schedule lists a $40 service charge for most other civil case types.

A judge can grant a temporary injunction the same day the petition is filed, without notifying the respondent first, if the facts show immediate and present danger. That order lasts up to 15 days. A full hearing with both sides present must happen 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 Walton 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 Walton County, FL

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

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

Local notes for Walton County, FL

Walton and Okaloosa Counties share Shelter House as their certified domestic violence center. So a caller from anywhere in Walton County reaches the same 24-hour hotline, 850-863-4777, as someone calling from Fort Walton Beach.

The Walton County Sheriff's Office serves the signed order on the respondent at no cost to the petitioner. That's a contrast to the standard sheriff service fee the clerk's self-help page lists for other civil matters.

Someone in the southern part of the county, around Miramar Beach or Santa Rosa Beach, can generally file and be heard through the Coastal Centre Blvd Annex instead of driving north to DeFuniak Springs.

Walton County runs from the county seat in DeFuniak Springs down to the Gulf coast around 30A. So the choice between the two clerk offices usually comes down to which side of the county a petitioner starts from, not any difference in what each office can do.

Official injunction resources in Walton County, FL

Walton County Courthouse handles restraining-orders filings, located at 571 US Highway 90 East, DeFuniak Springs 32433. Walton County Clerk Annex at 31 Coastal Centre Blvd handles Family law filings including injunctions for protection, serving the south end of the county along US 98/30A.

The filing fee is $0. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing is available, but most Walton County injunction petitioners file in person at the DeFuniak Springs courthouse or the Santa Rosa Beach Annex for same-day judicial review.

Walton County Clerk Court Self-Help (https://waltonclerkfl.gov/court-self-help) can help with procedure and paperwork. Court Self-Help page for pro se filers. Confirms sheriff service within Florida runs $40 for other civil filings, but domestic violence and repeat/dating/sexual violence injunction service is provided free under state law.

• Walton County Clerk - Court Self-Help
• Fla. Stat. 741.30 - Domestic Violence Injunction
• Form 12.980(q) - Petition for Injunction Against Sexual Violence
• Shelter House of Northwest Florida

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

Walton County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs