Injunction for Protection (Restraining Order) in Washington 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.

To file for an injunction for protection, go to the Washington County Courthouse at 1293 Jackson Ave in Chipley, (850) 638-6285. None of the five injunction types costs anything to file: domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, sexual violence, or stalking. That's different from the county's $397.50 fee for a standard dissolution filing.

A judge can sign a temporary injunction the same day, without notifying the respondent first, if the petition shows immediate and present danger. That order lasts up to 15 days, and state law requires the full hearing to happen before it expires.

Washington County shares the same Fourteenth Judicial Circuit family law materials used by Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, and Jackson Counties. You can find the 12.980 injunction petitions on jud14.flcourts.org's forms page.

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 Washington 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 Washington County, FL

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

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

Local notes for Washington County, FL

The Washington County Clerk's dissolution packets point to the shared Fourteenth Circuit materials instead of hosting separate injunction forms. Expect to pull the 12.980 form from jud14.flcourts.org or ask at the Chipley courthouse counter.

Once a judge signs the order, the Washington County Sheriff's Office serves the respondent at no cost to the petitioner. The clerk pays for that service directly.

The Fourteenth Circuit's domestic violence page, shared across Washington and its five neighboring counties, offers a litigant checklist and videos but doesn't name a specific certified shelter. Calling the statewide hotline is the most direct way to reach current local services from Chipley.

Washington County sits at the center of the Fourteenth Circuit's smaller counties, and its dissolution packets note the shared circuit materials used across Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, and Jackson too. Not every county in the region spells out that cross-referencing as clearly.

Call the Chipley courthouse ahead of a visit to confirm current hours and which counter handles injunction filings. Washingtonclerk.com's own site focuses mainly on dissolution rather than injunction-specific detail.

If you're unsure which of the five 12.980 forms applies, ask Clerk staff in Chipley directly. They can point you to the correct petition, though Florida law keeps them from weighing in on the facts of your case.

Official injunction resources in Washington County, FL

Washington County Courthouse handles restraining-orders filings, located at 1293 Jackson Ave, Chipley 32428. Phone: (850) 638-6285.

The filing fee is $0. E-filing is available through https://www.myflcourtaccess.com. Statewide e-filing portal applies, though most petitioners in Washington County file in person at the Chipley courthouse for same-day judicial review.

Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Family Law Forms (https://jud14.flcourts.org/family-law/family-law-forms) can help with procedure and paperwork. Washington County Clerk's own dissolution packets note the county is covered by the same Fourteenth Circuit family law materials used in Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, and Jackson Counties. Clerk's Office: (850) 638-6285/6289.

• Fourteenth Judicial Circuit - Family Law Forms
• Fla. Stat. 741.30 - Domestic Violence Injunction
• Form 12.980(q) - Petition for Injunction Against Sexual Violence
• Fourteenth Judicial Circuit - Domestic Violence

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

Washington County, FL Injunction for Protection FAQs