Before a protection order can take effect, it must be served upon the abuser. In most states, protection orders are served by the sheriff department. You can contact the court clerk of the court that issued your order to find out the procedure for service if you are unsure. For a list of Virginia courts, check the VA Courthouse Locations page on our site. To find the contact information for sheriff departments listed by county, you can go to the website of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association. (WomensLaw.org is not affiliated with that website.)