Restraining Orders

In some states, you will need a certified copy of your order of protection to register it in a new state. A certified copy shows that it is a “true and correct” copy; it is generally signed and initialed by the clerk of court that gave you the order, and usually has some kind of court stamp on it. In Arkansas, a certified order of protection has a stamp or seal on it. It might also only have a “file mark” with the date and time the order was filed.

The copy you originally received was most likely not a certified copy. If your copy is not a certified copy, go to the Domestic Relations Division of the court that gave you the order, and ask for a certified copy. There may be a fee to get a certified copy of an order of protection.

Note: It is a good idea to keep a copy of the order with you at all times. You will also want to bring several copies of the order with you when you move and consider leaving copies of the order at your work place, at your home, at the children’s school or daycare, in your car, with a sympathetic neighbor, and so on. You may want to give a copy to the security guard or person at the front desk where you live and/or work and to anyone who is named in and protected by the order.