Restraining Orders

Generally, only the state that issued your protection order can change, extend, or cancel it. 

To have your order changed, extended, or canceled, you will likely have to file a motion or petition in the court where the order was issued. You’ll probably also need to attend a hearing. However, you may be able to request that you attend the court hearing by telephone or video rather than in person, so that you do not need to return to the state where the abuser lives. You can find out if this is possible in your state by calling the clerk of the court that issued your order. If you need contact information for that court, go to our Courthouse Locations page and choose the state from the drop-down menu. To learn more about changing your order, see our Restraining Orders page for the state where your order was issued.

If your order expires while you are living in Hawai‘i, you may be able to get a new one in Hawai‘i. However, this may be difficult to do if no new incidents of abuse have happened in Hawai‘i. To find out more information on how to get a domestic abuse protective order in Hawai‘i, visit our Domestic Abuse Protective Orders  page.