Restraining Orders

There are two types of orders for protection that can be issued by the family court in cases of domestic abuse.

Temporary restraining orders (TRO). A temporary restraining order can be granted at the time you apply for your order for protection without prior notice to the abuser and without him/her being present in court.¹ It is valid for up to 180 days or until a final order for protection becomes effective, whichever happens first. Generally, a hearing on the TRO will take place within 15 days. At the hearing, the abuser can try to prove (“show cause”) why the TRO should be discontinued.² For information on the protections you can get in a TRO, see How can an order for protection help me?

Note: Although Hawaii does not have an emergency order that can be filed when courts are closed, the law does empower the police to issue a similar “order.” A police officer who is investigating an allegation of abuse of a family/household member can order the abuser to leave the home for a “period of separation.” During this time, it is illegal for the abuser to initiate any contact with you, either by telephone or in person. The “period of separation” lasts until 6:00 p.m. on the second business day following the day the order was issued; the day the order is issued is not counted when calculating the two business days.³ For more information, you can read the whole law on our Selected Hawaii Statutes page.

Final order for protection. At the hearing that takes place approximately 15 days after getting your TRO, the judge can give you an order for protection for a longer amount of time if the judge believes that:

• the abuser did not prove (“show cause”) why the order should be discontinued; and
• the order for protection is necessary to prevent domestic abuse from happening or from re-occurring.⁴

If a temporary or final order for protection prevents the respondent from contacting, threatening, or physically abusing a minor, the order can be extended until a date soon after the minor turns 18.⁵

If your situation does not fit the requirements for a family court order, you may request an injunction against harassment from the district court. For more information, please see our Injunctions Against Harassment (District Court) page.

¹ HRS § 586-4(a)
² HRS § 586-5(a), (b)
³ HRS § 709-906(4)(b)
⁴ HRS § 586-5.5(a)
⁵ HRS §§ 586-5(a); 586-5.5(a)