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Once you get a protective order, there may be laws that stop the abuser from having a gun. You can learn more about this in a few ways:
- Check the questions on this page about the protections you can get to see if Maryland judges can take away guns as part of a temporary or final order.
- Go to our State Gun Laws section to read about your state’s gun laws.
- Look at our Federal Gun Laws section to learn about national laws that apply in every state and can make it illegal for an abuser to have a gun in some situations.
You can read more about keeping an abuser from accessing guns on the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Firearms’ website. For ideas on how to protect yourself, go to I’m worried the abuser has a gun or is planning to get one. What can I do to protect myself?
What should I do when I leave the courthouse?
Here are some things that you may want to consider when you leave the courthouse. You will have to evaluate each one and decide if it is safe and appropriate for you to do.
- Review the order before you leave the courthouse. If you see any errors, ask the clerk how to correct them.
- Make several copies of the protection order as soon as possible.
- Keep a copy of the protection order with you at all times.
- Leave copies at your workplace, at your home, at your children’s school or daycare, in your car, with a trusted neighbor, and so on.
- If you have a security guard or front desk person where you live or work, give him/her a copy of the order and a photo of the abuser.
- Give a copy of the order to anyone who is named in and protected by the order.
- You may want to change your locks and phone number.
You may also want to make a safety plan. People can do things to increase their safety during violent incidents; when preparing to leave an abusive relationship; and when they are at home, work, and school. Many abusers obey protective orders, but some do not. So, it is important to build on the things you have already been doing to keep yourself safe. Go to our Safety Planning page for suggestions.
I was not granted a protective order. How can I stay safe?
If you are not granted protective order, there are still some things you can do to stay safe. It might be a good idea to contact one of the domestic violence resource centers in your area to get help, support, and advice. They can help you develop a safety plan and help connect you with the resources you need. For safety planning help, ideas, and information, go to our Safety Planning page. To find a shelter or an advocate at a local program, please visit our Maryland Advocates and Shelters page.
Even without a protective order, if you have been the victim of abuse and you believe that you are in danger of immediate harm, you can request the help of local law enforcement to accompany you to the “family home” to remove the following items regardless of who paid for the items:
- the personal clothing of you and of any child in your care; and
- the personal belongings, including medicine or medical devices, of you and of any child in your care.1
If you were not granted protective order because your relationship with the abuser does not qualify, you may be able to seek protection through a peace order. You may also be able to reapply for a protective order if a new incident of domestic abuse occurs after you are denied the order.
If you believe the judge made an error of law, you can talk to someone at a domestic violence organization or a lawyer about the possibility of an appeal. Generally, appeals are complicated and you will most likely need the help of a lawyer. See our Filing an Appeal page for general info on appeals.
1 Md. Code, Fam. Law § 4-502(a)(2)
What can I do if the abuser violates the order?
You can call the police and/or file a petition for contempt in court even if you think it is a minor violation. It could be a crime and contempt of court if the abuser knowingly violates the order.1 A judge can punish someone for being in contempt of court. If the police witness a violation or have probable cause to believe a violation occurred, the police are supposed to make an arrest. If the abuser is convicted, s/he can be charged with a misdemeanor, which carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both, for a first offense. For a second or subsequent offense, s/he can have to pay a fine of up to a $2,500, be sentenced to up to one year in jail, or both.2 If the police are not involved or do not arrest him/her or file a criminal complaint against him/her, you still may be able to file a contempt complaint against him/her in court.3
If the police do respond to your call, it might be a good idea to write down the name of the responding officer(s) and their badge number in case you want to follow up on your case.
For more information about contempt, including the difference between criminal contempt and civil contempt, go to our general Domestic Violence Restraining Orders page.
1 See Md. Code, Fam. Law § 4-508
2 Md. Code, Fam. Law § 4-509
3 Md. Rule 15-206(b)(2)
How do I change or extend my protective order?
Extending your order
You may apply to the court to have your order extended and the judge could grant this after the abuser is given notice and after a hearing in front of a judge. The hearing must take place within 30 days after you file the motion. If the hearing is not held before the original expiration date of the final protective order, the order will be automatically extended until the hearing.1 A judge can extend the protective order without any new incidents of abuse for six months beyond the time it is supposed to end if you can show “good cause” why it should be extended.2 The order can be extended for up to two years if you can prove that during the term of your protective order, the abuser committed a new act of abuse against you or if the abuser consents to the extension.3 To determine how long this extension based on new abuse should be, the judge will consider the following factors:
- what the new abusive act was and how severe it was;
- the history and severity of abuse in the relationship between the abuser and you or anyone named in your order;
- the type of any pending criminal charges against the respondent; and
- the nature and seriousness of any injury or risk of injury caused by the respondent.3
Lastly, you can petition for a new permanent protective order with no end date if:
- you had an interim, temporary, or final protective order against the abuser; and
- s/he was convicted and sentenced to serve at least five years in prison and actually served at least 12 months of that sentence for:
- the abuse against you that was the basis for getting that prior interim, temporary, or final protective order; or
- committing a new act of abuse against you while you had that prior interim, temporary, or final protective order.4
Changing your order
You can file to change or withdraw your order. The judge could grant this after the abuser is given notice and after a hearing in front of a judge.5
1 Md. Code, Fam. Law § 4-507(a)(2), (a)(4)
2 Md. Code, Fam. Law § 4-507(a)(2)
3 Md. Code, Fam. Law § 4-507(a)(3)
4 Md. Code, Fam. Law § 4-506(k)(1), (k)(3)
5 Md. Code, Fam. Law § 4-507(a)(1)
What happens to my protective order if I move?
If you move within Maryland, your order will still be valid. Additionally, the federal law provides what is called “full faith and credit,” which means that once you have a criminal or civil protective order, it follows you wherever you go, including U.S. Territories and tribal lands.1 See our Moving to Another State with a Protective Order page for more information.
You may want to consider whether you want to give your new address to the court in case the court needs to contact you for any reason.
1 18 U.S.C. § 2265
Can I ask the court to hide (shield) my protective order case records from the public?
In some cases, you or the abuser can ask the court to hide (shield) the records so they are not public.
Either of you can ask the judge to shield the records if:
- the judge said no to a protective order or dismissed it at any stage (interim, temporary, or final); or
- the abuser agreed to the protective order. This is called a “consent order.” If this happened, the request to shield must be made after the protective order has ended.1
The person asking to shield the records must request it in writing.1 If it has been less than three years since the protective order was denied, dismissed, or agreed to, they must also sign a form called a “general waiver and release.” This means they give up the right to file a lawsuit related to the protective order case.2
1 Md. Code, Family Law, § 4-512(b), (e)(1)(i)
2 Md. Code, Family Law, § 4-512(c)
What happens after I file a request to hide (shield) my protective order records?
After you or the abuser files a request to shield the records, the court will schedule a hearing. You and the abuser would both have the opportunity to attend the hearing and tell the judge why you think they should or should not shield the case records.
The judge can only agree to shield the records if:
- A final protective or peace order has never been issued against the abuser for you before;
- The abuser has not been found guilty of a crime related to abusing you;
- At the time of the hearing, there are no:
- interim or temporary protective or peace orders against the abuser protecting you; or
- criminal charges against the abuser involving you;1 and
- The abuser did not disobey (violate) the protective order after agreeing to it .2
However, even if all of the above conditions are met, the judge could still deny the request if they believe there is a good reason (“good cause”) not to hide the records. The judge will consider:
- the privacy needs of the people involved in the case; and
- whether shielding the records could increase the risk of harm to you or to the community at large.3
1 Md. Code, Family Law, § 4-512(d)(3)
2 Md. Code, Family Law, § 4-512(e)(1)(i)
3 Md. Code, Family Law, § 4-512(d)(4)
If I get a protective order, will it show up in an internet search?
According to federal law, which applies to all states, territories, and tribal lands, the courts are not supposed to make available publicly on the internet any information that would be likely to reveal your identity or location. This applies to all of these documents:
- the petition you file;
- the protective order, restraining order, or injunction that was issued by the court; or
- the registration of an order in a different state.1
1 18 U.S.C. § 2265(d)(3)
