Restraining Orders

Only the state that issued your protection order can change, extend, or cancel the order.  You cannot have this done by a court in Virginia.

To have your order changed, extended, or canceled, you will have to file a motion or petition in the court where the order was issued.  You may be able to request that you attend the court hearing by telephone rather than in person, so that you do not need to return to the state where the abuser is living.  To find out more information about how to modify a restraining order, see the Restraining Orders page on our website for the state where your order was issued by entering your state in the drop-down menu. 

If your order does expire while you are living in Virginia, you may be able to get a new one issued in Virginia but this may be difficult to do if no new incidents of abuse have occurred in Virginia. To find out more information on how to get a protective order in Virginia, visit our VA Protective Orders (for Family Abuse) page.