Restraining Orders

To start your case, you will need to fill out the necessary forms for a domestic violence protection order.

You can get the forms from the civil clerk at the courthouse, but you may want to download them before you go and fill them out at home or with a domestic violence advocate. You will find links to forms online on our WA Download Court Forms page. Go to WA Advocates and Shelters to find an advocate in your area.

Write about the incidents of violence, using specific language, such as slapping, hitting, grabbing, threatening, etc., that fits your situation. Include details and dates, if possible. Clerks can show you which blanks to fill in, but they cannot help you decide what to write. Note: Remember to bring photo ID and do not sign the forms until you are in front of a notary or a clerk. The clerk may be able to notarize the forms for you.

You will need to provide a mailing address. If you are staying at a shelter, give a P.O. Box, not the street address. If you want to keep your address confidential, ask the clerk how to do so.

To find an organization in your area and to find contact information for the courthouse in your area, click on WA Courthouse Locations.