Restraining Orders

Your civil protection order can be enforced even if you move to another state or U.S. territory. If you move, your order must be given full faith and credit in any other state, territorial or tribal court, which means that your order will be valid and enforceable wherever you go within the US and its territories. Some states require that you register your order with them before an abuser can be prosecuted for a violation of the order. If you move, you might want to call the clerk of court in your new area and tell the clerk that you have a civil protection order from D.C. and ask if you need to register it with them.

For more information, please see our Moving to Another State with a Civil Protection Order section.

For information on enforcing a military protective order (MPO) off the military installation, or enforcing a civil protection order (CPO) on a military installation, please see our Military Protective Orders page.