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Legal Information: District of Columbia

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
April 5, 2024

Can I file for a civil protection order against a minor?

If you are the custodial parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the minor against whom you are trying to file, you cannot file a petition for civil protection against the minor.1 If you have any other qualifying relationship to the minor, such as boyfriend/girlfriend, you can file a petition against the minor as long as the minor is 13 years of age or older.2

When filing against a minor, the minor’s custodial parent, guardian, or custodian, must be served with notice of the court hearing and an order to appear, a copy of the petition, and the temporary protection order, if the judge gives you one.3

1 D.C. Code § 16-1003(e)
2 D.C. Code § 16-1001(13)
3 D.C. Code § 16-1007(a)

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