Restraining Orders

Your protection order can be enforced in Kentucky as long as:

• It was issued to prevent violent or threatening acts, harassing behavior, sexual violence, or it was issued to prevent another person from coming near you or contacting you.¹
• The court that issued the order had jurisdiction over the people and case. (In other words, the court had the authority to hear the case.)
• The abuser received notice of the order and had an opportunity to go to court to tell his/her side of the story.
  • In the case of ex parte temporary and emergency orders, the abuser must receive notice and have an opportunity to go to court to tell his/her side of the story at a hearing that is scheduled before the temporary order expires.²

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.

Note:  If your out-of-state protection order is violated in Kentucky, you can either pursue a civil proceeding or a criminal proceedings for the violation - you cannot pursue both.  Once either proceeding has been filed, the other cannot be pursued, regardless of the outcome of the first proceeding.³

¹ 18 U.S.C. § 2266(5)
² 18 U.S.C. § 2265(a) & (b)
³ KRS § 403.7521(5)