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Legal Information: Michigan

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
March 27, 2024

Can I get my personal protection order from Michigan enforced in another state?

If you have a valid Michigan PPO that meets federal standards, it can be enforced in another state. The Violence Against Women Act, which is a federal law, states that all valid PPOs granted in the United States receive “full faith and credit” in all state and tribal courts within the US, including US territories. See How do I know if my PPO is good under federal law? to find out if your PPO qualifies.

Each state must enforce out-of-state PPOs in the same way it enforces its own orders, which means if the abuser violates your out-of-state PPO, s/he will be punished according to the laws of whatever state you are in when the order is violated. This is what is meant by “full faith and credit.” To make this even clearer, every Michigan PPO says that the order is enforceable in any state as long as the defendant has been notified of the order.1

1 MCL § 600.2950(11)(b)