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Legal Information: Missouri

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
January 1, 2024

In which county can I file for an order of protection?

You can file a petition in the county where you live, the county where the domestic violence took place, or any county where the defendant can be served with the petition.1

Note: A court in Missouri can give you an order of protection even if you are only in Missouri temporarily as long as the domestic violence happened, was attempted, or was threatened within the state of Missouri. If there was additional domestic violence that happened outside of Missouri, you can also include these incidents in your petition as a way to demonstrate your need for protection.2

1 MO ST § 455.015
2 MO ST § 455.032

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