Legal Information: North Carolina

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
February 14, 2022

Can I file to extend my final civil no-contact order beyond the 1 year?

Yes, you can apply to extend it.  You can file to renew the final order before the civil no-contact order runs out one or more times.  To file for a renewal, you must file a “motion to renew no-contact order.”  You do not need a new incident of unlawful conduct to renew your order – the judge can renew it if s/he finds there is “good cause” to do so.1

1 NCGS § 50C-8(c)

If I get a protection order, will it show up in an internet search?

According to federal law, which applies to all states, territories, and tribal lands, the courts are not supposed to make available publicly on the internet any information that would be likely to reveal your identity or location. This applies to all of these documents:

  • the petition you file;
  • the protection order, restraining order, or injunction that was issued by the court; or
  • the registration of an order in a different state.1

1 18 USC § 2265(d)(3)

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