Restraining Orders

You can seek legal protection from acts of domestic violence done to you or your minor child by someone you have had a “personal relationship” with, which includes:

• your spouse, or ex-spouse;
• a person of the opposite sex with whom you live or used to live;
• someone you are related to, including parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren, over the age of 16;
• someone with whom you have a child in common;
• a current or former household member; or
• someone of the opposite sex whom you are dating or have dated.¹

Teens under the age of 18 need a parent or guardian to file for a protective order on their behalf. For more information, speak to a local domestic violence organization.

If you have not had a “personal relationship” with the abuser, harasser or stalker, you may be eligible for a civil no-contact order.²

¹ NCGS § 50B-1(b)
² NCGS § 50C-1