WomensLaw is not just for women. We serve and support all survivors, no matter their sex or gender.

Important: Even if courts are closed, you can still file for a protection order and other emergency relief. See our FAQ on Courts and COVID-19.

Legal Information: New Jersey

Restraining Orders

View all
Updated: 
July 14, 2020

In which county can I file for a restraining order?

You can file a petition in the county:

  • where you live;
  • where you are temporarily living if you’ve left home to avoid further abuse;
  • where the abuser lives; or
  • where the abuse occurred.1

However, if you left your home and want to keep your new address confidential, filing in the county to where you have fled would alert the abuser to the fact that you are living in that county.

1 N.J. Stat. § 2C:25-28(a)

Legal Information

© 2008–2020 WomensLaw.org is a project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Inc. All rights reserved. This website is funded in part through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). NNEDV is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; EIN 52-1973408.