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Legal Information: New Jersey

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
January 8, 2024

What if I don't register my protection order? Will it be more difficult to have it enforced?

If you don’t register your order, it should not be any more difficult to get your order enforced although is is possible that it may take longer for law enforcement to verify that it is a valid order if it is not registered.  However, neither federal law1 nor state law2 requires that you register your protection order in order to get it enforced. A police officer must enforce an out-of-state protection order as long as it appears to be valid.

If you are unsure about whether registering your order is the right decision for you, you may want to contact a local domestic violence organization in your area. An advocate there can help you decide what the safest plan of action is for you in New Jersey. To see a list of local domestic violence organizations in NJ, go to our NJ Advocates and Shelters page.

1 18 U.S.C. § 2265(d)(2)
2 State of New Jersey Domestic Violence Procedures Manual, amended October 2008, sections 7.4.7, available at https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/family/dvprcman.pdf