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Legal Information: Ohio

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
July 12, 2023

Can I get my protection order enforced in Ohio? What are the requirements?

Your protection order can be enforced in Ohio as long as:

  • It was issued to prevent violent, threatening, or harassing behavior against another person, or it was issued to forbid contact or communication with another person.
  • The court that issued the order had jurisdiction over the people and case. (In other words, the court had the authority to hear the case.)
  • The abuser received notice of the order and had an opportunity to go to court to tell his/her side of the story.
    • In the case of ex parte and emergency orders, the abuser must receive notice and have an opportunity to go to court to tell his/her side of the story at a hearing that is scheduled before the ex parte or emergency order expires.1

Note: For information on enforcing a military protective order (MPO) off the military installation, or enforcing a civil protection order (CPO) on a military installation, please see our Military Protective Orders page.

1 18 USC 2265; Ohio Rev. Code; see § 2919.27(C)

Can I have my protection order changed, extended, or canceled in Ohio?

Only the state that issued your protection order can change, extend, or cancel the order. You cannot have this done by a court in Ohio. To have your order changed, extended, or canceled, you will have to file a motion or petition in the court where the order was issued. You may be able to request that you attend the court hearing by telephone rather than in person, so that you do not need to return to the state where your abuser is living. To find out more information about how to modify a protection order, see the Restraining Orders page for the state where your order was issued.

If your order does expire while you are living in Ohio, you may be able to get a new one issued in Ohio but this may be difficult to do if no new incidents of abuse have occurred in Ohio. To find out more information on how to get an protection order in Ohio, visit our Domestic Violence Protection Orders page.

I was granted temporary custody with my protection order.  Will I still have temporary custody of my children in Ohio?

Ohio can enforce a temporary custody order that is a part of a protection order as long as the child custody provision complies with certain federal laws.1

To have someone read over your order and tell you if it meets this legal standard, contact a lawyer in your area. To find a lawyer in your area, click here Ohio Finding a Lawyer.

1 The federal laws are the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA) or the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), and the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act of 1980.