Restraining Orders

You may apply for a stalking or sexually oriented offense protection order (SSOOPO) against anyone who has committed stalking or a sexually oriented offense against you, regardless of your relationship to the person.¹ You do not have to know the person or be related to the person.

To file for an SSOOPO against someone 18 or older, you would file your petition in the court of common pleas (in the general division) in the county in which you live.² If you are filing against someone under 18, you would likely file for a juvenile civil protection order (JCPO) in the juvenile court. A JCPO is not the same as an SSOOPO but can provide similar protections.³

¹ Ohio Rev. Code § 2903.214(C)(1)
² Ohio Rev. Code § 2903.214(C)(1), (A)(1)
³ Ohio Rev. Code § 2151.34(2)(a); see the Juvenile Civil Protection Order FAQ from the Supreme Court of Ohio’s website