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Legal Information: Texas

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
July 28, 2023

What happens if I move?

Federal law provides what is called “full faith and credit,” which means that once you have a protective order, it is enforceable and can protect you wherever you go in the United States, including U.S. territories and tribal lands.

Different states have different rules for enforcing out-of-state orders.  You can find out about your new state’s policies by contacting a domestic violence program, the clerk of courts, or the prosecutor in your new area.

You might also want to call the court where you originally received the order to tell them your new address so that they can contact you if necessary.  However, before giving out an address that you don’t want the abuser to have, be sure to ask the clerk if there is a way to keep it confidential and confirm that it will not be accessible to the abuser.

To read more information please see our Moving to Another State with a Texas Protective Order section.