Restraining Orders

A judge can order the offender to:

• stop doing anything that is reasonably likely to harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment, or embarrass you, your family, or any member of your household;
• stop communicating directly or through another person (indirectly) with you, or your family or household member in a harassing manner;
• stay away from your and your family/household members’ home, school, child care facility, workplace, or business;
• turn over any firearms in his/her possession to law enforcement unless the person is a peace officer actively engaged in employment as a sworn, full-time paid employee of a state agency, and the judge can suspend his/her license to carry a concealed handgun;
• not track or monitor your personal property or motor vehicle without your permission by using either a tracking application/device or by physically following you; and
• take other actions that the judge decides are necessary to reduce the likelihood of future harm to you or your family or household member.¹

Note: Even if the order doesn’t specifically say that the abuser has to turn over his/her firearms, possession of a firearm by a non-police officer respondent is illegal under Texas state law and federal law. Please see TX State Gun Laws and Federal Gun Laws for more information.

¹ Tex. C.C.P. Art. 7B.005(a)