Restraining Orders

You can file for a dating violence protective order if you are a victim of abuse or dating violence by a “dating partner.”¹ A dating partner is someone who:

1. is at least 18 years old or an emancipated minor; and
2. is in a dating relationship with you.²

You do not have to have taken any steps to end the relationship before filing for a dating violence protective order.³ 

You are not be eligible for a dating violence protective order if you and the abuser are “intimate partners,” meaning that you:

• are or were married;
• have a child together; or
• currently or previously lived together.⁴

Instead, you may be eligible for a cohabitant abuse protective order.⁴

¹ Utah Code § 78B-7-403(1)
² Utah Code § 78B-7-102(12)(a)
³ Utah Code § 78B-7-403(2)
⁴ Utah Code §§ 78B-7-403(6); 78B-7-102(12)(b), (20); see 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(32)