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Legal Information: Vermont

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
December 12, 2023

Who can file for an extreme risk protection order?

The person who files for the extreme risk protection order is known as the petitioner. A judge can issue an extreme risk protection order against a respondent who poses an extreme risk of harming himself/herself or others by accessing a dangerous weapon. The following people may file for an extreme risk protection order:

  • a State’s Attorney;
  • the Office of the Attorney General;
  • the respondent’s family member; or
  • the respondent’s household member.1

The law in Vermont defines “household members” as people who live together or are engaged in a dating or sexual relationship. To determine whether something qualifies as dating, the judge may consider:

  • the nature of the relationship;
  • how long the relationship has existed; and
  • how often the parties interact.2

1 VT ST 13 § 4053(a)
2 VT ST 13 § 4051(7)