Restraining Orders

To register/file your protection order in Washington state, you must bring a certified copy of your protection order to a Washington court in the county in which you live or to a county court where you believe you may have to enforce the order.¹ There is no fee to file an out-of-state protection order.² The clerk will give you a form to fill out in which you need to include:

1. the names of the people entitled to protection;
2. the name and address of the abuser;
3. the date the protection order was entered;
4. the date the protection order expires;
5. the relief granted in the order, including what the order gives to you and what it prevents the abuser from doing;
6. the judicial district and contact information for court administration for the court in which the protection order was entered;
7. the Social Security number, date of birth, and description of the abuser;
8. whether or not the abuser is believed to be armed and dangerous;
9. whether or not the abuser was served with the order, and if so, the method used to serve the order; and
10. the type and location of any other legal proceedings between the you and the abuser.³

Note: If you don’t have some of the information listed above, you can still register/file your order in court and later enforce your order.³  The information form should be kept confidential by the court.⁴

If you need help registering your protection order, you can contact a local domestic violence organization in Washington for assistance. You can find contact information for organizations in your area on our WA Advocates and Shelters page.

¹ R.C.W. § 26.52.030(1)
² R.C.W. § 26.52.030(3)
³ R.C.W. § 26.52.030(5)
⁴ See the “Foreign Protection Order Information” form, which states: “Confidential” and “Do Not Show or Serve this form to the restrained person” and “Do not file in the court file”.