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Legal Information: Washington

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
December 15, 2023

In which court is an extreme risk protection order filed?

The petitioner would usually file for an extreme risk protection order in superior court. A temporary order can be requested in district court but then the case will be transferred to superior court for the full hearing. The juvenile court can hear an extreme risk protection order proceeding if the respondent is under 18 years old.1 

The steps to get an extreme risk protection order are similar to the steps to get a domestic violence protection order, but with different forms. When filing for an extreme risk protection order, the petition must include:

  • the specific statements, actions, or facts that cause the petitioner to fear future dangerous acts by the respondent; and
  • the number, types, and locations of any firearms the petitioner believes to be in the respondent’s current ownership, possession, custody, or control or that the respondent has access to.2

1 R.C.W. § 7.105.070
2 R.C.W. § 7.105.100(1)(e)