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Legal Information: West Virginia

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
April 1, 2024

What is a personal safety order? What acts of abuse can be the reason to get an order?

A personal safety order is a civil court order that can protect you from an abuser if you are a victim of:

  • a sexual offense or attempted sexual offense;
  • stalking; or
  • repeated credible threats of bodily injury.1

You do not need to have a specific relationship with the abuser to file for a personal safety order. 2 In fact, if the abuser is a family or household member or someone with whom you have/had an intimate relationship, you would file for a domestic violence protective order instead of a personal safety order.3

1 W. Va. Code § 53-8-4(a)
2 W. Va. Code § 53-8-1(7)
3 See West Virginia Legal Aid, Personal Safety Orders in West Virginia

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