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I need a protective order.

Protective Orders

This guide explains how to ask the court for a protective order.
Last Legal Review on September 3, 2025 | Last Edited on May 1, 2026
Overview

Guide Overview

Warning: The information and forms in this guide are not legal advice and are not a substitute for the help of a lawyer. It’s a good idea to talk with a lawyer about your particular situation.

A protective order is a court order that helps keep you safe from someone who has been violent or has threatened violence. You can ask for a protective order if you or a family member is a victim of:

  • Family violence
  • Stalking
  • Sexual assault
  • Human trafficking
  • Burglary of your home when the offender meant to commit a felony, theft, or sexual assault.
Caution: Anyone who uses your computer can see what websites and pages you have visited. You cannot completely clear it. If you think this may happen, please use a safer computer, call your local shelter, or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233)or TTY: (800) 787-3224.

Common questions about Protective Orders

A protective order is a court order that helps keep you safe from someone who is hurting you, has hurt you, or has threatened to hurt you.

It can order the other person to:

  • Not hurt you or threaten to hurt you;
  • Not contact you or go near you, your children, other family relatives, your pets, your home, where you work, or your children’s schools;
  • Not have a gun or a license to carry a gun; and
  • Not track or monitor you and your family members' property or vehicles using a tracking device, physically following themselves, or through another person.

The police can arrest the other person for violating any of these orders.

You can get a protective order if:

  • Someone has hurt you, or threatened to hurt you, and

  • Either you, your spouse, or your dating partner has a close relationship with the person who hurt you.

    A close relationship includes marriage, close relatives, dating or living together, or having a child together.

You can also get a protective order if you have:

  • Had a protective order against the other person before, and the other person violated the parts of the protective order designed to protect you;
  • Been sexually assaulted or stalked, even if you do not have a close relationship with the person who sexually assaulted or stalked you;
  • A victim of human trafficking; or
  • If someone broke into your home (burglary) and planned to commit a felony, steal, or hurt someone, you may qualify to apply for a protective order,

For more information about different kinds of protective orders, contact the Texas Advocacy Project Legal Line at (800) 374-HOPE (4673) or use our Legal Help Directory to find resources in your area.

The judge can make orders about who gets to use the house, apartment, or car.

The judge can also make other orders like child custody, child support, visitation, and spousal support. The judge can also make an order to protect pets.

You need to make these requests in the Application for Protective Order. Make sure you review the instructions for completing the application.

The judge may give you a temporary order that protects you until your court hearing.

This order is called a “Temporary Ex Parte Protective Order”.

Note: If you do not receive a court document entitled “Temporary Ex Parte Protective Order” that is signed by the judge after you apply, you do NOT have a protective order yet. You must go to a hearing and ask the judge for a Protective Order. Sometimes, the judge orders the other person to leave the home immediately. If you want this, you should ask the judge.

Read more about Kick-Out Orders.

Yes.

Even if you get a temporary ex parte protective order, you must go to the next hearing. It should be in about two weeks. The judge will decide if you should have protection and for how long. The temporary ex parte protective order may end if you do not go to court.

In most cases, a protective order will last up to two years. In some situations, a court can issue a protective order that lasts longer than two years and up to a lifetime.

Instructions & Forms

Be careful!

Anyone who uses your computer can see what websites and pages you have visited. You cannot completely clear it.

Anyone who uses your computer can see what websites and pages you have visited. You cannot completely clear it. If you think this may happen, please use a safer computer, call your local shelter, or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233) or TTY: 800-787-3224.

This Protective Order Kit provides you with information, instructions, and forms on how to get a protective order. This kit includes mandatory forms only. The Texas judicial branch makes additional forms related to protective orders available at Standardized Protective Order Forms.

The Protective Order Kit includes all the information, instructions and forms below:

Checklist Steps

If you miss it, your temporary ex parte protective order may end.

  • Fill out a protective order before you go to court and bring it with you
  • Make sure the respondent has been served with the protective order application and notice of the hearing date.
  • When the respondent is served with the Application for Protective Order and hearing date, you should receive proof of service. File this Proof of Service with the Court before your hearing and bring a copy to court. Proof of Service is a document that shows when and where the other person was given a copy of your Application for Protective Order. Proof of service must be filed with the court before your hearing date to get a protective order if the respondent does not show up.
  • Bring any evidence you have, like photographs, medical records, or torn clothing. Also, bring witnesses who know about the violence, like a neighbor, relative, or police. The judge may ask them to testify.
  • If you had a protective order in the past, bring a copy of it.
  • Bring proof of your and the other person’s income and expenses, like bills, paycheck stubs, bank accounts, and tax returns.

Make a list of the orders you want and practice saying them out loud. Do not take more than three minutes to say what you want.

If you get nervous, just read from your application list. Use that list to see if the judge has made every order you asked for.

  1. Find the courtroom.
  2. When the courtroom opens, go in and tell the clerk or officer that you are present.
  3. Watch the cases before yours so you will know what to do.
  4. When your name is called, go to the front of the courtroom.

The other person or their lawyer may also ask you questions. Tell the truth. Speak slowly. Give complete answers. If you don’t understand the question, say, “I don’t understand the question.”

Speak only to the judge unless it is your turn to ask questions. When other people are talking to the judge, wait for them to finish. Then you can ask questions about what they said.

When you first file your application, tell the clerk you will need an interpreter. Ask the clerk for free interpretation services. If a court interpreter is not available, bring someone to interpret for you. Do not ask a child, a protected person, or a witness to interpret for you.

When you file your papers, ask for an interpreter or other accommodation.

Call the Texas Advocacy Project before you go to court: (800) 374-HOPE (4673). You can also use our Legal Help Directory to search for resources in your area.

If you don’t feel safe, call your local family crisis center or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE (7233). You can also use our Legal Help Directory to search for resources in your area.

If the judge agrees you need protection, they will sign your protective order. Take your signed order to the court clerk. Ask for a certified copy of your order and keep it with you at all times.

Make sure copies of your order are sent to your children's daycare, babysitter, school, and to the other person's staff judge advocate at Joint Force Headquarters or the provost marshal of the military installation to which they are assigned. Call the police and show them your order if the other person violates the order.

If you are in immediate danger, call the police: 911

For legal help, call Texas Advocacy Project's Legal Line: (800) 374-HOPE (4673).

You can also use our Legal Help Directory to search for resources in your area.

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