A protection order can help keep you safe by:

• Stopping a potentially dangerous person from carrying out a violent act before it occurs
• Requiring the potentially dangerous person to give up guns and ammunition temporarily
• Preventing the purchase of guns and ammunition during the order

• Gun Violence Restraining Order
• Domestic Violence Restraining Order
• Civil Harassment Restraining Order
• Elder/Dependent Adult Abuse Restraining Order
• Juvenile Restraining Order
• Postsecondary School Violence Restraining Order
• Criminal Restraining Order
• Workplace Violence Restraining Order
• Emergency Protective Order

Learn more about each order on our infographic.

• Showing intense anger, impulsive behavior, or acting out of control
• Making threats to hurt oneself or others
• Talking about self-harm or harming others
• Bullying behavior
• Bragging about having access to guns
• Hopelessness or feeling like a burden
• Lack of future-oriented thoughts
• Not wanting to be around anymore
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Drastic changes in personality or behavior
• Hallucinations or paranoia
• Perceived injustice, grudge-holding or grievance
• Domestic disputes
• Increased alcohol or drug use

Yes, studies show that four out of five people who commit mass shootings have given some indication that they intended to hurt themselves or others beforehand. Knowing the common signs of someone in a crisis can be the difference between life and death.

If you’re feeling unsafe or unsure whether someone may become dangerous, please talk to a mental health professional, law enforcement officer, or threat assessment professional. They can help you verify and determine how much of a threat someone is to themselves or others. If you can, it is helpful to document what is happening by keeping texts, emails, photos, etc. in case you decide to file for a protection order later.

Yes, you can request a protection order if you are worried someone might try to harm themselves. Gun Violence Restraining Orders have been shown to reduce suicides by limiting people’s access to lethal means of suicide during a period of crisis and giving them time to heal.

If you are not close with the person in crisis, you can still inform law enforcement about your concerns. An officer can investigate and file a petition or obtain an immediate, emergency protection order if they find a reason to file one. It is up to all of us to report threatening behavior to prevent the cycle of gun violence.

Yes, if the threatening person is a family member, partner, or roommate, you can ask for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order (DVRO) or a Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO), depending on your situation. DVROs apply to abuse that’s physical, emotional, verbal, or threatening. They can be filed in the situations outlined and come with other protections in addition to removing guns temporarily. Separately, GVROs can be used to help people threatening to hurt themselves or others. This includes potential danger or threats with no specific target.

Yes, school staff, employers, and coworkers can request several different types of protection orders. First, law enforcement, a loved one, a boss or coworker, or a teacher can file a GVRO for someone they think might harm themselves or others. Additionally, college and trade school leadership can file a Postsecondary School Violence Restraining Order to protect students in higher education environments. At work, employers can file a Workplace Violence Restraining Order to protect themselves and their employees.

Yes, if you’re under 18 and are the victim of any kind of abuse, stalking or harmful behavior, you can file for a protection order. In California, anyone over the age of 12 can secure an order of protection on their own. A copy may be sent to a parent or guardian unless a judge decides it is not safe to do so.  

Additionally, if you are currently involved in a juvenile court case, or currently under the care of the court, you can speak to a parent or guardian, social worker, or law enforcement about filing a Juvenile Restraining Order on your behalf.

If a protection order is right for your situation, the required documents are available online and at your local Superior Court .

Here are the steps to file the order:

1. Fill out the court papers and prepare to file
2. File the court papers with the court clerk
3. Receive the papers back from the court clerk
4. Have the protection order served to the person in crisis

There are places that can help you fill out forms. You can visit the Reduce the Risk Local Resource Connection for resources.

While filing you may use free help from your local Self-Help Center and other free resources such as our local resource connection. Additionally, the California Courts website also provides a step-by-step guide for properly filling out a protection order.

A temporary protection order typically lasts anywhere from 5 to 21 days, depending on the order, and can be extended for several years.

No. Protection orders are civil orders and do not create a criminal record for the person it was filed against.

Once a protection order is approved by the court, law enforcement is responsible for removing any firearms and ammunition from the person named in the order. The procedures can vary depending on the county’s law enforcement policies.

If you filed your protection order papers at the courthouse, ask the clerk when you should return to pick up your court papers. The judge may not be able to review your request that same day, and you may need to return to the courthouse the next day. For emergency protection, contact your local law enforcement and request that they file an emergency protection order.

After filing a protection order, several forms of support may be available, including local violence prevention groups, community-based organizations, or support groups. You can also view free legal resources for victims on our Get Help page.  

If you need to heal, please visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for more information and mental health resources.  

If you believe that you or others may be in immediate danger, contact your local law enforcement immediately and request an emergency protection order. 

• The court will review your paperwork and may issue a temporary protection order right away to give you immediate safety. This order usually lasts until a full hearing can be scheduled.
• The court will set a date for a hearing, usually within 2 to 3 weeks, where you and the other person (called the respondent) can both present your sides.
• The respondent will be officially served with a copy of the order and hearing notice, so they know about the case.
• At the hearing, the judge will decide whether to issue a long-term protection order, which can last months or years.
• If the protection order is granted, the respondent must follow its rules and violating the order can lead to legal consequences such as arrest.

Sometimes – in a typical case, the harmful person will be told who requested the order because the court will serve them with paperwork that includes your name and the addresses they will no longer be able to be near. However the order can be sealed to protect people who file and are concerned for their safety.

No. Protection orders are civil orders and do not create a criminal record for the person it was filed against. However, protection orders can appear on background checks.

Yes, a judge can issue a Criminal Protective Order (CPO) to protect victims and witnesses while the criminal case moves forward. A CPO can include orders that the defendant:

• Not contact people protected by the order
• Not harass, stalk, threaten or hurt people protected by the order
• Stay a certain distance away from people protected by the order or places they live or go regularly
• Not try to keep a victim or witness from testifying or going to court
• Not try to find the location of anyone protected by the order
• Not have guns, firearms, ammunition, or body armor