Superior Court >Protective Order Center

Welcome to the Maricopa County Superior Court Protective Order Center website.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911

The Protective Order Center provides resources to help individuals understand and navigate the process of obtaining protection orders to prevent domestic violence or harassment.

Protection Orders are:

• civil court orders prohibiting a specific person from making contact with you such as coming near your home, work site, school, or other locations as listed on the order.
• based on the relationship you have with the party you are seeking protection from.
• issued by a judge and must be served by a police officer, deputy sheriff or process server.
• effective for 12 months from service date.

Protection Orders can:

• restrain a defendant from committing acts of violence and harassment.
• prohibit a defendant from contacting or coming into contact with you.
• provide you with legal recourse if the person served with a protective order violates the order.

Protection Orders cannot:

• resolve landlord/tenant disputes.
• change custody or visitation orders.
• guarantee your safety.

Types of Orders

• Orders of Protection
  A civil court order issued to prevent continuing acts of family violence. Family violence is defined as any act by one member of a family or household intended to physically harm another member, a serious threat of physical harm, or the abuse of a child.
  
  It is intended to prevent the offending person from contacting you. A judge can order that the offending person (defendant) not contact you in person, by phone, in writing or other means and can order the defendant from contacting you at specific locations such as your residence, work, school or other locations. A judge can also order that the defendant surrender and/or not purchase firearms and ammunition.
  
  Victims must remain cautious and have a personal safety plan. It is not an order for temporary child custody for the purpose of preventing a parent from seeing children, unless the children are endangered. It is not an order for visitation.
  
  (Click here for more information regarding orders of protection.)
  
  
• Emergency Order of Protection
  If the Court has closed for business, Emergency Orders of Protection are granted by a judge in writing verbally, or telephonically to protect a person who is in imminent danger of domestic violence. Emergency Orders of Protection are available from local law enforcement agencies. If you are not in immediate danger, you can locate your local law enforcement agency's non-emergency telephone number by calling information at 411. There is a fee charged by your telephone carrier to call 411. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
  
  The law enforcement agency will dispatch an officer to review your situation. If appropriate, the officer will contact the court after hours to request the Court grant an Emergency Order of Protection. If the order is granted, it will be a temporary order only good until the close of the next day of court business following the day the Emergency Order was issued. You will need to go back to the Protective Order Center the next business day to complete and file a Petition for a permanent Order of Protection.
  
  
• Injunction Against Harassment
  A civil order that does not depend upon relationships, and is available if the conduct of any person is "harassment" as defined by law.
  
  It is intended to prevent a person (defendant) from contacting you and/or any other protected persons included in a judge's order. A judge can also order that the defendant not contact you in person, by phone, in writing or other means and can order the defendant from contacting you at specific locations such as your residence work, school or other locations.
  
  (Click here for more information regarding injunctions against harassment)
  
  
• Injunction Against Workplace Harassment
  A civil order issued to protect employees at an employer's place of business. Only an employer or an authorized agent of an employer may file an injunction prohibiting workplace harassment.
  
  (Click here for more information regarding injunctions against workplace harassment)