General information
The laws covering civil protection orders can be found in Chapter 7.105 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW).
- The Clark County Clerk has a page with an overview about protection orders
- Superior Court Local Court Rule LCR 9 has information about limits on written submissions
- The State Court has a brochure that can help you better understand protection orders including learning if your situation might qualify for one
- The State Court has a resource list for civil protection orders with additional information
Clark County's Family Court Facilitator program provides assistance to individuals who choose to represent themselves in matters dealing with protection orders. The facilitator is available for in-person assistance for domestic violence protection orders on a walk-in basis at no cost.
Forms and instructions
There is one consolidated form set for protection orders involving vulnerable adults, domestic violence, harassment, stalking, and sexual assault. Official court forms related to protection orders are available on the State Court website.
Washington LawHelp has forms and instructions for protection orders for filing for:
- Petition for Protection Order - printable packet with forms that you can fill out by hand
- Petition for Protection Order - online interview that can help you fill out the forms
- Renewal of a protection order if your protection order is going to end soon and you want to extend it for another year or longer
- Revision in a protection order case if your case was heard by a court commissioner instead of a judge and you want to ask a judge to change an order or judgment entered by the commissioner
- Reconsideration in a protection order case if your case was heard by a judge and you want to ask a judge to change the decision
Extreme risk protection orders use different forms. These orders require a person who is a significant danger of causing personal injury to self or others in the near future to surrender weapons. Official court forms for extreme risk protection orders are available on the State Court website.
For all protection orders, you must file your paperwork at the Superior Court Clerk's Office before 11:00 am in order to have a judge review your paperwork that day. If you file later than 11:00 am a judge will review it on the next business day. According to the Court Clerk, petitions can be filed in person or electronically at ProtectionOrdFilings@clark.wa.gov.
Self-help kit from the law library
The law library sells a Sealed Name Change self-help kit. The kit includes forms and instructions for certain individuals as allowed by law to request a sealed (confidential) name change for themselves, their child, or someone for whom they have been appointed guardian. Kits can be purchased at the library or online and mailed out.
Additional resources
- Washington VINE Protective Order (VPO) is an automated service that allows you to track the status of a protective order. You can register to be notified about service, expiration, or attempts to purchase firearms.
- For updates about the custody status of offenders, register with Washington VINE.
- Information about gender-based violence from Legal Voice.
- Information about how to hide your address from a stalker or abuser from Washington LawHelp.
- Information about how to protect your privacy in court files from Legal Voice.
- Information about how the criminal justice system can help people experiencing domestic violence from Washington LawHelp.
- Information about how to get ready and what to expect at your protection order court hearing from Legal Voice.
- Information about Civil Protection Order Filings and Exhibits: How to present your evidence from the State Court.
- Information about abusive litigation, such as when a domestic violence abuser uses the court system to repeatedly bring the victim back to court, is available from Legal Voice.
Joel's Law allows for a Petition for Initial Detention to be filed by a family member, guardian, conservator, or federally recognized Indian tribe. These petitions address situations where a person with a behavioral health disorder is a danger to themselves, others, property, or is gravely disabled. The Washington State Health Care Authority has a fact sheet with information about the process.