Important Information

• Parties in Case - Because you are making a request to the Court, you are called the petitioner. The person whom you are asking the Court to protect you from is called the respondent.
• Filing Fee - There is no fee to file for an Injunction for Protection.
• Length of Validity - A restraining order shall remain in full force and effect until further order by the Court.
• Appearance Required and Injunction Hearing - You are required to appear for the hearing. If you fail to attend, you could be held in contempt of court and the Judge could dismiss the injunction.

Types of Restraining Order Forms

There are five types of petitions for restraining orders, including:

• Domestic Violence,
• Dating Violence,
• Repeat Violence,
• Sexual Violence, and
• Stalking.

Additional explanation regarding each type is available in the sections below; select a type that best corresponds to your relationship with the respondent, and fits your situation.

NOTE: Please carefully review the instructions that precede each form. Selecting an incorrect form may result in additional processing time.

If you are a victim of any act of domestic violence or have reasonable cause to believe that you are in imminent danger of becoming a victim of domestic violence, you can ask the Court for a protective order prohibiting domestic violence. Domestic violence includes assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any other criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death to petitioner, by any of the petitioner's family or household members.

Domestic violence laws only apply to your situation if the respondent is your spouse, former spouse, related to you by blood or marriage, living with you now, or has lived with you in the past (if you are or were living as a family), or the parent of your child or children, whether or not you have ever been married or ever lived together. With the exception of persons who have a child in common, the family or household members must be currently residing together or have resided together in the past, in the same single dwelling unit.

FORMS: Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence

• Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence - Form 12.980(a)
• Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases - Form 12.928
• Notice of Related Cases - Form 12.900(h)
• Physical Description Form
• Domestic Violence Relationship Form
• Petitioner's Waiver or Non-Waiver of Return Hearing
• Twelfth Judicial Circuit Family Division Rules of Courtroom Etiquette
• Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) Affidavit (used if children are involved) - Form 12.902(d)
• Designation of Current Mailing and Email Address - Form 12.915

Petitioners who have minor children with the Respondent may also have to complete the following additional forms. Refer to the instructions for Completing the Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence for additional information on these forms and when they must be completed.

• Notice of Social Security Number - Form 12.902(j)
• Family Law Financial Affidavit (Short Form) - Form 12.902(b)
• Child Support Guidelines Worksheet - Form 12.902(e)

If you or members of your immediate family are a victim of dating violence, you can use this form to ask the Court for a protective order prohibiting dating violence. Dating violence means violence between individuals who have or have had a continuing and significant relationship of a romantic or intimate nature. The dating relationship must have existed within the past six months, the nature of the relationship must have been characterized by the expectation of affection or sexual involvement between the parties, and the frequency and type of interaction must have included that the persons have been involved over time and on a continuous basis during the course of the relationship. Dating violence does not include violence in a casual acquaintanceship or violence between individuals who only have engaged in ordinary fraternization in a business or social context. Dating violence includes: assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death.

If you are under the age of eighteen and have never been married or had the disabilities of nonage removed by a Court, one of your parents or your legal guardian must sign this petition on your behalf.

The parent or legal guardian of any minor child who is living at home may seek an injunction for protection against dating violence on behalf of the minor child. With respect to a minor child who is living at home, the parent or legal guardian must have been an eye-witness to, or have direct physical evidence or affidavits from eye-witnesses of, the specific facts and circumstances that form the basis of the petition.

FORMS: Injunction for Protection Against Dating Violence

• Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Dating Violence - Form 12.980(n)
• Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases - Form 12.928
• Notice of Related Cases - Form 12.900(h)
• Physical Description Form
• Domestic Violence Relationship Form
• Petitioner's Waiver or Non-Waiver of Return Hearing
• Twelfth Judicial Circuit Family Division Rules of Courtroom Etiquette
• Designation of Current Mailing and Email Address - Form 12.915

If you or members of your immediate family are a victim of repeat violence, you can ask the Court for a protective order prohibiting repeat violence. Repeat violence means that two incidents of violence have been committed against you or a member of your immediate family by another person, one of which must have been within six months of filing this petition. Repeat violence includes assault, aggravated assault, battery, aggravated battery, sexual assault, sexual battery, stalking, aggravated stalking, kidnapping, false imprisonment, or any criminal offense resulting in physical injury or death.

If you are under the age of eighteen and have never been married or had the disabilities of nonage removed by a court, one of your parents or your legal guardian must sign this petition on your behalf.

The parent or legal guardian of any minor child who is living at home may seek an injunction for protection against repeat violence on behalf of the minor child. With respect to a minor child who is living at home, the parent or legal guardian must have been an eye-witness to, or have direct physical evidence or affidavits from eye-witnesses of, the specific facts and circumstances that form the basis of the petition.

FORMS: Injunction for Protection Against Repeat Violence

• Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Repeat Violence - Form 12.980(f)
• Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases - Form 12.928
• Notice of Related Cases - Form 12.900(h)
• Physical Description Form
• Domestic Violence Relationship Form
• Petitioner's Waiver or Non-Waiver of Return Hearing
• Twelfth Judicial Circuit Family Division Rules of Courtroom Etiquette
• Designation of Current Mailing and Email Address - Form 12.915

If you are a victim of sexual violence or the parent or legal guardian of a minor child who is living at home and is the victim of sexual violence, you can ask the Court for a protective order prohibiting sexual violence. Sexual violence means any one incident of:

• Sexual battery, as defined in chapter 794, Florida Statutes;
• Lewd or lascivious act, as defined in chapter 800, Florida Statutes, committed upon or in the presence of a person younger than 16 years of age;
• Luring or enticing a child, as described in chapter 787, Florida Statutes;
• Sexual performance by a child, as described in chapter 827, Florida Statutes; or
• Any other forcible felony wherein a sexual act is committed or attempted

It does not matter whether criminal charges based on the sexual violence have been filed, reduced, or dismissed by the State Attorney's office. You may also seek an injunction for protection against sexual violence crimes listed above against you or a minor child living at home and respondent is out of prison or is getting out of prison within 90 days of your petition. Attach the Notice of Inmate Release to your petition.

If you are seeking an injunction for protection against sexual violence on behalf of a minor child who is living at home, the parent or legal guardian must have been an eye-witness to, or have direct physical evidence or affidavits from eye-witnesses of, the specific facts and circumstances that form the basis of the petition. If you are under the age of eighteen and have never been married or had the disabilities of nonage removed by a Court, one of your parents or your legal guardian must sign this petition on your behalf.

FORMS: Injunction for Protection Against Sexual Violence

• Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Sexual Violence - Form 12.980(q)
• Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases - Form 12.928
• Notice of Related Cases - Form 12.900(h)
• Physical Description Form 
• Domestic Violence Relationship Form 
• Petitioner's Waiver or Non-Waiver of Return Hearing 
• Twelfth Judicial Circuit Family Division Rules of Courtroom Etiquette
• Designation of Current Mailing and Email Address - Form 12.915

If you are a victim of stalking, you can ask the Court for a protective order prohibiting stalking. Stalking means the repeated following, harassment, or cyberstalking of one person by another. Cyberstalk means to engage in a course of conduct to communicate, or to cause to be communicated, words, images, or language by or through the use of electronic mail or electronic communication, directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional distress to that person and serving no legitimate purpose.

If the respondent is your spouse, former spouse, related to you by blood or marriage, living with you now or has lived with you in the past (if you are or were living as a family), or the other parent of your child(ren), whether or not you have ever been married or ever lived together, you may, instead, choose to use the Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence, rather than this form.

FORMS: Injunction for Protection Against Stalking

• Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Stalking - Form 12.980(t)
• Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases - Form 12.928
• Notice of Related Cases - Form 12.900(h)
• Physical Description Form
• Domestic Violence Relationship Form
• Petitioner's Waiver or Non-Waiver of Return Hearing
• Twelfth Judicial Circuit Family Division Rules of Courtroom Etiquette
• Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) Affidavit (used if children involved) - Form 12.902(d)
• Designation of Current Mailing and Email Address - Form 12.915

If your petition for any of the restraining orders listed above is denied by the judge, you can use a supplemental affidavit to add facts, or clarify facts you wrote in your original petition, if you believe it necessary. Please see the instructions with the form to review the detailed requirements for the types of facts that you should consider for submission, depending on the type of petition for injunction that you filed.

This supplemental affidavit must be signed in front of a Notary Public or Deputy Clerk. After you complete and file the form, the Deputy Clerk will provide it to the Court for further consideration, in conjunction with your original petition.

FORMS: Supplemental Affidavit in Support of Petition

• Supplemental Affidavit in Support of Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Domestic, Repeat, Dating Sexual Violence, or Stalking - Form 12.980(g)
• Petitioner's Waiver or Non-Waiver of Return Hearing

A Motion to Modify, Dissolve, or Dismiss the restraining order would need to be completed and filed with the Clerk of the Court and County Comptroller. The Motion form may be used if you are a party to a previously entered injunction for protection against domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, or sexual violence and you want the court to modify the terms of the injunction. This Motion must be signed in front of a Notary or Deputy Clerk at the Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller's office. If you need Deputy Clerk to attest your signature, do not sign said document until you are in the presence of a Deputy Clerk at the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller.

Once the petitioner or respondent has completed the Motion form document, the Deputy Clerk will forward the Motion to the Family Law Judge for review. The Court may set a hearing or grant the motion. If the Court grants the Motion, the Court will prepare an Order to reflect the modifications. The original order is filed with the Clerk and Comptroller's office and both parties will be provided with a copy of the new Order.

There is no filing fee.

FORMS: Motion to Modify, Dissolve, or Dismiss a Restraining Order

• Motion for Modification of Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence, Repeat Violence, Dating Violence, or Sexual Violence - Form 12.980(j)
• Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases - Form 12.928

The petitioner on a previously entered injunction for protection against domestic violence, repeat violence, dating violence, or sexual violence can request that the Court extend the injunction. A Motion for Extension must be filed BEFORE the previously entered Order expires.

There is no filing fee.

FORMS: Motion for Extension

• Motion for Extension of Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence, Repeat Violence, Dating Violence, or Sexual Violence - Form 12.980(i)
• Cover Sheet for Family Court Cases - Form 12.928

The petitioner would need to complete and file an affidavit for violation, violation of injunction case information, and State Attorney intake determination report for violation of injunction with the Clerk of Circuit Court and County Comptroller. The Deputy Clerk will forward the necessary paperwork to the State Attorney's office who will review the paperwork to determine if criminal charges will be filed. If no criminal charges are to be filed, the violation paperwork will be forwarded to the Family Law Judge for review. Both parties will be provided a copy in the event that any additional Orders are entered by the Court.

There is no filing fee.

FORMS: Petition / Affidavit of Violation of Restraining Order

• Petition by Affidavit for Order to Show Cause for a Violation of Final Judgment of Injunction for Protection Against Domestic, Repeat, Dating, or Sexual Violence, or Stalking - Form 12.980(w)
• Violation of Injunction Case Information