Domestic Violence Protection Order (RCW 26.50)

A petition can be filed by a person who is a victim of domestic violence or fears violence by a family or household members. This includes:

• Persons who are or were married.
• Persons who are or were domestic partners.
• Persons who have a child in common.
• Adults who do or did reside together.
• Persons 16 years or older who have or had a dating relationship.
• Adults who are related by blood or marriage.
• Persons with a biological or legal parent-child relationship, including step-parents and step-children, and grandparents and grandchildren.

Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) may petition on behalf and with the consent of a vulnerable adult.

"Domestic Violence":

• Physical harm, bodily injury.
• Assault.
• The infliction of fear of imminent physical harm.
• Sexual assault.
• Stalking.
• Safety planning is important. The Respondent (restrained person) may ignore the importance of your order. For safety planning and help with forms you can contact Domestic Violence Services.

File a Protection Order:

• Complete and submit to our office online through LegalAtoms
• Domestic Violence Petition Packet (PDF)
• Domestic Violence Petition Instructions

Forms: (cannot be filed double sided)

Response: (use to file related documents such as police reports, medical records, text messages, witness statements, etc., or to respond to a protection order filed against you.)

• Response Packet (PDF)

Renew a Protection Order:

• Petition to Renew Packet (PDF)

Request for Remote Appearance

The Court's preference is for civil protection order hearings to proceed in person. However, pursuant to RCW 7.105.205(2), no later than three judicial days before the hearing, the parties may request to appear remotely by telephone, video, or other electronic means. The Court shall grant any request for a remote appearance unless the Court finds good cause to require in-person attendance or attendance through a specific means. To request a remote appearance, please use the following packet:

• Remote Appearance for Protection Order Packet

Petitions for a new Domestic Violence protection order can be prepared online and electronically sent to our protection order office for review and submission to the court for consideration.  

At this time, if you want to renew a protection order, you can download the forms available above and send them by email (protection.orders@snoco.org) or by fax (425-388-3127). Scanning apps are available to download on smart phones which allow you to scan your documents and send them to us by email.

If you want to modify or terminate an existing protection order, please visit our office to obtain court forms.  

Extreme Risk Protection Order (Initiative Measure No. 1491)

Unlike other protection orders, an Extreme Risk Protection Order does not provide protection to the petitioner.  Its primary purpose is to order the respondent to surrender weapons.

A petition can be filed by a law enforcement agency, a law enforcement officer, or a person who is a family or household member of the respondent.  Family or household member includes:

• Persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption
• Dating partners
• Persons who have a child in common
• Persons who reside or have resided with the respondent within the past year
• Domestic partners
• Persons who have a biological or legal parent-child relationship, including stepparents and stepchildren, and grandparents and grandchildren
• A person who is acting or has acted as the respondent’s legal guardian

The petitioner must show that the respondent poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to self or others in the near future by having in his or her custody or control, purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm.  

The court can order that the respondent surrender weapons but this type of protection order does not provide any protection for the petitioner.

Costs to petitioner: 

• No fee for forms, filing, or certified copies.
• No fee required for service of documents on the respondent, if performed by law enforcement.

Forms:  

• Download and print (click here)
• Packets also available in Room 1526, Courthouse, 1st floor. 
• Downloadable from www.courts.wa.gov/forms.

Filing:

• Case shall be filed in the county where either the petitioner or respondent resides.  If the petitioner is a law enforcement officer, the address is that of the law enforcement agency.
• Filed as a stand-alone civil case.
• After Hour Petitions: If an order is authorized by a judicial officer after hours, Law Enforcement is responsible for filing all documents with the Clerk’s Office the next court day.  This can be done by email (protection.orders@snoco.org) or by fax (425-388-3127). 

Request for Remote Appearance

The Court's preference is for civil protection order hearings to proceed in person. However, pursuant to RCW 7.105.205(2), no later than three judicial days before the hearing, the parties may request to appear remotely by telephone, video, or other electronic means. The Court shall grant any request for a remote appearance unless the Court finds good cause to require in-person attendance or attendance through a specific means. To request a remote appearance, please use the following packet:

• Remote Appearance for Protection Order Packet

Sexual Assault Protection Order, (RCW 7.90)

A petition can be filed by:

• A person, 16 or older, who is a victim of sexual assault (unless the victim qualifies for a domestic violence protection order).
• Any person* on behalf of a victim of sexual assault (unless the victim qualifies for a domestic violence protection order) who is:
  • A child.
  • A vulnerable adult as defined in RCW 74.34.020.
  • An adult who cannot petition due to age, disability, health or inaccessibility.

*The court may require the participation of a parent or guardian on behalf of a minor. The court will determine if a person has legal standing to file a petition on behalf of another person.

"Sexual Assault" means:

• Nonconsensual (meaning lack of freely given agreement) sexual touching of the genitals, anus or breasts - either directly or through clothing.
• Nonconsensual sexual penetration, however slight, of the genitals or anus by a body part of another including the mouth or the use of objects.
• Forced display of the genitals, anus or breasts for the purpose of sexually arousing another.

Resources: Dawson’s Place Child Advocacy Center, Providence Assault and Abuse Services. 

Forms: (cannot be filed double sided)

File a Protection Order:

• Sexual Assault Protection Order Packet (PDF)
• Sexual Assault Petition Instructions

Response: (use to file related documents such as police reports, medical records, text messages, witness statements, etc., or to respond to a protection order filed against you.)

• Response Packet (PDF)

Renew a Protection Order:

• Petition to Renew Packet (PDF)

Request for Remote Appearance

The Court's preference is for civil protection order hearings to proceed in person. However, pursuant to RCW 7.105.205(2), no later than three judicial days before the hearing, the parties may request to appear remotely by telephone, video, or other electronic means. The Court shall grant any request for a remote appearance unless the Court finds good cause to require in-person attendance or attendance through a specific means. To request a remote appearance, please use the following packet:

• Remote Appearance for Protection Order Packet

At this time, if you want to file for a Sexual Assault Protection Order or Renew a protection order you can download forms available above and send them by email (protection.orders@snoco.org) or by fax (425-388-3127). Scanning applications are available to download on smart phones which allow you to scan your documents and send them to us by email.

If you want to modify or terminate an existing protection order, please visit our office to obtain court forms.  

Vulnerable Adult Protection Order (RCW 74.34)

A petition can be filed by:

• A vulnerable adult who is a victim of:
  • Abandonment
  • Abuse (sexual, mental, physical)
  • Financial exploitation
  • Neglect
• A legal guardian, legal fiduciary, the Department of Social and Health Services, or an "interested person" on behalf of the vulnerable adult.

The law defines "vulnerable adult" to include a person:

• Sixty years of age or older who has the functional, mental, or physical inability to care for himself or herself; or
• Found incapacitated under chapter 11.88 RCW; or
• Who has a developmental disability as defined under RCW 71A.10.020; or
• Admitted to any facility, including a boarding home, nursing home, adult family home, soldiers’ home, residential habilitation center or any other facility licensed by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS); or
• Receiving services from home health, hospice, or home care agencies licensed or required to be licensed under chapter 70.127 RCW; or
• Receiving in-home services from an individual provider under contract with DSHS; or
• Who self-directs his or her own care and receives services from a personal aide under chapter 74.39 RCW.

*The court will determine if the vulnerable adult is unable, due to incapacity, undue influence or duress, to protect his or her own interest.

*The court will determine if a person has legal standing to file a petition on behalf of the vulnerable adult.

Forms: (cannot be filed double sided)

File a Protection Order:

• Complete and submit to our office online through LegalAtoms
  
• Vulnerable Adult Protection Order Packet (PDF)
• Vulnerable Adult Petition Instructions
• Vulnerable Adult Handbook

Response: (use to file related documents such as police reports, medical records, text messages, witness statements, etc., or to respond to a protection order filed against you.)

• Response Packet (PDF)

Renew a Protection Order:

• Petition to Renew Packet (PDF)

Request for Remote Appearance

The Court's preference is for civil protection order hearings to proceed in person. However, pursuant to RCW 7.105.205(2), no later than three judicial days before the hearing, the parties may request to appear remotely by telephone, video, or other electronic means. The Court shall grant any request for a remote appearance unless the Court finds good cause to require in-person attendance or attendance through a specific means. To request a remote appearance, please use the following packet:

• Remote Appearance for Protection Order Packet

Petitions for a new Vulnerable Adult protection order can be prepared online and electronically sent to our protection order office for review and submission to the court for consideration.  

At this time, if you want to renew a protection order, you can download the forms available above and send them by email (protection.orders@snoco.org) or by fax (425-388-3127). Scanning apps are available to download on smart phones which allow you to scan your documents and send them to us by email.

If you want to terminate or modify an existing protection order, please visit our office to obtain court forms. 

The vast majority of people come to the Clerk’s Office after an incident where a police officer advised them to go to court to get a "no contact" or "restraining order". No contact and restraining orders can also order a person not to contact or harm someone, but they are not protection orders and are used in different situations.

No-Contact orders: Requested by the prosecuting attorney in a criminal case to protect the victim or witness of a crime.

Restraining orders: Requested by the parties as part of an existing domestic case such as a divorce, paternity, custody, child support or visitation case. If you have questions about obtaining a restraining order, please visit the Courthouse Facilitator webpage for the hours they are available to assist.