Protection Orders may help to protect against family violence.

Domestic Violence Protection Order 

A Domestic Violence Protection Order is a civil order from the court telling the family or household member who threatened or assaulted you not to harm you again.

A protection order can:

1. Order the Respondent not to threaten or hurt you.
2. Order the Respondent not to enter your residence.
3. Give one parent temporary custody of children.
4. Set a schedule for visitation with minor children.
5. Order the Respondent to leave a shared residence.
6. Grant you possession of essential personal effects.
7. Grant you use of a vehicle.
8. Order the Respondent to attend counseling.

A protection order cannot:

1. Order child support.
2. Order maintenance (alimony).
3. Assign most property to either party.
4. Establish permanent child custody or use of the shared residence.

Petitions for Orders of Protection may be filed at the Court Monday through Friday, after 9:30 am. Ask the Court Clerk for the forms to request an order for protection. After you submit the completed forms to the court, you will speak to a judge about your case, and the judge may issue a temporary order that is good for 14 days. A hearing will be set within 14 days, and the court will provide the respondent with notice of the hearing. At the hearing the court will decide if the order should be made effective for one year or longer.

Helpful links:

Filing for a Domestic Violence Order – English

Filing for a Domestic Violence Order - Vietnamese

Filing for a Domestic Violence Order - Somali

Filing for a Domestic Violence Order - Russian

Filing for a Domestic Violence Order - Spanish

Guidelines for Domestic Violence Protection and Anti-Harassment Orders

Domestic Violence Protection Order Process

Safety Plan for Domestic Violence

SeaTac Domestic Violence Advocate

General information on Domestic Violence

King County Domestic Violence Information Pages

If you are the victim of domestic violence, you may also obtain assistance from the Domestic Violence Hotline 800.562.6025.

The information, list of forms, and external links contained on this page are not intended as legal advice and are provided for reference purposes only.