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Getting a Protection Order

ESCAPE If you are the victim of domestic or sexual violence, or if you believe you or your children are in danger of being harmed by someone in your life, there is help for you. Throughout the state of Indiana, hundreds of trained advocates work every day to help victims find safety, and in many situations a protection order can be a useful tool.

Ready to request a protection order?

Start a request for a protection order by filing online. See our tutorials to learn how to get started or reach out to an advocate for help.

What to Expect When Filing for a Protection Order

Indiana has an online system to petition for protection orders, which means that you can seek assistance in the security and privacy of an advocate's office while the advocate prepares and files the petition electronically. The advocate will interview you to discover the necessary information for the court filing and will allow you to review and edit the forms before they are submitted to the court. While an original signature is needed on the papers filed with the court, most agencies will deliver the signed forms to the clerk’s office on your behalf.

Learn about protection order e-filing
View forms in PDF format

Enforcement of Protection Orders

Because all protection orders in Indiana are to be filed electronically—as mandated in 2009 by the Indiana General Assembly—police officers and FBI agents in the field have access to the most current information about these orders. This includes identification of the protected party or parties, identification and description of the respondent (defendant), whether a firearm restriction was ordered, and other important details.

When an order of protection is granted to you, you are advised to keep a copy with you at all times. However, that may not always happen. Now that the information is available to law enforcement electronically, this means that if you have a protection order filed in one county, and you travel to another county (or another state), if it becomes necessary for you to seek police assistance, local officers can access your protection order information even if you don't have a copy of it with you.


Protection Order Notifications and Online Search

In addition to the courts and law enforcement having online access to protection order information, a protection order search is now available on this website. Information about the victim is not included in the online records, but information about the respondent (defendant) and the order are. In addition, when you file a protection order, you can ask to be notified electronically—by text message and/or email—of events in the case, such as approval of the order by the court and service of the order on the respondent.

Search Protection Orders

Find a Victim Advocate in Your Area

ESCAPE

For help finding an advocate or shelter, or for more information about domestic violence, visit the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) website or call their 24-hour statewide hotline at 1.800.332.7385.

For detailed contact information for advocate organizations and shelters throughout the state, see the ICADV website.

The following organizations are users of Indiana's advocate access to file petitions for protection orders online.

County Advocate Agency
Adams Adams Wells Crisis Center
Allen YWCA Northeast Indiana
 Fort Wayne PD (Victims Assistance)
Bartholomew Turning Point Domestic Violence Services
Blackford Jennings County Council on Domestic Violence
Boone A Better Way
 Family Crisis Shelter
 Domestic Violence Network
 Beacon of Hope Crisis Center
Brown Turning Point Domestic Violence Services
 Desert Rose Foundation
Carroll Carroll County Sheriff's Department
Cass Family Services Association of Howard County
Clark Center for Women and Families
Clay Family Support Services of West Central Indiana
 Council on Domestic Abuse
Clinton YWCA of Greater Lafayette
Crawford Hoosier Hills PACT
 Crisis Connection
 YWCA of Evansville
Dearborn Safe Passage
Decatur New Directions
 Turning Point
 Jennings County Council on Domestic Violence
Dekalb YWCA Northeast Indiana
 Center For Non-Violence
Delaware A Better Way
 Office of Victim Services Ball State University
Dubois Crisis Connection, Inc
 YWCA of Evansville
Elkhart YWCA of North Central Indiana
 Victim Assistance Services
Fayette YWCA Genesis
Floyd Center for Women & Families
Fountain Family Crisis Shelter
 Beyond the Violence - Valley Oaks Health
  Hope Springs Safe House
Franklin Safe Passage
Fulton Beaman Home
Grant Family Service Society, Inc./Hands of Hope/Flannery-Keal House
Greene Middle Way House
Hamilton Prevail
 Beacon of Hope
 Alternatives Inc.
 Coburn Safe Place Haven
 Domestic Violence Network
Hancock Julian Center
 Coburn Safe Place Haven
 Salvation Army Ruth Lilly Women and Children’s Shelter
Harrison Hoosier Hills PACT
Hendricks Beacon of Hope
 Sheltering Wings Center for Women
 Desert Rose Foundation
 Julian Center
 Coburn Safe Place Haven
Henry A Better Way
Howard Family Service Association of Howard County
Huntington YWCA Northeast Indiana
 Center For Non-Violence
Jackson Turning Point Domestic Violence Services
 Jennings County Council on Domestic Violence
Jasper North Central Indiana Rural Crisis Center
Jay A Better Way
Jefferson Turning Point Domestic Violence Services
 Safe Passage
Jennings Jennings County Council on Domestic Violence
Johnson Beacon of Hope
 Turning Point Domestic Violence Services
 Desert Rose Foundation
 Julian Center
 Coburn Safe Place Haven
 Sheltering Wings Center for Women
Knox Hope's Voice
LaGrange Elijah Haven Crisis Intervention Center
Lake Gary Commission for Women
 The Caring Place
 St. Jude House
 Haven House
LaPorte Stepping Stone Shelter For Women, Inc
Lawrence Hoosier Hills PACT
 Middle Way House
Madison Alternatives, Inc.
Marion Beacon of Hope
 Julian Center
 Coburn Safe Place Haven
 Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence
 Deaf School Police Department
 Desert Rose Foundation
 Sheltering Wings Center for Women
 Prevail
 Salvation Army Ruth Lilly Women and Children’s Shelter
Marshall YWCA of North Central Indiana
 Beaman Home
 Heminger House
Martin Middle Way House
 Crisis Connection
Miami Family Service Association of Howard County
Monroe Middle Way House
 Desert Rose Foundation
 POP at IU Maurer School of Law
Montgomery Family Crisis Shelter
 Sheltering Wings Center for Women
Morgan Desert Rose Transitional Shelter
 Middle Way House
Newton North Central Indiana Rural Crisis Center
Noble YWCA Northeast Indiana
 Center for Nonviolence
Ohio Safe Passage
Orange Hoosier Hills PACT
 YWCA of Evansville
 Crisis Connection
Owen Family Support Services of West Central Indiana
 Desert Rose Foundation
Parke Family Support Services of West Central Indiana
 Council on Domestic Abuse
Perry YWCA of Evansville
 Crisis Connection
Pike YWCA of Evansville
 Crisis Connection
Porter The Caring Place
Posey Albion Fellows Bacon Center
 YWCA of Evansville
Pulaski North Central Indiana Rural Crisis Center
Putnam Family Support Services, Inc.
 Family Crisis Shelter
 Sheltering Wings Center for Women
Randolph A Better Way
Ripley Safe Passage, Inc.
 Jennings County Council on Domestic Violence
Rush Rush County Victims Assistance
St. Joseph Family Justice Center of St. Joseph County
 YWCA of North Central Indiana
Scott Hoosier Hills PACT
Shelby Turning Point Domestic Violence Services
Spencer YWCA of Evansville
 Crisis Connection
Starke The Caring Place
 Heminger House
Steuben Elijah Haven Crisis Intervention Center
Sullivan Council on Domestic Abuse
Switzerland Safe Passage
Tippecanoe YWCA Lafayette
Tipton Family Services Association of Howard County
 Prevail
 Alternatives Inc.
Union YWCA Genesis
Vanderburgh Albion Fellows Bacon Center
 YWCA of Evansville
Vermillion Council on Domestic Abuse
Vigo Vigo County Crime Victim Assistance Program
 Council on Domestic Abuse
Wabash Family Service Society, Inc./Hands of Hope/Flannery-Keal House
Warrick Albion Fellows Bacon Center
Washington Hoosier Hills PACT
Warren Beyond the Violence  -  Valley Oaks Health
  Hope Springs Safe House
Wayne YWCA Genesis
Wells YWCA Northeast Indiana
 Center for Nonviolence
 Adams Wells Crisis Center
White YWCA of Greater Lafayette
Whitley YWCA Northeast Indiana

Indiana's Protection Order Registry and its advocate access features were developed by Court Technology.

Getting help with your case

Court staff cannot give legal advice.

If you have questions about handling a legal matter, please contact a lawyer. See Getting Legal Help for some resources.

Contact your local clerk's office about where to file your forms, or learn about how to e-file.

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