What a Protective Order Will Do
- The protective order will to the abuser to stay 500 feet from where you live, work, or attend school.
- The abuser will be instructed not to: commit family violence or abuse; threaten; threaten through someone else; harass; traffic; or stalk the person applying for protection.
- The protective order can order the abuser to go to specialized counseling for abusive behavior.
- The protective order is good for up to 2 years or more.
What the Protective Order Will Not Do
- A protective order will not order the abuser to stay 500 feet from your body!
- A protective order is not a bullet-proof vest or a safety shield. You must remain careful and take precautions for your safety.
- A protective order does not interfere with court-ordered visitation or custody determined by another court.
To seek a protective order, either the applicant or the abuser must live in Dallas County, or an incident of violence must have occurred in Dallas County. The applicant must provide a daytime address where the constable can serve the abuser with notice of the hearing date. Be prepared to give the address you want to be protected (home, work, school).
Who can apply?
If you have recently (within the last 90 days) been the victim of:
- (a) physical abuse (pushing, shoving, slapping, hitting, kicking, choking, or any act intended to physically harm another person) or
- (b) the threat of imminent danger (the person has to be physically present and able to follow through)
AND one of the following relationships apply to you and the person committing abuse:
- Spouse or ex-spouse
- Relative (related by blood) or In-law (related by marriage)
- Biological parents of the same child
- Live-in boyfriend or girlfriend/Ex-boyfriend or Ex-girlfriend
- Members of the same household (Living together irrespective of relationship)
- Dating relationship
- Third party dating/marriage (Your partner’s ex)
- Victim of Sexual Assault
- Stalking
- Trafficking
The Dallas County District Attorney's Office (DCDAO) cannot represent applicants for protective orders if a legal conflict exists that bars representation by our prosecutors. Such conflicts can include, but are not limited to:
- DCDAO previously represented an adverse party on a Protective Order case.
- Applicant for protective order has an active warrant, criminal case or criminal charge pending (with exception for traffic-related offenses).
- Applicant is on probation in Dallas County.
- Applicant is being represented an attorney in any other family law matter or other civil cases involving both the Applicant and the Respondent.
- There is a filed CPS Removal case filed with DCDAO.
- Applicant is a sex offender.
If you elect to file an application for a protective order on your own, you may find the following resource helpful: https://texaslawhelp.org/toolkit/i-need-protection-order.
Resources
Additional community resources can be found below:
| Resource Name | Format |
| Comprehensive Resource List | |
| English |  |
| Domestic Violence Safety Plan | |
| English | |
| Spanish | |
| Family Violence/Sexual Assault Prosecution | |
| English | |
| Spanish | |
| Protective Order Information | |
| English | |
| Spanish | |
Connect:
-
You must be on the network to see these links.
© 2024. Dallas County. All rights reserved.
