Protection Orders
Anti-harassment, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, Vulnerable Adult, and Extreme Risk
If you or someone you know is currently in danger, call 9-1-1 immediately
Screening and various protection orders may be obtained in the Clerk's office. All petitioners of a protection order must be screened by Superior Court prior to filing. You will need to come in to the Clerk's office to complete paperwork and submit them to the Court between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (closed for lunch 12:15 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.). If you are not able to come to the court house, please review the e-fling procedures below.
There are different types of protections orders, intended for specific situations. These types include Anti-Harassment, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, Vulnerable Adult, and Extreme Risk Protection Orders. State law RCW 7.105 establishes who can seek them, who they can protect, who they can restrain, the types of protections and relief they offer, when and where court hearings are conducted, what costs may be incurred, etc. There is a $53 filing fee for Anti-Harassment which you may motion the court for relief.
People may incorrectly use "no contact" or "restraining" interchangeably with protection orders. 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 the crime. For information about obtaining or terminating a criminal "no-contact" order, contact the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney.
Restraining orders: Requested by the parties as part of an existing domestic cases such as a divorce or a case to determine paternity, custody, child support or visitation. To download domestic restraining order forms, visit Washington Pattern Forms: www.courts.wa.gov/forms
Two types of protection orders for people who do not have a domestic relationship are primarily filed in District Court: Anti harassment and Stalking.
Process
The process of starting an order for protection is essentially the same for all the varying case types. Initially you will have to file a Petition for an Order for Protection and a Temporary Order for Protection; a law enforcement information sheet will also need to be completed. Please refer below for E-filing instructions if you are not able to appear in person. Depending on the case type and situation you may have additional documents to complete.
Once you have completed your paperwork it will all be submitted to a judge for review. The judge will decide whether or not to issue the Temporary Order for Protection, this temporary order will last until the hearing where all parties can be present to discuss the case. Temporary orders typically last between 7 and 14 days. In most cases local law enforcement will coordinate the service of your documents upon the other side; however, in some instances you will have to arrange or coordinate the service yourself.
If you need help with the process or more information about your options you may contact the clerk's office for help. Please contact an advocate to complete paperwork if you re not able to appear in person or follow procedures below. Additionally, there are a number of local organizations available to assist, see the 'Additional Resources & Links' section for more info.
How to File:
The protection order office is currently accepting filings by e-filing (supplemental and responsive materials only), email (new cases only), in person, or by mail. If your filing exceeds 25 pages you must file in person and provide your own copies. Bring your original for filing and 3 copies. Your filings must include party names and your case number. Filings must be single-sided.
•E-File: For supplemental filings only. New cases cannot be filed with this platform. Please see Filing assistance on the clerk website for more information.
• Email Filing: New case filings only. Subject line: Protection Order / Your Last Name / Case Number / Date of Hearing
IMPORTANT: You must send your filing as an attached PDF FILE. For security reasons, we are unable to access all other file types. This includes attached or embedded image files. Additionally, we are unable to access documents saved in your personal storage drive. Do not send links to files shared from your Google Drive, iCloud drive etc. We are not responsible for organizing your filing; please provide instruction and organize your PDFs accordingly. Email documents to kccprotectionorders@kitsap.gov
• File in Person or by mail: File in room 202 on the 2nd floor of Kitsap County Superior Court-614 Division St MS-34 Port Orchard, WA 98366. Filing by mail is allowed, however please keep in mind the time sensitive nature of these cases.
• Service of your documents to the other party is required.
You must have a copy of your filing served upon the other party prior to the hearing. Service must be made by someone over the age of 18yrs who is not a party to the case. The server must fill out the Return of Service Form and it must be filed with the court.
• It is recommended to have your response filed no later than 2 days prior to your scheduled hearing. A working copy will be provided to the judicial officer for consideration in the case. Filings received after 12:00 pm the Tuesday before court may not be read or considered by the court due to untimely filing. Strict Replies may be received by noon the Wednesday before court for consideration.
Modify/Terminate or Renew
Either party can motion to modify, terminate, or renew the terms of the order for protection by filing a motion and notice of hearing. Please find instructions below.
Appearing for the Hearing
In person: Judge/Commissioner: TBD Courtroom: 206 Address:614 Division St Port Orchard, WA 98366
Online: (audio and video) App: Zoom Meeting ID: 971- 6030-3815 Passcode: 206
By Phone: (audio only) For those calling in by phone, simply dial any one of the following Zoom access numbers and enter the appropriate Meeting ID and Passcode. Remember, video participants will see the number you are calling from unless you first dial *67 when calling Zoom. (253) 215-8782 ,(346) 248-7799, (669) 900-9128, (312) 626-6799 (646) 558-8656 (301) 715-8592
If you have trouble connecting online or by phone Contact the court at 360.337.7140 or JLAnderson@kitsap.gov; jlrobison@kitsap.gov
Ask for an interpreter, if needed. Contact: Jennifer Anderson at 360.337.7140 or JLAnderson@kitsap.gov.
Ask for disability accommodation, if needed. Contact: Superior Court Administration at 360.337.7140
Additional Resources and Links
Clerk's office procedure
Protection Order Brochure
Protection Order Email Filing
Protection Order Supplemental/Response Packet
Forms and Self-help resources about domestic violence issues in Washington State.
Get a Domestic Violence Protection Order | WashingtonLawHelp.org | Helpful information about the law in Washington.
Extreme Risk Protection Order Brochure
RCW 7.105
Motion to modify-terminate order for protection
Transfer CPO to Kitsap Superior Court
Contacts
Coordinated Legal Education, Advice & Referral (CLEAR) System
……………………………………….….....................888-201-1014
Dispute Resolution Center………………..360-698-0968
Kitsap Legal Services……….……………….360-479-6125
National Domestic Violence Hotline.....800-799-7233
Navy Legal Advocate ………..……………..360-396-4853
Rebuilding Hope...............................................253-597-6424
Turning Point Advocacy Center……... 360-426-1216
YWCA 24-hour crisis hotline……………..800-500-5513
YWCA Legal Advocates ……….…………..360-479-0491
YWCA Alive Shelter ……………...............360-479-1980
Access to information & notification for protective order status:
Washington Protective Order Service 1-877-242-4055
myPlan | Everyone Deserves to Be Safe in Their Relationships (myplanapp.org)
