To obtain a Protective Order in the District of Columbia complete a “Petition And Affidavit for Civil for Protective Order” .  You file it with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Domestic Violence Unit, 500 Indiana Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 2001, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, if the court is closed the only location where you can file for a Temporary Protective Order is the Seventh District D.C. Metropolitan Police Station on Alabama Avenue, N.W.

The hearing for the Temporary Protective Order is “ex parte”, meaning that the court can grant you a Temporary Protective Order without the Respondent being present. The Temporary Protective Order, Notice of Hearing and Order to Appear are then served upon the Respondent, free of charge, by the D.C. Metropolitan Police.   If the person lives in Maryland or Virginia, service may also be free as part of an agreement between Washington, D.C. and the sheriff departments in the surrounding areas of Maryland and Virginia.

The Temporary Protective Order issed by the Court will contain a date and time, fourteen (14 days later) on which you and the Respondent must show for an evidentiary hearing to determine if you qualify for a Final Protective Order.