A Personal Protection Order in Michigan lasts at least 182 days when issued ex parte, which is roughly six months. A PPO issued after a full hearing lasts as long as the judge decides is necessary, and Michigan law sets no maximum.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.2950a – Personal Protection Orders Every order shows a specific expiration date on its face, so both the petitioner and the respondent know exactly when protection is scheduled to end.
Ex Parte PPOs: At Least 182 Days
Most Michigan PPOs begin as ex parte orders, meaning the judge signs them immediately without the respondent present because the petitioner needs protection right away. By statute, an ex parte PPO must last at least 182 days.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.2950a – Personal Protection Orders Judges often set a longer term depending on the facts, but they cannot go below that floor.
PPOs After a Hearing: No Statutory Limit
Once both sides have appeared and the court has held a full hearing, the judge sets the duration based on the petitioner’s ongoing safety needs. The order could run a year, several years, or longer. There is no statutory minimum and no statutory maximum. Whatever date the judge writes on the order is when protection ends.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.2950a – Personal Protection Orders
All three categories of Michigan PPO follow these same duration rules: the domestic relationship PPO, the nondomestic stalking PPO, and the nondomestic sexual assault PPO.2Michigan Courts. Domestic Violence Benchbook – Types of PPOs
When the Clock Starts
A PPO takes effect the moment the judge signs it, even before the respondent has been served. The court designates a law enforcement agency to enter the order into the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) right away, which makes it accessible to police statewide.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.2950a – Personal Protection Orders The expiration date on the face of the order controls, so check it carefully. The duration does not restart when the respondent is finally served.
The Respondent’s 14-Day Window to Challenge
A respondent who has been served with an ex parte PPO has 14 days to file a motion asking the court to modify or terminate it. Miss that window and any later motion requires showing good cause for the delay.3Michigan Courts. Domestic Violence Benchbook – Modification or Termination of PPO Once a motion is filed, the court schedules a hearing within 14 days.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 600.2950a – Personal Protection Orders At that hearing, the judge decides whether to keep the PPO as-is, change its terms, or throw it out, and sets a duration for the final order if it survives.
A faster timeline applies to law enforcement and corrections employees. If the PPO prohibits the respondent from possessing firearms and the respondent carries a weapon as a condition of employment, the hearing must be scheduled within five days instead of fourteen.3Michigan Courts. Domestic Violence Benchbook – Modification or Termination of PPO
Extending a PPO Before It Expires
If the threat has not passed, you can extend your PPO by filing an ex parte motion asking the court to set a new expiration date. The court can grant the extension without holding a hearing. The deadline matters: your motion must be filed no later than three days before the current order expires.4Michigan Courts. Domestic Violence Benchbook – Extension of PPO Miss that cutoff and you will have to file a brand-new petition and start over.
Use SCAO Form CC 379, titled “Motion to Modify, Extend, or Terminate Personal Protection Order.”5Michigan Courts. SCAO Form CC 379 – Motion to Modify, Extend, or Terminate Personal Protection Order The form asks for your original case number and your reasons for needing continued protection. You can get it from the court clerk or download it from the Michigan Courts website, and you file it with the same court that issued the original order.
Once the court grants the extension, the respondent gets a fresh 14-day window to challenge the extended order, just as with the original ex parte PPO.3Michigan Courts. Domestic Violence Benchbook – Modification or Termination of PPO
Ending a PPO Early
Either party can ask the court to terminate a PPO before its expiration date. A petitioner may file because the threat has genuinely passed. A respondent may file because circumstances have changed enough that the order is no longer warranted.
Both sides use the same SCAO Form CC 379.6Michigan Courts. Instructions for Completing Motion to Modify, Extend, or Terminate Personal Protection Order, Form CC 379 The form requires your case number and a clear explanation of why the order should end. After filing, the moving party must serve the other side with the motion and notice of hearing at least seven days before the hearing date, using certified or registered mail with return receipt requested and delivery restricted to the addressee.5Michigan Courts. SCAO Form CC 379 – Motion to Modify, Extend, or Terminate Personal Protection Order There is no filing fee for a motion to modify or terminate a PPO.3Michigan Courts. Domestic Violence Benchbook – Modification or Termination of PPO
One important asymmetry: the petitioner can file a motion to terminate at any time. The respondent can only challenge an ex parte order within the initial 14-day window after service. After that deadline passes, the respondent has to demonstrate good cause before the court will consider the motion.3Michigan Courts. Domestic Violence Benchbook – Modification or Termination of PPO