You can file for a restraining order online in Indiana through the state’s Protection Order Registry at public.courts.in.gov/porefsp, open around the clock. The petition goes directly to your local court, where a judge can review it the same business day and, if the facts warrant it, issue a temporary protection order without a courthouse visit.1Indiana Judicial Branch. E-filing Protection Orders Indiana uses the term “protection order” rather than “restraining order,” but the online system covers the same ground: domestic violence, stalking, sex offenses, and harassment.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911 first. The online portal is built to start a legal case, not to summon police in a crisis.
Who Can File
Indiana’s Civil Protection Order Act limits who can petition. You qualify if you have been a victim of domestic or family violence committed by a family or household member, or if someone has stalked you or committed a sex offense against you, whether or not you ever had a relationship with that person.2Greene County, IN. Indiana Code 34-26-5-2 Persons Eligible to File Petition for Order of Protection A parent, guardian, or representative can file on behalf of a child.
Family or household members include current and former spouses, people who live or have lived together, people who share a child, and people in a current or former dating relationship. Harassment qualifies when the conduct is repeated and would make a reasonable person feel terrorized or frightened.
What to Have Ready Before You Start
The form will move faster, and the judge will have more to work with, if you gather the details before you open the portal. You need identifying information for yourself and the respondent. The respondent’s date of birth and current address matter most, because the court uses them to process the order and get it served.3indy.gov. File a Protective Order Physical descriptors help law enforcement identify the respondent at service: height, weight, eye and hair color, tattoos, scars.
If children are involved, have their information and any existing custody orders. The petition also asks for a written description of what happened. Concrete detail carries far more weight than general language. “On March 12, the respondent came to my workplace and threatened to hurt me” gives a judge something to act on; “the respondent has been threatening” does not.
Think through what you want the order to prohibit or grant before you sit down to file. At the temporary ex parte stage, before the respondent has appeared, a judge can order the respondent to:4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-26-5-9 Ex Parte Orders; Relief After Notice and Hearing
- Stop contacting you by phone, text, social media, or through third parties.
- Stay away from your home, workplace, school, and other places you regularly go.
- Leave a shared residence, regardless of whose name is on the lease or deed.
- Refrain from using GPS or other tools to track your location.
- Give you exclusive use of the residence, a vehicle, and essential personal items.
- Turn over sole possession of household pets and not harm or hide them.
Additional relief, including temporary custody of minor children, parenting time restrictions, attorney fees, and financial support, is available only after a full hearing.
Filing Through the Online Portal
Open public.courts.in.gov/porefsp. The system walks you through the petition, covering identifying information for both parties, the incident narrative, and the specific relief you want. Sessions can time out, so having your information organized before you start matters.
At the end you electronically sign the petition, affirming under penalty of perjury that its contents are true. When you submit, the encrypted petition goes to your local court clerk. You will see an on-screen confirmation and receive an email receipt. Save both. They are your proof the petition is pending while the court processes it.
Keeping Your Address Off the Record
If you have moved to get away from the respondent and don’t want your new address showing up in court filings, look into the Address Confidentiality Program run by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office. It gives you a substitute address to use for state and local government purposes, including court filings and service of process, so your actual home address stays out of the public record.5Indiana Office of the Attorney General. Address Confidentiality Program The program is free, but your application has to be signed by a trained victim advocate. A local domestic violence organization can connect you with one.
What Happens After You Submit
A judge reviews your petition ex parte, meaning without the respondent present. This often happens the same business day. If the judge finds domestic or family violence has occurred and you face present danger, the court can issue a temporary protection order right then.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-26-5-9 Ex Parte Orders; Relief After Notice and Hearing
That temporary order does not bind the respondent until they have been notified. The court sends the order to the county sheriff, who serves it personally at the respondent’s last known address. You’ll be notified through the Protection Order Registry or the court once service is complete.
The Hearing
After the respondent is served, either party can request a hearing, which the court must schedule within 30 days.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-26-5-10 Hearing After Ex Parte Order Each side gets one hearing request per petition. Both parties receive notice of the date by mail.
At the hearing you have to prove your case by a preponderance of the evidence: more likely than not that the violence, stalking, or harassment occurred and that the respondent remains a threat. That is a lower bar than criminal court, but the judge still needs something concrete. Bring text messages, screenshots, photos of injuries, police reports, medical records, and any witnesses willing to testify. The respondent has the right to appear and contest.
If the judge finds you have met the burden, the temporary order becomes a full protection order, and the court can add the relief that is only available after a hearing, including custody arrangements and financial support. Protection order hearings take priority over most other matters on the court’s docket.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-26-5-10 Hearing After Ex Parte Order
How Long the Order Lasts
An Indiana protection order, whether issued ex parte or after a hearing, lasts two years from the date of issuance unless the judge sets a different expiration.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 34-26-5-9 Ex Parte Orders; Relief After Notice and Hearing It expires automatically at the end of that period. If you still need protection, file a new petition or request a modification before the order lapses. Don’t wait until the final week; courts need processing time.
If the Respondent Violates the Order
Knowingly violating any term of a protection order, whether by showing up at your home, calling you, or breaking any other condition, is the crime of invasion of privacy. A first offense is a Class A misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. With a prior conviction for invasion of privacy or stalking, it becomes a Level 6 felony carrying six months to two and a half years in prison.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-46-1-15.1 Invasion of Privacy; Offense; Penalties
A judge can also hold the respondent in contempt, which can mean jail time until they comply, plus attorney fees and damages. If a violation happens, call 911 and ask officers to enforce the order. Document everything: screenshots, a dated log, saved voicemails and messages. That record strengthens both a criminal case and any contempt proceeding.