To fill out California Form CH-120, work through it in the order it prints: identify the parties in Items 1 and 2, then respond to each of the petitioner’s requested orders in Items 3 through 9 by checking whether you agree, disagree, or partially agree, disclose your firearm situation in Item 6, state your defense in Items 10 and 11, explain every disagreement in Item 12, address the filing fee in Item 13, and sign. The form is your written answer to the CH-100 the petitioner filed against you, so it tracks that document section by section.1California Courts. Response to Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders (CH-120)
Before You Start Filling It Out
Download the current version of CH-120 from the California Courts website or pick up a copy at the clerk’s office in the courthouse listed on your papers.1California Courts. Response to Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders (CH-120) Have the papers you were served in front of you: Form CH-100 (the request), Form CH-109 (the hearing notice), and Form CH-110 if a temporary restraining order was issued. You’ll copy the case number, court name, and court address from those papers onto CH-120 exactly as they appear. Small discrepancies can cause processing delays.
Read the petitioner’s CH-100 carefully before writing anything. It describes the specific incidents being alleged and lists the orders the petitioner wants the judge to make. Your CH-120 mirrors that list, so you need to know exactly what’s being asked for.
Two things need to happen before you sit down with the form. If Form CH-110 was issued, its restrictions are already binding on you. If you own or possess any firearms, firearm parts, or ammunition, you must sell them to a licensed gun dealer, store them with a dealer, or turn them in to law enforcement within 24 hours of being served.2California Courts. How to Obey Orders Prohibiting Firearms and Ammunition Keep the receipt. You’ll attach a copy to Item 6. Body armor must also be relinquished.3California Courts. Respond to a Civil Harassment Restraining Order
Items 1 and 2: The Parties
Item 1 is the name of the person seeking protection. Copy it from Item 1 of Form CH-100.
Item 2 is you. Enter your full legal name, mailing address, and contact details. If you have an attorney, list your attorney’s contact information instead. If you want to keep your home address private and you don’t have a lawyer, you may list a different mailing address.4Judicial Council of California. CH-120 Response to Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
Items 3 Through 5: Personal Conduct, Stay-Away, and Protected Persons
These three items are where you respond to the core orders the petitioner is asking for. Each offers the same three choices: agree, disagree, or agree to some but not all.
- Item 3 covers personal conduct orders, such as being told not to harass, threaten, or contact the petitioner.
- Item 4 covers stay-away orders, which set a required distance between you and the petitioner, their home, workplace, or vehicle.
- Item 5 covers additional protected persons the petitioner has asked to include.
For any item where you check “do not agree” or “agree to some,” you owe an explanation in Item 12. Vague disagreement isn’t persuasive. Explain specifically why each requested order is unnecessary or overly broad.
Item 6: Firearms, Firearm Parts, and Ammunition
This item forces you to disclose your firearm situation on the record. Check box (a) if you do not own or control any firearms, parts, or ammunition. Check box (b) if you have already turned them in or stored them, and attach a copy of the receipt. Box (c) applies only if you need a work-related exception, such as being a sworn peace officer, and requires you to explain your job duties and why carrying a firearm is necessary.4Judicial Council of California. CH-120 Response to Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
Items 7 Through 9: Body Armor, Animals, and Other Orders
Item 7 addresses body armor. Item 8 covers any orders related to possession or protection of animals, which is relevant if the petitioner asked you to stay away from a shared pet. Item 9 handles any other orders the petitioner requested that don’t fit the earlier categories. For each, choose whether you agree, disagree, or partially agree, and take any disagreement to Item 12 for explanation.
Items 10 and 11: Your Defense
Item 10 is a straight denial. Check it if you’re saying you did not do any of the things described in the petitioner’s CH-100. If you check Item 10, skip ahead to Item 12.
Item 11 is for situations where you admit some or all of the conduct but believe your actions were justified or excused. This is where you might explain, for example, that a confrontation the petitioner described was actually you defending yourself, or that you had a legitimate reason to be at a shared location.4Judicial Council of California. CH-120 Response to Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders
Item 12: Explaining Your Disagreements
Item 12 is the narrative part of the form and the place your response actually gets made. For every order you disagreed with in Items 3 through 9, explain your reasoning here. Be specific about dates, locations, and the context of each interaction. If the petitioner described an incident on a particular day, address that incident directly. Concrete details stand out; general statements like “I never harassed anyone” don’t.
If you run out of space, use Form MC-025 to attach additional pages, and reference the item number you’re continuing so the judge can follow along.5California Courts. Attachment to Judicial Council Form MC-025 Attach copies of any evidence that supports your account, such as photographs, text messages, or other documents.6California Courts. Respond to Civil Harassment Restraining Order
Item 13: Filing Fee
Item 13 addresses whether you owe a filing fee. When the petitioner alleged violence, stalking, or threats of violence, there is no fee to file your response. In cases involving other types of harassment, a fee may apply. If you can’t afford it, file Form FW-001 (Request to Waive Court Fees) with your response.7California Courts. Request to Waive Court Fees That form asks you to show that you receive public benefits, have low income, or cannot cover basic needs and court costs at the same time.
Sign and date the form after completing every item.
Filing the Completed Form
Make two copies of the signed CH-120. Take the original plus both copies to the clerk’s office at the courthouse listed on your papers. The clerk keeps the original, stamps your copies as filed, and returns the copies to you. One stamped copy is for your records; the other is for serving on the petitioner.6California Courts. Respond to Civil Harassment Restraining Order
Many California courts also accept electronic filing. Check your local court’s website for e-filing options and any convenience fees. Either way, the goal is to get your response on the court’s record before the hearing date printed on Form CH-109.
Serving the Response on the Petitioner
After filing, a stamped copy of your response has to be delivered to the petitioner. You can’t do this yourself. Someone else who is at least 18 and not a party to the case has to handle it.8California Courts. Serving Court Papers That person is called the server and can be a friend, relative, coworker, or professional process server.
The standard method for serving a response is by mail. Your server mails a copy of the filed CH-120 to the petitioner, then fills out Form CH-250 (Proof of Service of Response by Mail) with details about when and where they mailed it, and signs it.9California Courts. Serve Your Response to Civil Harassment Restraining Orders It helps to fill in the top of CH-250 with the case number and court information yourself before handing it to your server.
File the completed CH-250 with the court clerk. The judge needs it to confirm the petitioner received your response. Without proof of service, the court may not consider your written response at the hearing.
Filing the Form Is Not the Whole Response
If you disagree with any of the requested orders, your written CH-120 by itself won’t win the case. You still have to appear at the hearing on the date listed on Form CH-109 and argue your side.3California Courts. Respond to a Civil Harassment Restraining Order Bring your stamped copy of CH-120, your filed proof of service, and copies of any evidence you referenced in Item 12. If you need more time to prepare, you have the right to one continuance without needing to show a specific reason, though any temporary orders remain in place during the delay.10California Legislative Information. California Code of Civil Procedure 527.6