To get a no-contact order in Rhode Island, you file a free complaint for a protective order in the Family Court for the county where you live, and a judge can issue a temporary order the same day without the other person present. A full hearing is set within 21 days, and if the judge grants a final order it can last up to three years. Domestic violence advocates are stationed at every courthouse to help you fill out the paperwork.
Which Court to File In
Rhode Island has two civil paths and one criminal path to a no-contact order, and the right one depends on your relationship to the other person.
Most people file in Family Court under Chapter 15-15, the Domestic Abuse Prevention Act. This is the route for abuse by a spouse or former spouse, a co-parent, a family member related by blood or marriage, a stepparent or stepchild, or certain dating partners.1Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-3 – Protective Orders – Penalty – Jurisdiction
The District Court issues domestic abuse restraining orders under Chapter 8-8.1 with similar protections, including no-contact provisions and firearms surrender. If your situation doesn’t fit the Family Court categories (for example, you’re an adult dating someone with no shared children and no family tie), District Court may be the correct forum. Advocates at all four courthouses can tell you which applies.2Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 8-8.1-3 – Protective Orders – Penalty – Jurisdiction3Rhode Island Judiciary. District Court – Domestic Abuse Restraining Orders
A criminal no-contact order under Chapter 12-29 is different. You don’t file for it. When someone is arrested or charged with a domestic violence offense, the court or bail commissioner issues the no-contact order automatically before the defendant can be released, and it stays in place through the criminal case.4Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 12-29-4 – Restrictions Upon and Duties of Court The rest of this guide covers the civil process you control.
Do You Qualify to File?
Family Court protective orders are limited to specific relationships and specific types of harm. Both have to be present.
Qualifying Relationships
You can file under Chapter 15-15 if you and the other person are:5Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-1 – Definitions
- Current or former spouses, people related by blood or marriage, stepchildren, or minor children of a dating partner
- Parents of the same child or children, regardless of marital status or whether you ever lived together
- Stepparents
- Adults who have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past year and share a minor child
- People in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past year where at least one of you is a minor
A “substantive dating or engagement relationship” is judged on three factors: the length of the relationship, its nature, and how frequently the two of you interacted. A few casual dates likely won’t meet the standard; a months-long intimate relationship typically will.
What Counts as Domestic Abuse
The conduct has to fit one of these categories:5Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-1 – Definitions
- Causing or attempting to cause physical harm
- Placing you in fear of imminent serious physical harm
- Forcing sexual contact through force, threats, or coercion
- Stalking or cyberstalking, which includes using a computer to contact you solely to harass you or your family
You do not need to have already been injured. Being placed in fear of imminent serious harm is itself grounds.
What to Bring and How to File
Go to the Family Court in the county where you live. There is no filing fee, and the protective order case is separate from any divorce or custody matter you already have.6Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-2 – Filing of Complaint A domestic violence advocate will meet you at the courthouse and help you complete the forms.3Rhode Island Judiciary. District Court – Domestic Abuse Restraining Orders
Bring as much of the following as you can:
- Dates, times, locations, and descriptions of each incident of abuse or threats
- Police reports, medical records, photographs of injuries or damage, and screenshots of threatening messages
- Your full name and address, the other person’s full name and any addresses where they can be found, and the names of witnesses who can confirm what happened
Specifics matter. Judges rely heavily on the detail in your written complaint when deciding whether to grant immediate protection.
The Same-Day Temporary Order
Once your complaint is filed, a judge reviews it, often the same day. If the judge finds you would suffer immediate and irreparable harm before the other person could be notified and brought to court, the judge can issue a temporary protective order right then without the other side present. This is called an ex parte order.7Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-4 – Temporary Orders – Ex Parte Proceedings
A temporary order lasts up to 21 days, and the full hearing is scheduled within that window. If the hearing can’t take place within 21 days, the temporary order can be extended for good cause or by consent of the parties.
After Hours
If you need protection when Family Court is closed, a Family Court judge can grant temporary relief by phone, communicating the order to a law enforcement officer who records it on an official form. If no Family Court judge is available but a District Court division is open, a District Court judge can issue temporary protection under Chapter 15-15 instead. An order granted by phone after hours expires at the close of the next business day unless a Family Court judge extends it.7Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-4 – Temporary Orders – Ex Parte Proceedings
Service and the Full Hearing
A temporary order isn’t enforceable until the other person has been personally served. A deputy sheriff handles service at no cost to you and delivers the order along with notice of the hearing date.8Rhode Island Judiciary. Domestic Violence Victim Information If the sheriff can’t locate the person, a police officer can give notice directly.
At the full hearing, both sides can present evidence and testimony. The other person may bring an attorney and contest the order. Bring any additional documents and witnesses that support your account. If the other person doesn’t appear, the judge can still issue a final order based on what you present.
A final protective order lasts up to three years.1Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-3 – Protective Orders – Penalty – Jurisdiction
What the Order Can Include
Rhode Island protective orders go well beyond barring contact. You can ask the judge for any combination of these provisions, and the judge has broad discretion to add others needed for your safety:1Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-3 – Protective Orders – Penalty – Jurisdiction
- No contact, assault, or interference with you at home, work, or anywhere else
- An order to vacate a shared household immediately, with provisions for any household pets
- Temporary custody of minor children
- Temporary child support for up to 90 days after a noticed hearing
- Surrender of all firearms
You can also request that your address be released only at the judge’s discretion if keeping your location private is a priority.
Firearms Surrender
If the order includes a firearms provision, the respondent must surrender all firearms within 24 hours to the Rhode Island State Police, a local police department, or a licensed firearms dealer, and file proof of surrender with the court within 72 hours. That proof is either a receipt from the person who took possession or a sworn statement that the respondent has no firearms. Buying or receiving firearms while the order is in effect is also prohibited. A knowing violation of the firearms provision is a felony punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.1Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-3 – Protective Orders – Penalty – Jurisdiction A respondent who surrenders firearms is entitled to a hearing within 15 days to challenge the surrender.
If the Order Is Violated
Any violation can be punished as contempt of court. Beyond contempt, violating an order the respondent had actual notice of is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. A court can impose contempt and the criminal penalty together.1Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-3 – Protective Orders – Penalty – Jurisdiction For a criminal no-contact order issued in a domestic violence case, willful violation is also a misdemeanor, and the written order must warn that violation is a criminal offense and will result in arrest.4Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 12-29-4 – Restrictions Upon and Duties of Court
Call 911 if the respondent contacts you or shows up in violation. Officers can arrest on the spot. Save every text, voicemail, email, or other evidence of a violation. That record helps the court impose stiffer penalties and support extending the order later.
Changing, Renewing, or Ending the Order
Either party can file a motion to modify a protective order at any time.1Rhode Island General Assembly. Rhode Island Code 15-15-3 – Protective Orders – Penalty – Jurisdiction Common reasons include adjusting custody, changing the scope of the no-contact provision, or updating your address.
To renew a final order, file a motion with the Family Court before it expires, explaining why you still need protection. The judge can extend the order for whatever additional time is necessary. File well ahead of the expiration date so there is no gap in coverage.
Only a judge can lift the order. If you want it dissolved early, you have to ask the court. An informal agreement with the respondent to ignore it doesn’t end the order and doesn’t shield the respondent from arrest for violating it.