No Contact Orders in Washington State: Rules, Penalties, and Enforcement

Washington uses two legal tools to keep one person away from another: a criminal no-contact order, which a judge imposes in a criminal case, and a civil protection order, which the person seeking protection files for themselves. Both restrict contact, both set a stay-away distance that is presumptively at least 1,000 feet, and knowingly violating either is a crime. No-contact orders in Washington State carry a baseline penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine for a first violation, with felony exposure if the violation involves an assault or if the person has prior violations.¹

Criminal No-Contact Order or Civil Protection Order

The two orders look similar on paper and get enforced under the same penalty statute, but they come from different places and the person being protected has very different control over each.

A criminal no-contact order comes out of a criminal case. When someone is arrested for domestic violence or harassment, a judge can impose a no-contact order at arraignment as a condition of pretrial release. The defendant doesn’t choose, and the alleged victim doesn’t file for it. The prosecutor or the judge initiates it. If charges are dismissed or the defendant is acquitted, the pretrial order ends. On a conviction, the judge can make the no-contact order part of the sentence, lasting up to the maximum sentence length or the end of probation.

A civil protection order under Chapter 7.105 RCW is something you file for yourself. A person who has experienced domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or harassment can petition the court directly, with no criminal case pending. The petitioner controls the process. These orders can last for years and don’t depend on a prosecution moving forward, and they carry broader relief: exclusive use of a shared home, custody provisions, and mandatory weapons surrender.²

Civil protection orders come in several forms depending on the relationship and conduct involved: domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, antiharassment, vulnerable adult, and extreme risk protection orders. Most involve no filing fee; antiharassment orders may carry one, waived if the conduct involves domestic violence, a sex offense, stalking, or a hate crime.³ The extreme risk protection order is the exception to the general pattern: it focuses on removing firearms access and does not include general stay-away or no-contact provisions.

What the Order Actually Restricts

Washington courts have broad discretion to shape the specific terms, but most orders share a core set of restrictions.²

Stay-Away Distance

The court can order the respondent to stay a specified distance from the petitioner’s home, workplace, school, vehicle, or the petitioner personally. By statute, that distance is presumptively at least 1,000 feet. A judge can set a shorter distance only for good cause, so the default is a wide buffer zone.

No Contact, Direct or Indirect

The order prohibits all attempts at contact, direct or indirect. Phone calls, texts, emails, and social media messages all count. So does asking a friend or relative to pass along a message. The statute covers contact through third parties even if the third party doesn’t know the order exists.

Exclusive Use of a Shared Home

When the parties live together, the court can grant the petitioner exclusive possession of the home and order the respondent to leave. This applies even if the respondent’s name is on the lease or the title. The court can also exclude the respondent from the petitioner’s workplace or a child’s school or daycare.

Firearms and Weapons

Under RCW 9.41.800, when the court finds clear and convincing evidence that the respondent poses a risk, it must order surrender of all firearms and other dangerous weapons to law enforcement or another court-designated party, and must revoke any concealed pistol license.⁴ At the lower preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, the court has discretion to order surrender. In practice, weapons surrender is common in domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault cases. Law enforcement follows up to confirm compliance.⁵ Possessing a firearm while subject to a qualifying order is also a separate federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8).

Penalties for Violating the Order

Knowingly violating a protection order or criminal no-contact order is a crime in Washington, and the penalties scale with the conduct and the person’s history.

A first violation of the no-contact, stay-away, or exclusion provisions is a gross misdemeanor, carrying up to 364 days in county jail and a fine of up to $5,000.¹
Any assault that violates a protection order automatically becomes a Class C felony, punishable by up to five years in a state correctional facility and a $10,000 fine.
A violation also becomes a Class C felony if the person has at least two prior convictions for violating protection orders or no-contact orders, including orders issued under other Washington chapters or equivalent orders from other states or tribal courts.

Arrest is not optional. Law enforcement officers must arrest without a warrant when they have probable cause to believe someone has knowingly violated the contact, stay-away, or exclusion provisions. Officers who respond to a reported violation don’t decide the matter isn’t worth pursuing. The respondent goes into custody.

How to Get a Protection Order

You file a petition with your local Superior Court or District Court. Forms are available at any courthouse clerk’s office or through the Washington Courts website.⁶ The petition asks for identifying information about the respondent, your relationship, and the protections you’re requesting. The most important sections are the incident descriptions, with specific dates, locations, and what happened. Attach supporting evidence: screenshots of threatening messages, printed emails, photographs of injuries, police report numbers, and medical records if you sought treatment.

A judge can issue a temporary ex parte protection order the same day you file, without the respondent being present or notified.⁷ A full hearing is typically set within 14 days. The respondent must be served at least five court days before the hearing. If service hasn’t happened by then, the court reissues the temporary order and resets the hearing, so you don’t lose protection while service is pending.

At the full hearing, both sides can participate. The respondent has the right to appear, present evidence, and speak.⁸ The petitioner must prove the case by a preponderance of the evidence. There is no automatic right to a court-appointed attorney for either side in civil protection order cases. If the court finds the standard met, it enters a full protection order. If the respondent fails to appear, the court can enter a full order on the petitioner’s testimony and evidence alone.

How Long the Order Lasts and How It Can Be Changed

A full protection order can be fixed-term or permanent, depending on what the petitioner requests and what the court finds appropriate. The petitioner can request renewal before expiration and can file a motion to modify or terminate the order at any time.

For the respondent, the process is harder by design. A respondent seeking to modify or terminate must file a motion with a written declaration explaining what has changed. The court first decides whether the respondent has shown “adequate cause” even to hold a hearing. If so, the hearing must be set at least 14 days out, and the respondent must prove by a preponderance of the evidence both a substantial change in circumstances and that they will not resume the harmful conduct if the order is lifted.⁹ The petitioner bears no burden of proving they still fear the respondent. A respondent can file only one modification or termination motion in any 12-month period.

Enforcement Outside Washington

A Washington protection order doesn’t stop at the state line. Under the Violence Against Women Act, every state and tribal jurisdiction must recognize and enforce valid protection orders from any other jurisdiction. That is the full faith and credit requirement of 18 U.S.C. § 2265.¹⁰ For an order to qualify, the issuing court must have had jurisdiction and the respondent must have received notice and an opportunity to be heard. Ex parte temporary orders qualify as long as the respondent gets a hearing within the time required by state law, and Washington’s procedures satisfy these requirements.

You do not need to register a Washington order in another state for it to be enforceable there. Some states offer voluntary registration to help local law enforcement find the order in their databases, but it is not a legal prerequisite. Carry a certified copy when you travel.

Someone who crosses state lines with the intent to violate a protection order faces federal prosecution under 18 U.S.C. § 2262. Federal penalties run up to 5 years in prison for a violation without serious injury, up to 10 years if a dangerous weapon is used or serious bodily injury results, up to 20 years for permanent disfigurement or life-threatening injury, and up to life if the victim dies.¹¹

1
Washington State Legislature. RCW 7.105.450 – Enforcement and Penalties
2
Washington State Legislature. RCW 7.105.310 – Relief for Temporary and Full Protection Orders
3
Washington State Legislature. RCW 7.105.225 – Criteria for Issuance of Protection Order
4
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.800 – Surrender of Weapons or Licenses – Prohibition on Future Possession or Licensing
5
Washington State Legislature. RCW 9.41.801 – Surrender of Weapons or Licenses – Ensuring Compliance
6
Washington State Courts. Court Forms – Protection Orders
7
Washington State Legislature. RCW 7.105.200 – Hearings on Protection Order Petitions
8
Washington State Courts. Understanding Washington State Protection Orders
9
Washington State Legislature. RCW 7.105.500 – Modification or Termination of Protection Orders
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2265 – Full Faith and Credit Given to Protection Orders
11
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2262 – Interstate Violation of Protection Order