To get a restraining order in Nevada, you need to show the judge specific facts, not general fears, that domestic violence, stalking, or harassment has happened or been credibly threatened. That proof usually combines several pieces: text messages or emails in the other person’s own words, photos of injuries or property damage, medical records, police reports, witness statements, and your own sworn account of what occurred, when, and where. The stronger and more concrete your documentation, the more likely a judge is to issue the order.
The Standard the Judge Actually Applies
Nevada’s statute for domestic violence protective orders sets the bar in plain language. Under NRS 33.020, the court grants a temporary or extended order when “it appears to the satisfaction of the court from specific facts shown by a verified application that an act of domestic violence has occurred or there exists a threat of domestic violence.”1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 33 – Injunctions; Protection Orders The judge looks only at whether the conduct meets the definition in NRS 33.018 and considers no other factors.
This is a lower bar than a criminal case. You do not need to prove anything beyond a reasonable doubt. You need specific, credible facts, and your application is submitted under oath. For a temporary protective order (TPO), the judge reviews your written application alone and can issue the order the same day without the other person being present or notified. For an extended protective order (EPO), both sides appear at a hearing, so your evidence has to hold up when the other person has a chance to respond.
Stalking and harassment orders use a different legal framework. Harassment under NRS 200.571 requires a knowing threat of bodily harm, property damage, physical restraint, or an act meant to seriously harm your physical or mental health, with words or conduct that give you reasonable fear the threat will be carried out.2State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Stalking and Harassment Protection Orders Stalking under NRS 200.575 requires a “course of conduct,” meaning at least two acts over time, that would make a reasonable person feel terrorized or fearful for their immediate safety, and you must actually feel that way. For a stalking case, no single piece of evidence is enough on its own: you have to show the pattern.
Evidence That Carries Weight
Judges review a lot of these applications. What persuades them is specific, corroborated, and dated. The strongest cases combine several types of evidence that back each other up.
- Written communications. Text messages, emails, voicemails, and social media posts showing threats, harassment, or abusive language. These create a record in the other person’s own words, which is hard to argue with.
- Photos and video. Images of injuries, damaged property, or the other person showing up at your home or workplace. Doorbell or surveillance footage is especially persuasive because it carries timestamps and is difficult to dispute.
- Medical records. Documentation of injuries, emergency room visits, or treatment for psychological distress tied to the abuse. Ask your provider for records that describe how the injuries occurred, not just the diagnosis.
- Police reports. Official records of calls, investigations, or arrests. Even without an arrest, a report showing officers responded creates an independent record on the date it happened.
- Witness statements. Testimony from people who saw the abuse, heard the threats, or saw your injuries. Neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family can all speak to what they observed.
- Your sworn account. The application is made under oath, and your detailed description is itself evidence. Be specific about dates, times, locations, and exactly what was said or done.
For a stalking order, documenting the pattern is the case. One frightening incident, standing alone, will not meet the “course of conduct” requirement. Two or more acts, logged with dates, show the court what the statute asks you to show.
Making Digital Evidence Count
Text messages and social media posts are the most common evidence judges see, and they are also the most often presented badly. A screenshot that doesn’t show who sent the message, when, or from what account carries little weight. When you capture digital evidence, make sure the screenshot shows the sender’s name or phone number, the date and time, and enough surrounding context that the conversation doesn’t look cherry-picked.
For social media posts, include the URL and the date you captured the post. If someone else can verify they saw the same content, that helps. Judges look for signs that digital evidence is authentic: distinctive profile photos, consistent usernames, content that matches the person’s known patterns. Save the original files rather than only photographing your phone screen, and keep the originals even after you print copies for court.
Keeping a Dated Incident Log
A chronological log of incidents is one of the most useful things you can bring to a hearing. For each incident, write down the date, time, location, what happened, what was said, and who else was present. Do this as close to when each incident occurs as possible. A log kept in real time reads as more credible than one reconstructed weeks later from memory, and it gives the judge an immediate overview of a situation that may otherwise sound like a jumble of separate complaints.
Preserving Evidence Before the Hearing
Evidence that gets deleted, altered, or lost cannot help you. Back up text messages and emails to cloud storage or a separate device. Print hard copies and store them somewhere the other person cannot reach. If you have physical evidence like torn clothing or a damaged phone, keep it in a safe place and photograph it from several angles with something in the frame for scale.
Request copies of police reports and medical records early. Agencies and providers can take days or weeks to process records requests, and you do not want to be waiting on paperwork when your hearing date arrives. If witnesses saw an incident, get their contact information in writing and ask whether they would be willing to testify or provide a written statement.
Submitting Your Evidence to the Court
Attach copies of your evidence to the application as exhibits. Photos, printed text messages, police reports, and medical records go on standard 8.5″ x 11″ paper. Videos usually need to be submitted on a portable storage device such as a USB drive, in a format the court’s system can play.3Clark County, NV. Henderson Justice Court – Protection Orders Courts generally will not accept video or electronic documents by email. There is no filing fee.4State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Protection Order Overview
What Happens at Each Stage
For a TPO, a judge reviews your application, often the same day you file it. If the specific facts you’ve laid out show that domestic violence occurred or was threatened, the court issues the order and it takes effect once the other person is served. The other party is not present and is not notified in advance. A TPO lasts up to 45 days.4State of Nevada Self-Help Center. Protection Order Overview
An EPO works differently. If you’ve requested one, the court schedules a hearing, typically within the TPO window. Both sides can present evidence and testimony under oath, and the judge may question you directly. Bring your original evidence, your witnesses, and your timeline. The other person will have a chance to deny the allegations, offer their own version, and challenge what you’ve submitted. That is why documentation matters so much more at the EPO stage: your sworn account alone may support a TPO, but at a contested hearing the records, messages, photos, and witnesses are what hold the account up. For domestic violence, an EPO can last up to two years.1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 33 – Injunctions; Protection Orders
The Proof Depends on Which Order You Need
Nevada doesn’t have one “restraining order” with one proof requirement. The evidence you need depends on which order fits your situation. A domestic violence protective order is only available when the person you need protection from fits one of the relationships defined in NRS 33.018: a spouse or former spouse, someone related by blood or marriage, someone you have or had a dating relationship with, someone you share a child with, or a minor child of any of those people.1Nevada Legislature. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 33 – Injunctions; Protection Orders The statute defines “dating relationship” narrowly as frequent, intimate contact mainly characterized by romantic or sexual involvement. A casual acquaintance or someone you only know through work does not qualify.
If the person doesn’t fit one of those categories, your proof has to meet the harassment or stalking standard instead, and the course-of-conduct requirement becomes central. Nevada also provides workplace harassment orders, which an employer files, and orders for the protection of children, which a parent or guardian files. Each category has its own definitions, and the acts you need to document line up with those definitions. Before you start gathering evidence, be clear on which order you’re pursuing, because that tells you what the facts need to prove.