Is There Only One Type Of Restraining Order?

Is There Only One Type Of Restraining Order?

No. A domestic violence restraining order — instituted by the Domestic Violence Protection Act — applies only to certain kinds of relationships. Its specific purpose is to prevent the recurrence of domestic violence and to separate those involved so that they can “seek a resolution of the causes of the violence.”

In contrast, a civil harassment restraining order, for example, usually applies to a variety of irritating, non-life-threatening kinds of harassment (such as a neighbor’s dog that barks all night).

Both types of restraining orders prohibit contact. A domestic violence restraining order, however, also prohibits the restrained person from possessing or buying a firearm — or even trying to acquire one. By law, anyone violating this restriction is subject to a $1,000 fine and imprisonment. Such a violation is a separate federal crime as well.