Protection Orders.
A person may petition a court to seek protection from harmful or threatening behavior via several types of civil protection orders:  domestic violence protection orders, sexual assault protection orders, stalking protection orders, vulnerable adult protection orders, and anti-harassment protection orders.

A court may issue a temporary protection order or a full protection order.  Temporary protection orders are orders that are issued before the court has decided whether to issue a full protection order and may be issued without prior notice to the respondent.  Full protection orders are orders issued after notice has been provided to the respondent, and the parties have had the opportunity for a full hearing before the court, or the parties have agreed to resolve the petition without a hearing.  When entering a full protection order, a court may grant relief to the petitioner for a fixed period of time or on a permanent basis.

When entering a protection order, a court may grant broad relief to protect the petitioner, including:  restraining a respondent from having contact with or threatening another person, including minor children; excluding the respondent from certain locations or from coming within a specified distance of certain locations; and prohibiting the respondent from harassing, following, or monitoring the petitioner.

Hope Card Program.
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has developed a Hope Card program as directed by 2023 legislation.  Any person who has been issued a valid domestic violence protection order, sexual assault protection order, stalking protection order, vulnerable adult protection order, or anti-harassment order may request a Hope Card from the clerk of the issuing court at the time the order is issued or any time prior to the expiration of the order.

A Hope Card must be in a scannable electronic format including, but not limited to, a barcode, data matrix code, or a quick response code.  A Hope Card must contain:

• the restrained person's name, date of birth, sex, race, eye color, hair color, height, weight, and other distinguishing features;
• the protected person's name and date of birth and the names and dates of birth of any minor children protected under the order; and
• information about the protection order including, but not limited to, the issuing court, the case number, the date of issuance and date of expiration of the order, and the relevant details of the order, including any locations from which the person is restrained.

If feasible, the information stored in a scannable electronic format must include a digital record of the protection order as entered and provide access to the entire case history.

A Hope Card has the same effect as the underlying protection order.

A person requesting a Hope Card may not be charged a fee for the issuance of an original and one duplicate card.

A person may request a Hope Card from the AOC Hope Card program rather than from superior and district courts.  A Hope Card is not required to be in scannable electronic format and a person requesting a Hope Card may not be charged a fee.

The requirements that a Hope Card include a physical description of the respondent and details about the order are removed.  The amount of information required to be on a Hope Card is reduced to the following:

• the restrained person's name and date of birth;
• the protected person's or persons' name and date of birth and the names and dates of birth of any minor children protected under the order; and
• information about the protection order including, but not limited to, the issuing court, the case number, the date of issuance, and date of expiration of the order.