How to Get a Restraining Order in Connecticut: Process, Proof & Timeline

Who Can Apply for a Restraining Order in Connecticut

Connecticut's civil restraining order — formally called a restraining order for relief from abuse — is available to a family or household member who is a victim of domestic violence, as those terms are defined under Connecticut law (C.G.S. §§ 46b-38a and 46b-1). Being a "family or household member" is a threshold requirement; the statute draws the line carefully, so the first question to answer is whether your relationship with the person you need protection from qualifies you under C.G.S. § 46b-15.

If you do not qualify as a family or household member, you may still have a path. A separate civil protection order under C.G.S. § 46b-16a is available if you are a victim of sexual abuse, sexual assault, or stalking and your situation does not fit the domestic-violence track. Both types of orders follow a similar process, but eligibility matters — so understanding which statute applies to you is the necessary first step.

The Two-Stage Process: Emergency Order, Then a Full Hearing

Getting a restraining order in Connecticut generally unfolds in two stages. Knowing both helps you prepare and avoids being caught off guard.

Stage 1: The Ex Parte (Emergency) Order

An ex parte order is one issued without the other person present. To obtain one, you must allege an immediate and present physical danger to yourself. If the judge finds that the facts in your application and supporting affidavit support that allegation, they can grant an emergency order on the spot — sometimes the same day you walk into the courthouse. This order takes effect immediately and gives you legal protection while the court schedules the full hearing.

Stage 2: The Full Hearing

Time-sensitive: Once an ex parte order is issued, the court must schedule a full hearing no later than 14 days from the date the order was issued. There is a critical exception: if the person you are seeking the order against holds a pistol or revolver permit or a firearm eligibility certificate, the hearing must be scheduled even sooner — no later than 7 days from the date the ex parte order is issued.

At the full hearing, both sides appear before a judge. You present your evidence and testimony; the respondent has a chance to respond. The judge then decides whether to continue the order, modify its terms, or dissolve it. This is the most important proceeding in the process, and you should be as prepared as possible before walking in.

What You Must Prove

Connecticut's restraining order statute (C.G.S. § 46b-15) does not spell out a standard of proof in its text, but Connecticut courts apply the fair preponderance of the evidence standard. In plain language, you need to show that it is more likely than not that domestic violence occurred and that you face a danger. This is a lower threshold than "beyond a reasonable doubt," the standard used in criminal proceedings. Preponderance is still a real evidentiary bar, though — credible, specific evidence makes a meaningful difference.

Types of evidence courts commonly consider include:

• Your own sworn testimony describing what happened and why you fear further harm
• Photographs of injuries, damaged property, or threatening written messages
• Text messages, voicemails, emails, or social media communications
• Medical records documenting injuries
• Police reports or incident documentation, even if no arrest was made
• Statements from witnesses who observed the abuse or its immediate aftermath

Organize everything you have before your hearing date. Even if your documentation is limited, your sworn testimony counts as evidence.

The Forms You Need — and Where to Get Them Free

The Connecticut Judicial Branch has standardized the paperwork, and all required forms are available at no charge. The core forms for a domestic violence restraining order are:

• JD-FM-137 — Application for Relief from Abuse
• JD-FM-138 — Affidavit (your sworn written statement describing the abuse and the danger you face)
• JD-FM-233 — Supplemental maintenance affidavit (used if you are also asking the court to address temporary financial support as part of the order)

You can pick up these forms at the clerk's office of any Connecticut Superior Court, or download them from the Connecticut Judicial Branch website. The Judicial Branch also publishes an instruction guide (FM-257) that walks applicants through the process from start to finish. Courthouse family services staff can answer procedural questions about filling out the forms, though they cannot give legal advice.

What Relief the Order Can Provide

A Connecticut restraining order can do more than prohibit contact. Depending on the facts of your case and what you request, the court may order the respondent to stop threatening, harassing, or contacting you, and may address related matters such as temporary financial support — which is why the application package includes a supplemental maintenance affidavit (JD-FM-233). Because the court acts on what you put before it, describe in your application everything you believe you need; if your circumstances change before the hearing, you can ask to amend your request.

How Long the Order Lasts — and How to Extend It

Time-sensitive: A Connecticut restraining order under § 46b-15 cannot exceed one year in duration. The same one-year cap applies to civil protection orders under § 46b-16a for stalking and sexual assault victims. However, the law expressly allows you to ask the court to extend the order by filing a motion. If you still face a danger as the expiration date approaches, do not wait — file your motion to extend with enough lead time, and explain clearly to the court why continued protection remains necessary.

Mark the expiration date on your calendar and set a reminder well in advance. An expired order provides no protection, and there is no automatic renewal.

Firearms and the Accelerated Hearing Window

Connecticut law specifically addresses situations where the respondent holds a pistol or revolver permit or a firearm eligibility certificate. In those cases, as noted above, your full hearing must be scheduled within 7 days of the ex parte order rather than the standard 14. If you know or have reason to believe the respondent holds such a permit or certificate, inform the court when you file your application so the correct hearing window is applied.

What to Do If the Respondent Violates the Order

If the respondent contacts you, comes near you, or otherwise violates the order's terms, call 911 immediately and tell the dispatcher you have a restraining order in place. Officers responding to the scene should receive a copy of the order.

Practical steps to protect yourself after the order is issued:

• Keep a certified copy of the order with you at all times
• Give copies to your workplace, your children's school or daycare, and any location where you spend regular time
• Document every suspected violation — dates, times, what was said or done — in writing, in case you need to report a pattern to police or return to court

Interstate Protection: Your Connecticut Order Travels With You

Federal law provides an additional layer of protection that does not stop at Connecticut's borders. Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a valid protection order issued in any state, tribe, or territory must be honored and enforced in every other U.S. jurisdiction as if it had been issued there (18 U.S.C. § 2265). This means if you relocate after obtaining your order, or if the respondent moves to another state, your Connecticut order remains legally enforceable without having to restart the entire process.

Federal law also makes it a crime to cross state lines to stalk an intimate partner or to violate a protection order (18 U.S.C. §§ 2261A, 2262). This federal floor sits on top of whatever state-level penalties apply — giving you additional legal protection anywhere in the United States.

What You Can Do in Connecticut: Step by Step

1. Determine which order applies to you. If you are a family or household member experiencing domestic violence, apply under C.G.S. § 46b-15. If you are a victim of sexual assault, sexual abuse, or stalking and do not qualify under § 46b-15, ask at the courthouse about § 46b-16a.
2. Gather your evidence before you go. Collect photos, medical records, police reports, printed text messages, or any documentation of the abuse. Bring everything you have to the courthouse on the day you file.
3. Pick up or download the free forms. Get JD-FM-137 (Application for Relief from Abuse) and JD-FM-138 (Affidavit) from the Connecticut Judicial Branch. Add JD-FM-233 if you are requesting temporary financial support as part of the order.
4. File at your local Superior Court. Submit your completed forms to the clerk's office. Ask about the availability of family services staff who may be able to help you with procedural questions.
5. Appear before a judge for the ex parte order. Be prepared to explain clearly and specifically why you face an immediate and present physical danger. The judge may issue an emergency order the same day you file.
6. Attend your full hearing — no exceptions. Time-sensitive: Your hearing will be set within 14 days of the ex parte order (or 7 days if the respondent holds a pistol or revolver permit or a firearm eligibility certificate). Attend without fail. Bring your evidence, any witnesses, and be ready to present your account in a clear, organized way.
7. Carry and distribute copies of the order. Once the order is issued, obtain certified copies and give them to police, your employer, your children's school, and anyone else who may need to act on it quickly.
8. Renew before the expiration date. File a motion to extend before the order's one-year expiration if you still need protection. Do not wait until it lapses.

This article provides general legal information only, not legal advice. Laws and procedures can change; confirm current rules and requirements with a Connecticut attorney or your local courthouse before taking action.