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

If you're in danger in Nevada, you can ask a court for a Temporary Protection Order (TPO) the same day you apply, without paying a filing fee. Nevada handles domestic-violence protection orders in two stages under NRS Chapter 33: a fast, short-term Temporary Protection Order, followed (if you want longer protection) by an Extended Protection Order that requires a hearing. Below is a plain-language walkthrough of who qualifies, what happens at each stage, and the deadlines the court itself has to follow.

Who can ask for a domestic violence protection order

Nevada's domestic violence protection order law is aimed at people in specific relationships with the person you're afraid of. Under NRS 33.018, that generally includes a current or former spouse, someone related to you by blood or marriage, a dating partner, someone you share a child with (a co-parent), and minor children. Siblings and cousins are generally excluded from this particular category unless there is a custodial or guardianship relationship involved. If your situation doesn't fit neatly into these categories, the Nevada Courts Self-Help Center notes that Nevada also recognizes other protection-order categories beyond domestic violence, including stalking or harassment, harm to children, sexual assault, workplace harassment, and high-risk or firearm-related situations — so it's worth confirming with your local court which type of order fits your facts.

Stage one: the Temporary Protection Order (TPO)

To start, you file a verified application — essentially a sworn, written statement of what happened or what you're afraid will happen. Under NRS 33.020, a court may grant a temporary order when specific facts in that verified application show that an act of domestic violence occurred or is being threatened.

Time-sensitive: the court is required to rule on a temporary order application within 1 judicial day after it is filed. That's a fast turnaround by design — the whole point of a TPO is emergency, short-term protection while a longer hearing gets scheduled.

Time-sensitive: a temporary order expires within whatever time the court sets, but that period cannot exceed 45 days. If you want protection beyond that window, you need to move to the extended-order stage before the temporary order runs out.

Stage two: the Extended Protection Order

An Extended Protection Order is the longer-term version, and it requires an actual hearing rather than just a same-day paper review.

Time-sensitive: under NRS 33.020, a hearing on an application for an extended order must be held within 45 days after that application is filed. Both people typically get to appear and present their side at this hearing, which is different from the temporary-order stage.

Time-sensitive: if the court grants an extended order, it expires within whatever time the court fixes, but that period cannot exceed 2 years under NRS 33.080. You can generally seek a new order again before it expires if the danger is ongoing — confirm the renewal process with your court, since the specifics of extending or renewing weren't detailed in the materials available here.

What you can do in Nevada

• Go to the courthouse (or the applicable online portal) and ask for the domestic violence protection order forms. The Nevada Courts Self-Help Center is the statewide starting point, and Clark County and Washoe County each have their own self-help sites with forms specific to those courts — check which one applies to where you live.
• Fill out the verified application honestly and in detail. Because the court's decision on the temporary order is based on the facts in that document, be specific about dates, what was said or done, and why you're afraid.
• File it — there is no cost to you as the applicant. Under NRS 33.050, there is no filing fee for the person seeking a protection order; costs are deferred for the applicant, and fees may instead be charged to the other party.
• Expect a same-day or next-judicial-day decision on the temporary order. Because the court must rule within 1 judicial day, you should not have to wait long to find out whether emergency protection is in place.
• If you need protection past the temporary order's expiration, apply for the extended order and prepare for a hearing. That hearing has to happen within 45 days of the extended-order application being filed, so watch your mail and court notices closely.
• If firearms are involved, know the surrender rule. An extended order can prohibit the other party from possessing firearms and require them to give those firearms up. When that's ordered, the law requires surrender within 24 hours of the order being served — a very short window that matters if safety planning depends on it.
• Keep a copy of any order you receive with you. Under the federal Violence Against Women Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2265, a valid protection order issued in one state must be honored and enforced in every other state, tribe, or territory — so a Nevada order doesn't stop protecting you at the state line. Federal law, at 18 U.S.C. §§ 2261A and 2262, also separately makes it a federal crime to cross state lines to stalk a partner or to violate a protection order.

Firearms and enforcement

Firearm restrictions in Nevada are tied specifically to the extended order stage: under NRS 33.031 and NRS 33.033, an extended order may prohibit the adverse party from possessing firearms and require them to surrender any they have. Time-sensitive: once that surrender is ordered, it must happen within 24 hours of the adverse party being served with the order. If you believe firearms are a factor in your safety, raise this directly with the court when you apply.

Where this can intersect with custody

If children are involved, a protection order case and a custody case can run alongside each other, and Nevada's custody statutes (NRS Chapter 125C) separately address how the court weighs the best interests of a child. If you're also dealing with a custody dispute, ask the court clerk or a family law self-help resource how the two proceedings interact in your case, since the specifics of that overlap aren't detailed in the materials used for this article.

Bottom line

Nevada's system is built around speed at the emergency stage — a same-or-next-day decision on a temporary order — followed by a more formal extended-order hearing within 45 days if you need longer protection. There's no cost to apply, firearms can be restricted and must be surrendered quickly once an extended order requires it, and any order you get in Nevada travels with you nationwide under federal law. Because every court's local forms and procedures can vary slightly, confirm the exact steps and any current deadlines with your Nevada courthouse or the Self-Help Center before you file.

This article is general information based on Nevada statutes and court resources, not legal advice for your situation.