Information about California Criminal Protective Orders

What is a Protective Order? 

A Protective Order is an order a judge makes to protect a witness or victim of a crime.

Criminal Protective Order or “Stay-Away” Order
Sometimes, when there is a domestic violence incident (or series of incidents), the district attorney will file criminal charges against the abuser. This starts a criminal court case going. It is common for the criminal court to issue a criminal protective order against the defendant (the person who is committing the violence and abuse) while the criminal case is going on, and, if the defendant is found guilty or pleads guilty, for 3 years after the case is over.

To learn more about criminal protective orders, read How does a Criminal Protective Order help me?  And if there is a criminal protective order against you, read A Criminal Protective Order was issued against me.

Print out informational brochure



How to Ask the Judge to Change Your Criminal Protective Order


Ask the Criminal Court to change the Criminal Protective Order made
in a Criminal Court using the Request and Order for Hearing on a Protective Order Modification

The first thing you should do is to read the informational flyer, How to Ask the Judge to Change Your Criminal Protective Order . Then you can ask the Criminal Court to change the Criminal Protective Order by using the proper forms, which can be downloaded from this website. The two forms are:

• Request and Order for Hearing on a Protective Order Modification (Local Form CR-6003 ) and
• Proof of Service by Mail (Local Form CR-6004 )

Santa Clara County
get more info here


SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF ORANGE 
Petition for Modification of Protective Order in Criminal Proceeding 
Information and Instructions


more info for county of orange