Restraining Orders

Only the state that issued your protection order can change, extend, or cancel the order. You cannot have this done by a court in Vermont.

To have your order changed, extended, or canceled, you will have to file a motion or petition in the court where the order was issued. You may be able to request that you attend the court hearing by telephone rather than in person, so that you do not need to return to the state where the abuser is living. To find out more information about how to modify a protection order, see the Restraining Orders page for the state where your order was issued.

If your order does expire while you are living in Vermont, you may be able to get a new one issued in Vermont but this may be difficult to do if no incidents of abuse have taken place in Vermont. To find out more information on how to get a relief from abuse order in Vermont, visit our VT Restraining Orders page.