Restraining Orders

In most states, you will need a certified copy of your relief from abuse order.  A certified copy says that it is a “true and correct” copy; in Vermont, a certified copy has a raised seal.  If your copy is not a certified copy, call or go to the court that gave you the order and ask for a certified copy.  You can find contact information for courthouses in Vermont on our VT Courthouse Location page.

Note: It may be a good idea to keep a copy of the order with you at all times.  You may also want to bring several copies of the order with you when you move to leave copies of the order at your work place, at your home, at the children’s school or daycare, in your car, with a sympathetic neighbor, and so on.  You may want to give a copy to the security guard or person at the front desk where you live and/or work and to anyone who is named in and protected by the order.