Restraining Orders

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

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 restraining order, see the Restraining Orders page for the state where your order was issued.

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