WomensLaw serves and supports all survivors, no matter their sex or gender.

Legal Information: North Carolina

Restraining Orders

View all
Laws current as of December 22, 2023

Can I get my DVPO from North Carolina enforced in another state?

If you have a valid North Carolina DVPO that meets federal standards, it can be enforced in another state. The Violence Against Women Act, which is a federal law, states that all valid DVPOs granted in the United States receive “full faith and credit” in all state and tribal courts within the US, including US territories. See How do I know if my DVPO is good under federal law? to find out if your DVPO qualifies.

“Full faith and credit” means that each state must enforce out-of-state DVPOs in the same way it enforces its own orders. Meaning, if your abuser violates your out-of-state DVPO, s/he will be punished according to the laws of whatever state you are in when the order is violated.

Legal Information

© 2008–2024 WomensLaw.org is a project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Inc. All rights reserved. This website is funded in part through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). NNEDV is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; EIN 52-1973408.