Restraining Orders

This section defines stalking for the purposes of getting an anti-stalking order (ASO).

In Washington, D.C., stalking is when:

1. someone commits any of the following acts against you more than one time, known as a “course of conduct”:

• follows you, monitors you, places you under surveillance, threatens you, or communicates to or about you;
• interferes with, damages, or takes your property, or damages or enters your home illegally; or
• uses your personal identifying information;¹ and

2. one of the following must be true:

• The stalker must intend to cause you to:
  • fear for your safety or the safety of another person;
  • feel seriously alarmed, disturbed, or frightened; or
  • suffer emotional distress; or
• The stalker must know that the course of conduct would reasonably cause you to:
  • fear for your safety or the safety of another person;
  • feel seriously alarmed, disturbed, or frightened; or
  • suffer emotional distress; or
• The stalker should know that the course of conduct would cause a reasonable person in your circumstances to:
  • fear for his/her safety or the safety of another person;
  • feel seriously alarmed, disturbed, or frightened; or
  • suffer emotional distress.²

Note: At least one instance of the course of conduct must have occurred within 90 days before filing for an anti-stalking order.³ If conduct is ongoing, then each 24-hour period is considered a separate incident.⁴

¹ D.C. Code § 22-3132(8)
² D.C. Code § 22-3133(a)
³ D.C. Code § 16-1062(a)
⁴ D.C. Code § 22-3133(c)