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Legal Information: Washington

Restraining Orders

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Laws current as of
December 15, 2023

What is the legal definition of domestic violence in Washington?

This section defines domestic violence for the purposes of getting a domestic violence protection order.

Domestic violence is when one or more of the following things occur between intimate partners or family/household members:

  • physical harm;
  • bodily injury;
  • assault;
  • making you fear immediate physical harm, bodily injury, or assault;
  • nonconsensual sexual conduct;
  • nonconsensual sexual penetration;
  • coercive control;
  • unlawful harassment; or
  • stalking.1

1 R.C.W. § 7.105.010(9)

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