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Legal Information: Missouri

Restraining Orders

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Updated: 
January 1, 2024

How do I get my order of protection enforced in another state?

Federal law does not require you to take any special steps to get your order of protection enforced in another state.

Many states do have laws or rules (regulations) about registering or filing of out-of-state orders, which can make enforcement easier, but a valid order is enforceable regardless of whether it has been registered or filed in the new state.1 Rules differ from state to state, so it may be helpful to find out what the rules are in your new state. You can contact a local domestic violence organization for more information by visiting our Advocates and Shelters page and entering your new state in the drop-down menu.

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. You may want 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 or work along with a photo of the abuser. You may want to also give a copy of the order to anyone who is named in and protected by the order.

1 18 U.S.C. § 2265(d)(2)