Protective Orders

Where to File a Petition

Online

AZ Point Portal

In-Person

Any person may file a petition in any Justice Court, Municipal Court, or Superior Court in the state.

If there is an action for maternity, paternity, annulment, legal separation or dissolution of marriage pending between the parties, the petition must be filed in the Superior Court.

Mesa Municipal Court

A kiosk is located in the court lobby for use in filling out the petition. Court staff will provide the appropriate petition forms if you have any issues using the kiosk.

Hours: Monday - Thursday, 7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Neighboring Courts Open on Fridays

If you need an order of protection on a Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, please go to one of the neighboring courts listed below:

Southest Justice Center
222 E. Javelina Ave, #1600
Mesa, AZ  85210
602-372-5375

Emergency Orders

If you need an order of protection outside of any court's business hours, on a holiday or weekend call Mesa Police 480-644-2211 (option 2 for English, or option 1 for Spanish) to request an emergency order of protection.

Remote Appearance

Petitions for protection orders will be presumptively held remotely via Microsoft Teams. To have your petition heard by a judge at the Mesa Municipal Court, please email your petition confirmation number to VirtualPO@mesaaz.gov to receive a link to appear remotely.  You will need to be available for the next few hours.  

If you do not have the necessary technology or if you otherwise prefer, you still have the option to walk into the court and file a Petition.

Overview

This page is designed to provide general information. Please refer to the statute for specific criteria.

Types of Protection Orders are an Order of Protection, an Injunction Against Harassment and an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment. Protection Orders are initiated by filing a Petition.

The person filing the Petition is called the PLAINTIFF. The person against whom the order is requested is called the DEFENDANT. 

There is no fee to file a Petition for an Order of Protection, an Injunction Against Harassment or an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment. 

Once the petition is filed on the AZ Point Portal, a confirmation number will be issued to you. Please provide your petition confirmation number to court staff to start your case.

If the judge grants the Petition and issues an Order of Protection, an Injunction Against Harassment or an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment, the Order will be effective when the defendant is served with a copy of the Order.  There are fees to serve the defendant only for Injunctions Against Harassment or an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment when there was not a dating relationship between the parties. The judge may waive or defer these fees.

The Order must be served within one year of issuance. An Order of Protection is valid for two years from the date the defendant is served a copy of the Order, and an Injunction Against Harassment or an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment is valid for one year from the date the defendant is served a copy of the Injunction.

Order of Protection (ARS 13-3602)

There are specific criteria which must be met for an Order of Protection to be issued. For the judge to issue an order, there must be reasonable cause to believe the defendant has committed or may commit an act of domestic violence.

Domestic Violence (ARS 13-3601)

For victim services visit the Mesa Family Advocacy Center

An act of domestic violence includes:

• any act which is a dangerous crime against a child under fifteen
• recklessly endangering another person with a substantial risk of imminent death or physical injury.
• threatening or intimidating by word or conduct
• assault and aggravated assault
• custodial interference
• unlawful imprisonment
• kidnapping
• trespass in the first, second, or third degree
• criminal damage
• disorderly conduct
• harassment
• stalking
• interfering with judicial proceedings
• suspicious photographing, videotaping, filming or digitally recording
• use of telephone to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, annoy, or offend
• child or vulnerable adult abuse

Relationship of the Parties
An Order of Protection is used for a "family" relationship between you and the Defendant. To obtain an Order of Protection one of the following must apply:

1. Married now or in the past.
2. Live together now or lived together in the past.
3. Parent of a child in common.
4. One of you is pregnant by the other.
5. You are a relative (parent, in-law, brother, sister, or grandparent).
6. Current or previous romantic or sexual relationship.  Also, you must state how an act of domestic violence was threatened or committed against you within the last year.

If one of these six relationships do not apply to your circumstances, then an Injunction Prohibiting Harassment may be appropriate.

Third Party Request
If a person is either temporarily or permanently unable to personally request an order, a third party may make the request on behalf of the plaintiff.

Possible Orders
If the judge issues an Order of Protection, the judge may order:

• the defendant to not commit an act of domestic violence
• one party the use and exclusive possession of the parties' residence
• the defendant to not contact the plaintiff or other designated persons
• the defendant to not go near the residence, place of employment or school of the plaintiff or other designated person
• the defendant to not possess or purchase a firearm for the duration of the order
• relief necessary for the protection of the plaintiff and other designated persons

Injunction Against Harassment (ARS 12-1809)

There are specific criteria which must be met for an Injunction Against Harassment to be issued. For the judge to issue an order, there must be evidence of harassment during the past year or that irreparable harm to the plaintiff would result if the order were not issued.

Injunction Against Workplace Harassment (ARS 12-1810)

There are specific criteria which must be met for an Injunction Against Harassment to be issued. For the judge to issue an order, an employer seeking protection for your business or employees must show evidence of a single act or a series of acts of harassment.

Definition of Harassment
Harassment is a series of acts over any period of time that is directed at a specific person and that would cause a reasonable person to be seriously alarmed, annoyed or harassed and the conduct in fact seriously alarms, annoys and harasses the person and serves no legitimate purpose.

Third Party
If a person is either temporarily or permanently unable to personally request an Injunction, a third party may make the request on behalf of the plaintiff.

Possible Orders
If the judge issues an Injunction Against Harassment or an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment, the judge may order:

• the defendant to not commit an act of harassment.
• the defendant to not contact the plaintiff or other designated persons.
• the defendant to not go near the residence, place of employment or school of the plaintiff or other designated persons.
• relief necessary for the protection of the plaintiff and other designated persons.

Effective Date of the Order / Injunction

When Is It Effective?
The Order is effective only after a copy of the order has been served on the defendant.

How Long Is It Effective?
An Order of Protection is valid for two years from the date the defendant is served a copy of the Order, and an Injunction Against Harassment or an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment is valid for one year from the date the defendant is served a copy of the Injunction.

An Order must be served within one year from the date it is issued. If the order is not served within one year from the date the order is issued, the order expires and cannot be served.

Modified Order
If the original Order is modified, the Order as modified is effective upon service and expires two years or one year, as applicable, from the date the original order was served.

Service
Information you provide on the process server information sheet is used by the person who is serving the defendant with a copy of the order.

Service of the Protection Order must be completed by a licensed process server or law enforcement agency. There is no charge by law enforcement agencies to serve Orders of Protection. There is no charge by law enforcement agencies to serve Injunctions Against Harassment when the Court has found that a dating relationship existed.

There is a fee to serve Injunctions Against Harassment or an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment when no dating relationship existed. The Court may waive or defer this fee.

Request a Hearing
The defendant is entitled to request a hearing on the order.

Hearings are held within ten court business days of the request. If exclusive use of the home is included in the Order of Protection, the hearing will be held within five court business days of the request.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge will decide whether the order will remain in effect, be modified, or vacated.

Contested hearings are held in-person. All hearings are scheduled for 1 hour unless otherwise requested.

To request a hearing you must file a Protective Order Hearing Request Form(PDF, 153KB).

Violation of the Order / Injunction
A peace officer may arrest a person for disobeying or resisting an Order of Protection, an Injunction Against Harassment or an Injunction Against Workplace Harassment.