Restraining orders are given out when someone is threatening or harassing someone else. If enough evidence is presented in court, a restraining order can be issued. That said, restraining orders don't always mean that a crime was committed. After all, the person has to keep their distance and not go to jail, right?
Therefore, you may be wondering, is a restraining order public record? And if so, does it appear on a criminal record? The short answer is that yes, restraining orders are public records, but there's usually more to it than that. Read on to learn more.
Restraining orders are court orders that prevent someone from getting too close to someone else. These are also known as orders of protection and they may have specific locations people can't go, distances they need to maintain from someone, or other stipulations. In fact, restraining orders can even prevent someone from calling or texting someone, depending on the severity of the order.
Restraining orders are often issued to protect people from stalkers, domestic violence, and other people who may pose a threat to someone.
All restraining orders are issued in courts and granted by a judge. To get one, evidence that someone is threatening or acting disorderly needs to be presented to the court. To accomplish this, a petition must be filed and there's usually an evidentiary hearing.
Restraining orders tend to be public records but it depends on the circumstances and the parties involved. For example, if a restraining order is part of a criminal record there's a good chance you'll find it because criminal records are public records.
On the other hand, if the restraining order was issued in a civil court case you won't be able to find it unless that case becomes a criminal case. Therefore, only criminal restraining orders tend to be public records. For this reason, it's a good idea to check beforehand if you’re planning on running a search to avoid wasting time.
There are a few ways to find a restraining order. You can search online and see what shows up on Google, or you can fine-tune your search by checking courthouse websites. While these are great methods, the best way to find a restraining order is to use a reputable third-party search tool like PublicRecord.com. Learn more about all of these options below.
When you’re looking for public records there's no better place to start your search than PublicRecord.com – it's literally in the name. All you need to get started is the person’s first and last name, city, and state. From there, you can find all of the public records associated with that person.
Whether you’re looking for a restraining order or their entire criminal record, it will be available in PublicRecord.com’s comprehensive full report. Plus, PublicRecord.com goes above and beyond public records. You can also find social media accounts, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, sex offender status, and much more.
Another way to find a restraining order is to contact the court where it was assigned. Courthouses keep records of just about everything that comes through the doors, so if it's a public record there's a good chance the court will have it.
You can call, send a letter, or even walk into most courthouses. That said, we recommend checking the type of court to ensure that it's a criminal court, otherwise you'll end up wasting your time. If you’re unsure about the court where the order was assigned, you can always use a tool like PublicRecord.com to find it.
Looking for information about a restraining order for a high-profile case? You can always try Googling someone's name followed by the keywords ‘restraining order’ and see what shows up. Advanced searches are also possible, so you can enter additional keywords and details if you have them.
You should at least be able to find the courthouse where a restraining order was assigned, and then you can go from there. However, instead of going through multiple steps to find a restraining order, you're better off starting with PublicRecord.com.
The best way to find information about restraining orders is to use a public records search tool like PublicRecord.com. Even if you don't find what you’re looking for right away, these resources can point you in the right direction. For more information, you can always check with local courthouses for more details about restraining orders.
