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Legal Information: Iowa

Restraining Orders

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Laws current as of August 5, 2024

Am I eligible to file for a protective order?

You can file for a protective order if there have been acts of domestic abuse against you by any of the following people:

  • a family or household member who you lived with, either at the time of the abuse or at any time within the past year; (Note: “Family or household members” means your spouse, someone you live with, your parent, or another person you are related to by blood or marriage);
  • an ex-spouse, whether you are separated or divorced;
  • someone you share a child with, even if you were never married and never lived together; or
  • someone you have/had an intimate relationship with and have had contact with during the year before the abuse. (Note: An “intimate relationship” means a significant romantic involvement, not necessarily a sexual one.)1

1 Iowa Code § 236.2(2), (4), (5)

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