A Protective Order Against Domestic Abuse
HRS 586-5 — a temporary order without notice, a hearing within fifteen days, and an order for a fixed period after
A family or household member may petition for an order for protection. Domestic abuse includes physical harm or its imminent threat, extreme psychological abuse, coercive control, and malicious property damage between family or household members, which includes spouses and former spouses, parents of a child in common, relatives, people who live or lived together, and people in a dating relationship.
Who handles this in Hawaii: Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, phone intake and Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaii; and legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Hawaii directory.
- A minor sixteen years of age or older may petition without a parent's consent.
- The family court designates someone to help complete the petition.
- A judge may grant a temporary restraining order without notice, barring contact, threats, abuse, and entering the protected person's home, and may protect household animals.
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| StepThe temporary order lasts | TimeUp to one hundred eighty days, or until a protective order takes effect |
| StepThe hearing | TimeNo later than fifteen days after the temporary order, or up to ninety days if the respondent has not been served |
| StepThe protective order | TimeA further fixed reasonable period the court sets, and it may be extended |
A protective order may include temporary custody and visitation of the parties' children and orders to attend domestic violence intervention.
Sources for this section (5)
- HRS 586-1 — Definitions
- HRS 586-3 — Order for protection
- HRS 586-4 — Temporary restraining order
- HRS 586-5 — Period of order; hearing
- HRS 586-5.5 — Protective order; additional orders
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Hawaii attorney.