Restraining Orders
N.J.S.A. 2C:25-29 — a final hearing within 10 days, and firearms surrendered
In New Jersey, domestic violence means one of the listed offenses, among them assault, harassment, stalking, terroristic threats, criminal mischief, trespass and cyber-harassment, committed against a protected person by an adult or emancipated minor.
A protected person includes someone 18 or older, or emancipated, harmed by a spouse, former spouse, or present or past household member; anyone, at any age, harmed by a person with whom they have or expect a child in common; and anyone harmed by a person they have had a dating relationship with.
When the courts are closed, on weekends and holidays, a victim may file before an assigned Family Part or municipal judge for an emergency temporary restraining order. A complaint may be filed where the violence happened, where the defendant lives, or where the victim lives or is sheltered.
A hearing within 10 days. A final hearing is held in the Family Part within 10 days of the complaint. Any restraining order bars the defendant from buying or possessing firearms, or holding a firearms identification card or handgun permit, while it is in effect or for two years, whichever is greater, and requires immediate surrender of their weapons.
Sources for this section (3)
- N.J.S.A. 2C:25-19 — Domestic violence definitions
- N.J.S.A. 2C:25-28 — Filing a domestic violence complaint; temporary restraining order
- N.J.S.A. 2C:25-29 — Final hearing; relief
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Jersey attorney.