A Protective Order
R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-15-3 — family court orders for up to three years, guns surrendered within twenty-four hours
A person suffering domestic abuse from a present or former family member, or someone in a substantive dating relationship within the past year with a child in common or a minor involved, may file in family court.
- No contacting, assaulting, molesting or interfering with the plaintiff, at home or anywhere else.
- Vacating the household immediately, with provision for household animals.
- Custody of the parties' minor children to the plaintiff.
- Surrender of every firearm within twenty-four hours of notice, and no buying any while the order lasts.
Those are among the orders the court may make.
Before a hearing. On sworn facts showing immediate and irreparable harm, the court may enter a temporary order without notice, lasting no more than twenty-one days unless extended after a hearing. A judge can grant relief after hours by telephone through the police.
A final order is for a fixed period of no more than three years, and the court may extend it on the plaintiff's motion.
A particular order is a question for a licensed Rhode Island attorney or a domestic violence advocate.
Sources for this section (3)
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-15-1 — Definitions
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-15-3 — Protective orders; Penalty; Jurisdiction
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-15-4 — Temporary orders; Ex parte proceedings
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Rhode Island attorney.