New Arizona law doubles duration of protective orders to 2 years

PHOENIX – A new Arizona law that went into effect Saturday doubles the duration of protective orders from one year to two.

House Bill 2604 also extends the length of emergency orders of protection to seven days. State law previously limited emergency orders to the close of the judicial business day after it was issued or 72 hours, whichever was longer.

The bill passed unanimously through both chambers of the Legislature and was signed by Gov. Doug Ducey in April.

There are three types of protective orders: order of protection, injunction against harassment and injunction against workplace harassment. There is no fee to file the first two, but there’s a $301 charge to seek an injunction against workplace harassment.

“Those wanting to start the process of a protective order in person will need to locate a court to file the protective order,” Maricopa County Court Administration Supervisor Lorri Behunin said in a press release Monday.

One way to get started is by filling out forms through the Arizona Protective Order Initiation and Notification Tool. The completed forms have to be filed in court and a hearing is required.

“After filing, an ex-parte hearing will be held with a commissioner to determine if the protective order can be granted,” Behunin said.

Domestic violence victims in metro Phoenix can obtain information about emergency shelters, crisis intervention and hotlines, and counseling services by calling the Law Library Resource Center 602-506-7353 or visiting one of the center’s four facilities. There are two in Phoenix, one in Mesa and one in Surprise.

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