Order for Protection

An Order for Protection (OFP) can:

• Order the person to leave your shared residence
• Order the person to stop contacting you
• Order temporary custody, parenting time or child visitation
• Order spousal maintenance or child support
• Order use of property
• Order custody and protection of companion animals

An OFP is not a criminal case, it is a civil case. An OFP is a legal paper that orders someone not to hurt you. However, if that person chooses to hurt or contact you, you are advised to contact the police immediately. When you file for an OFP, criminal charges are not pressed, but if that person violates the OFP and a police report is made, criminal charges may be pressed against the violator of the order (the person hurting you).

You need to meet two criteria in order to file an OFP.

1. Someone has committed domestic violence/abuse against you. The State of Minnesota defines domestic abuse as any of the following five behaviors:

• Physical abuse, bodily injury or physical or harm which has occurred (hitting, shoving, kicking, biting, etc.)
• Creating fear of immediate physical harm with threats, both verbal and nonverbal (hurting children or pets, waving a weapon around, getting in your face, throwing things)
• Criminal sexual conduct (rape or sexual assault)
• Terroristic threats (threatens to take your life or to do serious harm)
• Interfering with a 911 or emergency call (if they try to stop you from calling 911 or hang up after you have tried dialing for police, fire, ambulance or 911)

2. The person who committed domestic abuse against you is any of the following:

• Related to you by blood
• A person you are dating, hooking up with, having sex with, or have had sex with in the past
• Someone you live with (boy/girlfriend, partner, spouse, current or former roommate)
• A person you share a pregnancy with
• A person you have a child with
• Someone you are married to or are separated or divorced from

For more information about how to file for an Order for Protection, please call the Minnesota Day One Crisis Line, 1.866.223.1111.