How Does a Restraining Order Affect Your Record?

A judge or magistrate issues a restraining order against someone who harasses or threatens another person. Conditions of restraining orders vary, depending on the behavioral offense, the judge’s discretion and jurisdictional laws. The order may direct the alleged offender to keep a specific distance away from another person, surrender any firearms or contact the victim in any way. Even though a restraining order is a civil matter, evidence of it may work its way into a person’s record and have adverse consequences.

Often domestic in nature, but not always, restraining orders may be issued against someone for stalking, assault, abuse or making terrorist threats. In different areas, restraining orders may be called by other names such as protective orders, orders for protection (OFPs), abuse prevention orders and harassment orders. Petitions for restraining orders are reviewed and granted on a case-by-case basis, because the court must weigh variables such as alleged facts, credibility of witnesses and any prior offenses of the offending party.

A restraining order may be issued in two stages – an initial temporary restraining order (TRO) or a temporary protective order (TPO) and a permanent order. The reason for a temporary status is that many restraining orders are granted ex parte by the court, which means that the alleged offender doesn’t even have to be present in court for a judge to grant a TRO.

Temporary orders may never progress to permanent orders, depending on a hearing to determine the facts and severity of potential offenses. But a “temporary” restraining order may be effective for quite some time; for example, in Minnesota, the temporary period may last up to two years.

Although restraining orders are civil in nature, any violations become criminal matters, which may be punishable by time in jail for the offender. By itself, the restraining order is not part of someone’s public record, but it can become part of a person’s public record if an arrest is made for violating the order. By virtue of the public nature of an arrest record, in which the paperwork for an arrest notes that a restraining order had been issued prior to the arrest, the arrest record now puts the restraining order on record.

A person’s criminal record is not the only type of record in which evidence of a restraining order may be found. A restraining order is on record in some states because of the Domestic Violence Registry Index. So even though a copy of, or a notation for, a restraining order doesn’t show up in someone’s criminal background check, this information may still be available to employers, schools, landlords, licensing authorities and other agencies.

The consequences of being issued a restraining order have the potential to cut a wide swath in someone’s life, including:

• Hindering or prohibiting employment in certain occupations. Having an order of protection and getting a job may be impossible in sectors such as the military, law enforcement and social service agencies.
• Hindering employment in specific jobs, such as positions as a therapist, pharmacist, nurse or physician.
• Preventing someone from adopting a child or becoming a foster parent.
• Getting terminated from certain jobs.
• Being expelled from certain schools.
• Disqualifying someone from running for public office.
  
  Read More: How Long Does a Restraining Order Last?

Because of the serious nature of, and potential long-term consequences for, having a restraining order, those affected may want to seek legal counsel. It is possible than an attorney may be able to facilitate the expunging of a criminal record, which may also remove evidence of a restraining order.