Protection Orders

Civil Protection Order (CPO) vs No Contact Order (NCO)

CPO: A Civil Protection Order (CPO) is a court-issued civil order prohibiting an abuser from contacting or approaching a victim, designed to protect individuals from domestic violence, abuse, stalking, or harassment. It is a legally enforceable order that can require the respondent to stay away from the victim’s home, work, or school, and may include temporary custody or housing provisions. This is a document that a person can ask a judge to grant, regardless of law enforcement involvement in a situation.

NCO: A No Contact Order (NCO) is a court-issued criminal order prohibiting a defendant from contacting an alleged victim, usually in domestic violence or sexual assault cases. It bans all forms of communication (phone, email, third-party) and physical proximity. This is a document that is put in place by a judge, not at the request of the victim, and is attached to a criminal case.

There are two statutes that a person can file a CPO under, Domestic Violence and Stalking/Threats. The judge will be looking to see if the following criteria are met in order to grant a CPO:

Click here to use the online Court Self Help filing or go in person to the Court Assistance Office at your local courthouse

Call Idaho Legal Aid Services or a local victim service agency for assistance with filing a CPO