Editing Restraining order (section)

{{Short description|Legal order prohibiting certain entities from specified actions}}
{{Distinguish|Restraint order|Civil restraint order|Temporary restraining order|Civil discovery under United States federal law#Rule 26. General Provisions Governing Discovery; Duty of Disclosure{{!}}Protective order}}
{{for|the film|Restraining Order (film)}}

[[File:Restraining Order.jpg|thumb|A restraining order issued by the Justice Court of Las Vegas]]
A '''restraining order''' or '''protective order'''{{efn|There are other names such as "criminal orders of protection"<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sullivan |first1=Tami P. |last2=Weiss |first2=Nicole H. |last3=Woerner |first3=Jacqueline |last4=Wyatt |first4=Janan |last5=Carey |first5=Camille |title=Criminal Orders of Protection for Domestic Violence: Associated Revictimization, Mental Health, and Well-being Among Victims |journal=Journal of Interpersonal Violence |date=28 October 2019 |volume=36 |issue=21–22 |pages=10198–10219 |doi=10.1177/0886260519883865|pmid=31658852 |s2cid=204954937 }}</ref> and "criminal protective orders".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=DeVito |first1=Frank |title=Criminal Protective Orders in Connecticut: The Problem of a Hidden Right |journal=Quinnipiac Law Review (QLR) |date=2018–2019 |volume=37 |page=343 |url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/qlr37&div=11&id=&page=}}</ref>}} is an order used by a [[court]] to protect a person in a situation often involving alleged [[domestic violence]], [[child abuse]] and [[child neglect|neglect]], [[assault]], [[harassment]], [[stalking]], or [[sexual assault]]. 

Restraining and personal protection order laws vary from one jurisdiction to another but all establish who can file for an order, what protection or relief a person can get from such an order, and how the order will be enforced. The court will order the adverse party to refrain from certain actions or require compliance with certain provisions. Failure to comply is a violation of the order which can result in the [[arrest]] and [[prosecution]] of the offender. Violations in some jurisdictions may also constitute criminal or civil [[contempt of court]].