Citizens Law Library · Legal Topics
Protection & Safety Resources
General Missouri public resources for orders of protection, domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, child safety, victim services, safety planning, and qualified legal-help referrals.
Educational information and resource referrals only: Citizens Law Library is not an emergency service, shelter, hotline, law firm, advocate, court, or law-enforcement agency. We cannot assess danger, create a personalized safety plan, prepare a protection-order petition, or represent you in court.
Read disclaimerIf there is immediate danger
Call 911 or go to a safer place if you can do so safely.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911. If it is not safe to call, consider contacting a trusted local emergency service, domestic-violence or sexual-assault program, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline when it is safe to do so.
For confidential support, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or use the hotline’s online chat. Citizens Law Library does not monitor messages for emergencies.
Start with safety and trusted support
You do not need to handle a safety concern alone.
People may seek protection and safety resources because of domestic violence, dating violence, threats, harassment, stalking, sexual assault, child abuse, coercive control, financial abuse, safety concerns after separation, or a need for support in navigating court and agency systems.
A local victim-service provider, advocate, shelter, attorney, court clerk, law-enforcement agency, prosecutor’s victim advocate, or medical provider may be able to offer direct help. This page is a starting point for public information and does not tell you what is safest or legally appropriate for your personal circumstances.
Choose a resource path
What kind of protection or support are you looking for?
These public-resource paths are for general orientation. If you face immediate danger, use emergency services rather than relying on a website.
Orders of Protection
General Missouri court resources for adult and child protection-order forms, procedures, hearings, and official information.
Explore protection-order resources 02Victim & Survivor Support
Find local domestic-violence, sexual-assault, stalking, crisis, shelter, advocacy, and victim-service resources.
Explore support resources 03Safety Planning
General safety-planning concepts, technology-safety reminders, documentation guidance, and reasons to contact an advocate.
Explore safety-planning information 04Legal & Court Help
Find qualified legal-help referrals, court locations, victim-service agencies, and public Missouri resources.
Explore legal-help resourcesOrders of protection
Protection orders are court orders, not a substitute for immediate emergency response.
Missouri Courts provides forms and public information for adult and child orders of protection. In general, a person may ask a court for an order of protection related to abuse, stalking, or sexual assault; a parent or guardian may be able to file on behalf of a child.
The eligibility requirements, filing process, hearing procedures, relief requested, evidence, service of process, custody issues, renewal, modification, and enforcement questions can be highly fact-specific. Citizens Law Library cannot determine whether you qualify, what petition to use, what to request, or what a judge may decide.
Missouri Adult Protection FormsGeneral court-process reminders
- Use current official Missouri court forms and instructions
- Contact your local circuit court for filing information
- Ask a local advocate or attorney about court support
- Bring relevant notices, records, and identification if safe
- Keep copies of court documents and hearing information
- Do not assume an order replaces an emergency safety plan
Official Missouri court resources
Use Missouri Courts and your local circuit court for current forms and filing information.
Missouri Courts publishes statewide adult-abuse/stalking and child-protection forms. Local courts may have specific filing locations, hours, electronic-filing information, courtroom procedures, and after-hours procedures. Contact the court or a local advocate for current guidance.
General protection-order vocabulary
Understand the terms, but seek individual help for your situation.
The definitions below are simplified general descriptions. They do not decide whether a person, event, child, relationship, or case qualifies for an order of protection.
Petitioner
The person asking a court for a protection order or other relief.
Respondent
The person against whom a protection order is requested.
Ex parte order
A temporary court order that may be considered before a full court hearing, depending on the petition and the judge’s decision.
Full order
An order issued after court procedures and a hearing process, subject to applicable law and a judge’s decision.
Service
The legal process of delivering court papers to a person as required by court rules and law.
Hearing
A court proceeding where parties may present information, evidence, testimony, or legal arguments as permitted by the court.
Missouri Courts describes adult orders of protection as potentially involving abuse, stalking, or sexual assault. Its forms page notes that a full adult order may prohibit further acts, attempts, or threats of abuse, stalking, or sexual assault and may include other relief. Whether any relief is available depends on the facts, law, and court decision.
Victim and survivor support
Advocates can help you identify local services and court-support options.
Domestic-violence and sexual-assault programs may offer confidential support, safety planning, emergency shelter, advocacy, counseling referrals, court accompaniment, support groups, transportation assistance, and connections to other local services. What is available differs by program and location.
Reaching out to an advocate does not require you to make a particular report, file a protection order, leave a relationship, or take any specific legal action. An advocate can explain available options and help you consider safety needs.
Find Missouri Support ServicesSupport a local program may offer
- Confidential advocacy and crisis support
- Safety-planning information and referrals
- Shelter and emergency-housing connections
- Court advocacy and protection-order support
- Sexual-assault advocacy and medical accompaniment
- Connections to legal, financial, and community resources
Missouri victim services
Use state and local resources for crime-victim support.
Missouri public agencies and local organizations may provide information about victim rights, compensation, advocacy, safety, law-enforcement communication, court processes, and related support services.
Missouri Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
Use MOCADSV’s directory and support information to locate domestic-violence and sexual-assault services near you.
Find local supportMissouri Department of Social Services
Find Missouri resources for crime victims, child abuse and neglect reporting, stalking, adult abuse, and other urgent-support pathways.
Find help nowMissouri Attorney General Victim Services
Review Missouri Attorney General victim-services information and public resources for crime victims and survivors.
Missouri crime-victim resourcesSafety-planning information
Safety planning is personal. A local advocate can help you think through options.
Safety needs can change based on the people involved, living arrangements, children, work or school locations, technology access, transportation, finances, health needs, immigration concerns, firearms, court dates, and many other factors.
Citizens Law Library cannot create a personalized safety plan or tell you whether it is safe to take a particular step. Consider contacting a local confidential advocate or hotline for individualized safety-planning support.
General preparation ideas
- Save emergency contacts in a way that is safe for you
- Identify safer places and people you may contact
- Keep important documents accessible if it is safe to do so
- Consider technology and account-privacy concerns
- Document incidents only if doing so does not increase danger
- Contact an advocate for individualized safety planning
Technology and privacy reminder
Use caution when researching safety resources online.
Internet use may be monitored. Consider using a safer device, a public computer, private browsing, clearing browser history, changing passwords only when it is safe, and contacting an advocate for technology-safety guidance. These steps may not remove all traces of activity.
Find qualified legal and court help
Use a local advocate, court, legal-aid provider, or licensed attorney for individual support.
A qualified provider can help you understand available services, court procedures, safety concerns, and legal options. Services, eligibility, confidentiality, representation, and availability differ by organization.
Find a Missouri Advocate
Use MOCADSV’s help resources to locate domestic-violence and sexual-assault services, advocates, hotlines, and local support programs.
Find a local programApply for Civil Legal Aid
Find the Missouri legal-aid provider serving your area and ask about eligibility, orders of protection, family, housing, or related services.
Legal-aid application informationFind a Missouri Attorney
Search by practice area and location, then ask about protective-order, family-law, victim-rights, or related experience.
Search for a lawyerContinue safely
Prioritize immediate safety, protect your privacy, and connect with trusted support.
Citizens Law Library provides general public-resource links and court-navigation education. We do not provide emergency intervention, legal representation, protection-order filing assistance, or personalized safety planning.