Hearing on petition for order of protection -- Criteria to assess appropriate relief and sanctions -- Continuance of hearing and emergency protective order
KRS 403.735
in effect403.735. Hearing on petition for order of protection -- Criteria to assess appropriate relief and sanctions -- Continuance of hearing and emergency protective order
(1) Prior to or at a hearing on a petition for an order of protection:
(a) The court may obtain the respondent's Kentucky criminal and protective order history and utilize that information to assess what relief and which sanctions may protect against danger to the petitioner or other person for whom protection is being sought, with the information so obtained being provided to the parties in accordance with the Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure; and
(b) If the petitioner or respondent is a minor, the court shall inquire whether the parties attend school in the same school system to assist the court in imposing conditions in the order that have the least disruption in the administration of education to the parties while providing appropriate protection to the petitioner.
(2) (a) If the adverse party is not present at the hearing ordered pur suant to KRS 403.730 and has not been served, a previously issued emergency protective order shall remain in place, and the court shall direct the issuance of a new summons for a hearing set not more than fourteen (14) days in the future. If service has not been made on the adverse party before that hearing or a subsequent hearing, the emergency protective order shall remain in place, and the court shall continue the hearing and issue a new summons with a new date and time for the hearing to occur, which sh all be within fourteen (14) days of the originally scheduled date for the continued hearing. The court shall repeat the process of continuing the hearing and reissuing a new summons until the adverse party is served in advance of the scheduled hearing. If service has not been made on the respondent at least seventy -two (72) hours prior to the scheduled hearing, the court may continue the hearing no more than fourteen (14) days in the future. In issuing the summons, the court shall simultaneously transmit a copy of the summons or notice of its issuance and provisions to the petitioner. Upon the request of the petitioner, the court may excuse the petitioner from future court appearances until the respondent has been served.
(b) The provisions of this section p ermitting the continuance of an emergency protective order shall be limited to six (6) months from the issuance of the emergency protective order. If the respondent has not been served within that period, the order shall be rescinded without prejudice. Pri or to the expiration of the emergency protective order, the court shall provide notice to the petitioner stating that, if the petitioner does not file a new petition, the order shall be rescinded without prejudice.
Effective: June 27, 2025
History: Amended 2025 Ky. Acts ch. 75, sec. 1, effective June 27, 2025. -- Repealed and reenacted 2015 Ky. Acts ch. 102, sec. 5, effective January 1, 2016. -- Amended 2010 Ky. Acts ch. 170, sec. 19, effective July 15, 2010. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 99, sec. 14, effect ive July 15, 1996. -- Amended 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 172, sec. 5, effective July 14, 1992. -- Created 1984 Ky. Acts ch. 152, sec. 5, effective July 13, 1984.
Source: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission (legislature.ky.gov)URL: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56236Fetched: 10/20/2026