Forms, instructions, etc. — Duties of the administrative office of the courts — Recommendations for filing and data collection.
RCW 7.105.115
in effect(1) By December 30, 2022, the administrative office of the courts shall: (a) Develop and distribute standard forms for petitions and orders issued under this chapter, and facilitate the use of online forms for electronic filings. (i) For all protection orders except extreme risk protection orders, the protection order must include, in a conspicuous location, a notice of criminal penalties resulting from a violation of the order, and the following statement: "You can be arrested even if the protected person or persons invite or allow you to violate the order. You alone are responsible for following the order. Only the court may change the order. Requests for changes must be made in writing." (ii) For extreme risk protection orders, the protection order must include, in a conspicuous location, a notice of criminal penalties resulting from a violation of the order, and the following statement: "You have the sole responsibility to avoid or refrain from violating this order's provisions. Only the court may change the order. Requests for changes must be made in writing."; (b) Develop and distribute instructions and informational brochures regarding protection orders and a court staff handbook on the protection order process, which shall be made available online to view and download at no cost. Developing additional methods to inform the public about protection orders in understandable terms and in languages other than English through videos and social media should also be considered. The instructions, brochures, forms, and handbook must be prepared in consultation with civil legal aid, culturally specific advocacy programs, and domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy programs. The instructions must be designed to assist petitioners in completing the petition, and must include a sample of standard petition and protection order forms. The instructions and standard petition must include a means for the petitioner to identify, with only lay knowledge, the firearms the respondent may own, possess, receive, have access to, or have in the respondent's custody or control. The instructions must provide pictures of types of firearms that the petitioner may choose from to identify the relevant firearms, or an equivalent means to allow petitioners to identify firearms without requiring specific or technical knowledge regarding the firearms. The court staff handbook must allow for the addition of a community resource list by the court clerk. The informational brochure must describe the use of, and the process for, obtaining, renewing, modifying, terminating, and enforcing protection orders as provided under this chapter, as well as the process for obtaining, modifying, terminating, and enforcing an antiharassment no-contact order as provided under chapter 9A.46 RCW, a domestic violence no-contact order as provided under chapter 10.99 RCW, a restraining order as provided under chapters 26.09 , 26.26A, 26.26B, and 26.44 RCW, a foreign protection order as defined in chapter 26.52 RCW, and a Canadian domestic violence protection order as defined in RCW 26.55.010 ; (c) Determine the significant non-English-speaking or limited English-speaking populations in the state. The administrative office of the courts shall then arrange for translation of the instructions and informational brochures required by this section, which must contain a sample of the standard petition and protection order forms, into the languages spoken by at least the top five significant non-English-speaking populations, and shall distribute a master copy of the translated instructions and informational brochures to all court clerks and to the Washington supreme court's interpreter commission, minority and justice commission, and gender and justice commission. Such materials must be updated and distributed if needed due to relevant changes in the law; (d)(i) Distribute a master copy of the petition and order forms, instructions, and informational brochures to all court clerks, and distribute a master copy of the petition and order forms to all superior, district, and municipal courts; (ii) In collaboration with civil legal aid attorneys, domestic violence advocates, sexual assault advocates, elder abuse advocates, clerks, and judicial officers, develop and distribute a single petition form that a petitioner may use to file for any type of protection order authorized by this chapter, with the exception of extreme risk protection orders; (iii) For extreme risk protection orders, develop and prepare: (A) A standard petition and order form for an extreme risk protection order, as well as a standard petition and order form for an extreme risk protection order sought against a respondent under 18 years of age, titled "Extreme Risk Protection Order - Respondent Under 18 Years"; (B) Pattern forms to assist in streamlining the process for those persons who are eligible to seal records relating to an order under (d)(i) of this subsection, including: (I) A petition and declaration the respondent can complete to ensure that requirements for public sealing have been met; and (II) An order sealing the court records relating to that order; and (C) An informational brochure to be served on any respondent who is subject to a temporary or full protection order under (d)(iii)(A) of this subsection; (e) Create a new confidential party information form to satisfy the purposes of the confidential information form and the law enforcement information sheet that will serve both the court's and law enforcement's data entry needs without requiring a redundant effort for the petitioner, and ensure the petitioner's confidential information is protected for the purpose of safety. The form should be created with the presumption that it will also be used by the respondent to provide all current contact information needed by the court and law enforcement, and full identifying information for improved data entry. The form should also prompt the petitioner to disclose on the form whether the person who the petitioner is seeking to restrain has a disability, brain injury, or impairment requiring special assistance; and (f) Update the instructions, brochures, standard petition and order for protection forms, and court staff handbook when changes in the law make an update necessary. (2) By July 1, 2022, the administrative office of the courts, through the gender and justice commission of the Washington state supreme court, and with the support of the Washington state women's commission, shall work with representatives of superior, district, and municipal court judicial officers, court clerks, and administrators, including those with experience in protection order proceedings, as well as advocates and practitioners with expertise in each type of protection order, and others with relevant expertise, to develop for the courts: (a) Standards for filing evidence in protection order proceedings in a manner that protects victim safety and privacy, including evidence in the form of text messages, social media messages, voice mails, and other recordings, and the development of a sealed cover sheet for explicit or intimate images and recordings; and (b) Requirements for private vendors who provide services related to filing systems for protection orders, as well as what data should be collected.
(1) By December 30, 2022, the administrative office of the courts shall:
(a) Develop and distribute standard forms for petitions and orders issued under this chapter, and facilitate the use of online forms for electronic filings.
(i) For all protection orders except extreme risk protection orders, the protection order must include, in a conspicuous location, a notice of criminal penalties resulting from a violation of the order, and the following statement: "You can be arrested even if the protected person or persons invite or allow you to violate the order. You alone are responsible for following the order. Only the court may change the order. Requests for changes must be made in writing."
(ii) For extreme risk protection orders, the protection order must include, in a conspicuous location, a notice of criminal penalties resulting from a violation of the order, and the following statement: "You have the sole responsibility to avoid or refrain from violating this order's provisions. Only the court may change the order. Requests for changes must be made in writing.";
(b) Develop and distribute instructions and informational brochures regarding protection orders and a court staff handbook on the protection order process, which shall be made available online to view and download at no cost. Developing additional methods to inform the public about protection orders in understandable terms and in languages other than English through videos and social media should also be considered. The instructions, brochures, forms, and handbook must be prepared in consultation with civil legal aid, culturally specific advocacy programs, and domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy programs. The instructions must be designed to assist petitioners in completing the petition, and must include a sample of standard petition and protection order forms. The instructions and standard petition must include a means for the petitioner to identify, with only lay knowledge, the firearms the respondent may own, possess, receive, have access to, or have in the respondent's custody or control. The instructions must provide pictures of types of firearms that the petitioner may choose from to identify the relevant firearms, or an equivalent means to allow petitioners to identify firearms without requiring specific or technical knowledge regarding the firearms. The court staff handbook must allow for the addition of a community resource list by the court clerk. The informational brochure must describe the use of, and the process for, obtaining, renewing, modifying, terminating, and enforcing protection orders as provided under this chapter, as well as the process for obtaining, modifying, terminating, and enforcing an antiharassment no-contact order as provided under chapter 9A.46 RCW, a domestic violence no-contact order as provided under chapter 10.99 RCW, a restraining order as provided under chapters 26.09 , 26.26A, 26.26B, and 26.44 RCW, a foreign protection order as defined in chapter 26.52 RCW, and a Canadian domestic violence protection order as defined in RCW 26.55.010 ;
(c) Determine the significant non-English-speaking or limited English-speaking populations in the state. The administrative office of the courts shall then arrange for translation of the instructions and informational brochures required by this section, which must contain a sample of the standard petition and protection order forms, into the languages spoken by at least the top five significant non-English-speaking populations, and shall distribute a master copy of the translated instructions and informational brochures to all court clerks and to the Washington supreme court's interpreter commission, minority and justice commission, and gender and justice commission. Such materials must be updated and distributed if needed due to relevant changes in the law;
(d)(i) Distribute a master copy of the petition and order forms, instructions, and informational brochures to all court clerks, and distribute a master copy of the petition and order forms to all superior, district, and municipal courts;
(ii) In collaboration with civil legal aid attorneys, domestic violence advocates, sexual assault advocates, elder abuse advocates, clerks, and judicial officers, develop and distribute a single petition form that a petitioner may use to file for any type of protection order authorized by this chapter, with the exception of extreme risk protection orders;
(iii) For extreme risk protection orders, develop and prepare:
(A) A standard petition and order form for an extreme risk protection order, as well as a standard petition and order form for an extreme risk protection order sought against a respondent under 18 years of age, titled "Extreme Risk Protection Order - Respondent Under 18 Years";
(B) Pattern forms to assist in streamlining the process for those persons who are eligible to seal records relating to an order under (d)(i) of this subsection, including:
(I) A petition and declaration the respondent can complete to ensure that requirements for public sealing have been met; and
(II) An order sealing the court records relating to that order; and
(C) An informational brochure to be served on any respondent who is subject to a temporary or full protection order under (d)(iii)(A) of this subsection;
(e) Create a new confidential party information form to satisfy the purposes of the confidential information form and the law enforcement information sheet that will serve both the court's and law enforcement's data entry needs without requiring a redundant effort for the petitioner, and ensure the petitioner's confidential information is protected for the purpose of safety. The form should be created with the presumption that it will also be used by the respondent to provide all current contact information needed by the court and law enforcement, and full identifying information for improved data entry. The form should also prompt the petitioner to disclose on the form whether the person who the petitioner is seeking to restrain has a disability, brain injury, or impairment requiring special assistance; and
(f) Update the instructions, brochures, standard petition and order for protection forms, and court staff handbook when changes in the law make an update necessary.
(2) By July 1, 2022, the administrative office of the courts, through the gender and justice commission of the Washington state supreme court, and with the support of the Washington state women's commission, shall work with representatives of superior, district, and municipal court judicial officers, court clerks, and administrators, including those with experience in protection order proceedings, as well as advocates and practitioners with expertise in each type of protection order, and others with relevant expertise, to develop for the courts:
(a) Standards for filing evidence in protection order proceedings in a manner that protects victim safety and privacy, including evidence in the form of text messages, social media messages, voice mails, and other recordings, and the development of a sealed cover sheet for explicit or intimate images and recordings; and
(b) Requirements for private vendors who provide services related to filing systems for protection orders, as well as what data should be collected.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=7.105&full=trueFetched: 6/28/2026