Restraining Orders

Follow the same steps as “Service of Documents” on the main page.

Jurisdiction (Is the service address in Fresno County?):

Please make sure the address for service is in Fresno County. See the Fresno County GIS Map Viewer to verify the address.

Jail Service:

If the respondent is in custody with the Fresno County Jail, check the inmate search system for their jail identification (JID) and booking number: Inmate Search Portal.

If the respondent is in a prison located in Fresno County, you must provide the exact facility address and any inmate identifiers (e.g., registration number).

Service Document:

Gov § 26666.2

"An order to be served, including a restraining order, bears the signature of the judge, including, but not limited to, a stamp or other endorsement or representation of the signature of a judge, certification of a clerk, or court endorsement or seal, and the information on the order materially matches the information regarding the person to be served on the form or forms described in Section 26666.10."

The seal of the court, the judge’s signature, and the clerk’s signature are required on both the Notice of Hearing and the Temporary Restraining Order for service. We will not accept your documents if any of these requirements are missing.

Serving a Minor

If your request is to serve a minor, you must provide a copy to serve the minor and a copy to serve the parent/guardian. Dedicated instruction forms must be completed for each person to be served.

Moveout & Child Custody Orders:

If the court has ordered a moveout, it is critical to inform our staff, submit your request early for a timely turnaround, and ensure the service papers get to the Deputy before noon. Please do not wait until the end of the day to submit your request.

The court issues three copies of the order: a service copy, a copy for filing with Sheriff Records, and a copy for yourself. Make sure you always keep your personal copy with you.

The Civil Unit’s staff and Deputies make these requests a priority; however, we are not always successful on the first attempt. If you have an emergency and need to call 911, make sure you have your copy of the order on you. Any law enforcement officer can serve your order during a service call if the respondent is present.

If the court has ordered a child turnover, it is critical to inform our staff and submit your request early. The parent ordered to receive the child(ren) must be readily available to receive them once the order is executed.

Timely Service:

Most restraining orders must be served at least 5 days prior to the hearing. Because our Deputies carry high caseloads and travel throughout the entire county, please submit your documents to the Civil Unit without delay.

Sending Your Request to the Sheriff:

Providing our office with complete, detailed information is vital. Failing to provide accurate service locations or description details makes the request to serve highly improbable.

You can mail or email your completed instruction form and granted restraining order. If sending your request by email, documents must be in a PDF format; other attachment formats may be blocked by network firewalls.

If your email request is rejected, you must resubmit the materials in a brand new email message. Do NOT reply to or use the previous email thread, as the system will not receive the update.

Most Family Law (Domestic Violence, Elder Abuse) and Civil Law (Civil Harassment, Workplace Violence) orders from the court are free to serve.

Granted / Partially Granted

Restraining orders that are granted or partly granted are processed free of charge and can be sent via email.

Denied

Restraining orders that are denied are subject to service fees unless the court order explicitly waives them. Denied orders cannot be emailed unless you attach a court-ordered fee waiver for the case.

If your initial email request is rejected, you must resubmit a new request as a new email. DO NOT reply within the same thread, as the files will not process.