Violating a restraining order in connection with a domestic violence charge is a misdemeanor in Nevada. A first-time conviction carries:

• up to 6 months in jail and
• up to $1,000 in fines.

Restraining orders also go by the name protective orders. They can be

• temporary (45 days) or
• extended (1 year).

NRS 33.100 states that:

A person who intentionally violates [a temporary order or an extended order for the first time] is guilty of a misdemeanor, unless a more severe penalty is prescribed by law for the act that constitutes the violation of the order.

The following bubble graph shows Nevada’s three types of protective orders. (Only TPOs and EPOs typically apply to domestic violence cases.)

In this article, our Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys discuss:

• 1. What is a restraining order violation? 
• 2. Penalties
• 3. Defenses
• 4. Can the record be sealed?
• Additional resources

1. What is a restraining order violation?

A protection order violation is when the adverse party to a restraining order defies its rules. An example is an abusive ex-boyfriend going to his ex-girlfriend’s house after the court issued a restraining order requiring the ex-boyfriend (the adverse party) to avoid her.

The person against whom the restraining order is taken out is the “adverse party.”

Purpose of Protection Orders

Nevada courts grant temporary or extended orders of protection to people allegedly at risk of either:

1. Domestic violence,
2. Harassment,
3. Stalking,
4. Sexual assault, or
5. Child abuse.

Each protection order is unique to the individual case. Protection orders may include various provisions, such as:

• Child visitation and custody rules;
• Continuation of payments of the accuser’s rent or mortgage;
• An order to relinquish firearms;
• Places and people that you (the adverse party) must avoid, such as the accuser’s home, school, or office; and/or
• An order not to contact the accuser at all.

In short, protection orders include one or more of the following three directives:

1. Conduct orders, which require you to abide by certain behaviors;
2. Stay-away orders, which require you to avoid certain people or locations; and/or
3. Exclusion orders, which prevent you from living with certain people.

Defying Protection Orders

Violating any provision in a restraining order is illegal in Nevada. Each time you allegedly violate an order counts as a separate charge:¹

Example: Kelly and her sisters get a protection order out against their abusive father. The judge orders the father to avoid any form of contact with Kelly and other family members. The father cannot stop himself from making one harassing phone call to Kelly’s sister and trespassing at Kelly’s place of employment once. Kelly calls a law enforcement officer.

The father then faces two charges of violating NRS 33.100. One for the call. One for showing up. It does not matter that they stem from the same protective order.

How Long Protection Orders Last

Note that when someone initially applies for a temporary protective order (TPO) against you, the judge will grant it without allowing you to defend yourself. TPOs last 45 days (except that workplace harassment TPOs last 15 days).

If the alleged victim wants the protective order to continue, they must apply for an extended protective order (EPO). With EPOs, you must be given the opportunity to defend yourself in court before the judge can issue an EPO, which lasts for one year.

Even if an EPO issues, you can appeal the judge’s decision to a higher court. Alternatively, you can bring a motion asking the judge to dissolve the EPO.

2. Penalties

The punishment for defying a Nevada protective order depends on two things:

1. The type of restraining order, and
2. Whether you have previous violations

The following table spells out the penalties for restraining order violations.

Purpose of Restraining Order in Nevada	Penalty for Intentional Violation of Order
Protection against domestic violence	Temporary protection order (TPO) Misdemeanor: Up to 6 months in jail and/or $1,000
	Extended protection order (EPO) First offense is a misdemeanor: Up to 6 months in jail and/or $1,000 Second offense is a gross misdemeanor: Up to 364 days in jail and/or $2,000 Subsequent offense is a category D felony: 1 to 4 years in Nevada State Prison, and up to $5,0002
Protection against workplace harassment	Misdemeanor: Up to 6 months in jail, and/or $1,0003
Protection against harassment or stalking, Protection against sexual assault, or Protection of a minor child	Temporary protective order (TPO) Gross misdemeanor: Up to 364 days in jail and/or $2,000
	Extended protection order (EPO) Category C felony: 1 to 5 years in prison and up to $10,0004

Protection order violations are completely separate crimes from any underlying criminal case:

Example: Ann is charged with battery domestic violence (BDV) for hitting Paul, whom she used to be in a dating relationship with. Paul takes a temporary restraining order out against Ann. The order mandates that Ann not contact Paul. Ann continues to call and email him. Paul tells law enforcement.

Then Ann gets charged with violating a restraining order. That is a different charge than BDV. Even if the BDV charge gets dismissed, she could still be convicted of violating the restraining order. If she gets convicted of both BDV and the protective order violation, she would get two separate sentences that could run consecutively (one after the other).

Protective Order Violations Involving Guns

Note that possessing a firearm in violation of an EPO is a category B felony. It does not matter whether it was a concealed weapon or not. The penalties include

• one-to-six years in prison, and
• up to $5,000 in fines (at the judge’s discretion).⁵

3. Defenses

Here at Las Vegas Defense Group, we have represented literally thousands of people charged with restraining order violations. In our experience, the following three defenses have proven very effective with prosecutors, judges, and juries at getting these charges reduced or dismissed.

1. You were not properly served. Nevada law outlines strict rules for how to serve a restraining order on you (the adverse party). Local law enforcement (such as the Clark County Sheriff’s Department) must do it in person and with the correct paperwork so you are duly notified. If the police cannot find you to serve you in person, you must be notified by mail. If we can show that there was no service or the papers got lost in the mail, you should not be criminally liable.⁶
2. You had no intent to violate the order. Violating the terms of a protection order is not unlawful if you honestly did not mean to break the rules. If you accidentally run into the victim protected by the order, no violation occurred as long as you get away as soon as possible. “Pocket-dialing” is also not a violation since it happens accidentally. If we can demonstrate that your actions resulted from an accident, misunderstanding or a mental deficiency, the case should be dismissed.
3. You were falsely accused. Perhaps the person protected by the restraining order falsely accused you of violating it. Police will arrest you based on this accusation alone and with no other probable cause. Whether the accuser’s motivation is anger, revenge, or an effort to gain the upper hand in a child custody case, it is common for these cases to boil down to a “he said/she said” scenario. As long as the D.A. cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you defied the order, criminal charges should not stand.

Note that it is not a defense that no one was harmed by the violation. Any violation is a crime even if no damage was done.

Example: Paul took out a TPO against Penny. Penny’s belongings are still in Paul’s house. One day during work, Penny sneaks into Paul’s house to retrieve her belongings without Paul knowing.

If caught, Penny could be prosecuted for a TPO violation even though Paul had no idea. Penny should have had a friend coordinate with Paul to retrieve the belongings for her.

4. Can the record be sealed?

A Nevada conviction for violating a protection order can be sealed. However, there is a waiting period depending on the case. Plus, dismissed charges are sealable immediately.

This chart illustrates the waiting periods:

Conviction for Violating a Protection Order	Waiting Period to Seal the Record in Nevada
Misdemeanors, or Gross misdemeanors	2 years after the case ends
Category D felonies, Category C felonies, or Category B felonies	5 years after the case ends
Dismissals (no conviction)	Right away7

Once a case gets sealed from Nevada’s central repository of criminal history, it no longer appears on your background check. Learn how to seal Nevada criminal records.

Additional Resources

If you are a domestic violence victim, find help and information here:

• Create a Safety Plan – National Domestic Violence Hotline – Resource for domestic violence victims on how to create a “safety plan” to remain safe and escape abuse.
• DomesticShelters.org – Directory of domestic violence shelters.
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – Resources and information for victims.
• Resources for Family Members, Friends, and Supporters – Joyful Heart Foundation – A guide on how to help family members or loved ones suffering from domestic abuse.
• Signs of Abuse – National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) – Information page on how to identify domestic violence.

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Legal References