Civil Protection Orders in Warren County

How do I get a protection order in Warren County, Ohio?

Go to the Warren County Domestic Relations Court at 500 Justice Drive, Lebanon, with a photo ID and file a Petition for a Domestic Violence Civil Protection Order under R.C. 3113.31 — there is no filing fee. You fill out the paperwork and testify before a Magistrate the same day, and the court can grant an ex parte order immediately, followed by a full hearing. A CPO protects against a family or household member, a current/former spouse, someone you lived with romantically within 5 years, or someone you dated within the last 12 months. Juvenile protection orders use WCJC Form 17.

Where to File: Warren County Domestic Relations Court

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Warren County Juvenile Court (Probate/Juvenile Division)
900 Memorial Drive, Lebanon, OH 45036, Lebanon, OH 45036
Phone: (513) 695-1160
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Civil Protection Orders is the right path if…

• You've experienced physical violence, a threat of violence, or stalking/menacing.
• The person is a family or household member, partner, or someone you dated within the last year.
• You need a stay-away, no-contact, residence-exclusion, or weapons-surrender order.
• You live in Warren County, the other person does, or the incident happened here.

Filing Fees

No filing fee for a Civil Protection Order · Photo ID required · Same-day ex parte order possible · CPO cases heard until 3:00 p.m. daily

Forms & Filing Packets

How to File Civil Protection Orders in Warren County

1. Go to the DR Court with a photo ID. Visit the Warren County DR Court at 500 Justice Drive. There is no filing fee. Allow up to 3 hours; petitions are taken until 3:00 p.m.
2. Complete the petition and proposed order. Use the R.C. 3113.31 DVCPO petition (Form 10.01-D), or WCJC Form 17 if the protected person is a minor, describing the violence, threats, or stalking.
3. Testify before the Magistrate the same day. The court can grant an ex parte order immediately based on your sworn testimony.
4. Attend the full hearing. A full hearing follows where the court can issue a final order; bring evidence and any witnesses.

Warren County Practice Notes

• A CPO is civil, not criminal. A Civil Protection Order is a civil order — it can require no contact, stay-away, residence exclusion, temporary custody, and weapons surrender, but it is not a criminal conviction. Violating a CPO is a separate criminal offense, and a CPO can run alongside criminal charges.
• Dismissing or modifying a Warren CPO has strict rules. Under DR Local Rules 3.16–3.17, dismissing an ex parte DVCPO requires the petitioner to personally appear and state the reason on the record, and modifying a full-hearing CPO requires a motion, service, and a hearing. A divorce decree or a filing in a divorce case is not enough to modify a DVCPO.
• Mediation is not used for CPOs. Warren County does not use mediation to decide CPO terms or as an alternative to a domestic-violence prosecution, and DV screening is required before any parenting mediation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a Civil Protection Order work in Warren County, and is it the same as criminal charges?

No — a Civil Protection Order is civil, not criminal, though violating one is a separate crime. There is no filing fee. Bring a photo ID to the Domestic Relations Court at 500 Justice Drive; the process can take up to 3 hours and CPO cases are heard until 3:00 p.m. daily. You fill out the petition and testify before a Magistrate the same day, and the court can grant an ex parte order immediately. A CPO protects against a family or household member, a current/former spouse, someone you lived with in a romantic relationship within 5 years, or someone you dated within the last 12 months.

Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Warren County?

Warren County splits the two courts onto different campuses. The Domestic Relations Court at 500 Justice Drive hears married-parent matters — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and the custody/support that travels with them. The Juvenile Court at 900 Memorial Drive hears never-married-parent matters — paternity, custody, parenting time, child support, and grandparent/non-parent custody. Under Rees v. Rees (2026-Ohio-1235, 12th Dist.), grandparent and relative visitation goes to DR when the parents are or ever were married or a parent is deceased.

How long does a Warren County case usually take?

Dissolution: the hearing is set 31–90 days after filing. Uncontested (non-contested) divorce or legal separation: the hearing is set 65 or more days after filing. Contested divorce: the Supreme Court guideline is 12 months without children and 18 months with children. Post-decree motions are heard in about 4–6 weeks. Civil Protection Orders: an ex parte order can issue the same day, with a full hearing held shortly after.

How much does it cost to file in Warren County?

Domestic Relations deposits (Clerk Breighton Smith, eff. 7/1/2025): a divorce or dissolution case is $400 with children and $300 without children; a case served by publication is $500; a married-living-apart custody/support complaint is $350; a post-decree motion is $75; and personal service by the Sheriff is $50 per party. An Affidavit of Indigency reduces the deposit to $15. Juvenile Court complaints (custody, parentage, support, visitation, shared parenting) are $160 plus $50 per additional child, and Juvenile motions are $75. Civil Protection Orders have no filing fee.

Free Local Resources in Warren County

• Warren County DR Help Center & Document Center. The DR Help Center at 500 Justice Drive helps self-represented parties fill out printed Document Center forms on Tuesdays 1–3 p.m. and Thursdays 9–11 a.m. All Domestic Relations forms and case-type filing packets are posted at warrencountyohio.gov/Domestic_Relations_Court/Forms.
• Warren County Probate/Juvenile Legal Help Center. Walk-in help at 900 Memorial Drive on Thursdays 8 a.m.–noon, where an attorney answers legal questions and provides filing packets regardless of financial situation (no attorney-client relationship is formed).
• Warren County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Warren County's IV-D agency at (513) 695-1580, csea.warrencountyohio.gov, opens and enforces support cases, runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, and processes payments through OCSPC.
• Warren County CASA Program. More than 50 trained CASA volunteers, directed by Melissa Perduk, advocate for abused and neglected children in the child-welfare system. Details at warrencountyohio.gov/Probate_Juvenile/CASA/CASA/Index.

Other Family-Law Topics in Warren County

• Warren County Divorce — Contested divorce filing guide for the DR Court at 500 Justice Drive.
• Warren County Dissolution — The agreed, both-spouses-sign track with a hearing 31–90 days after filing.
• Warren County Custody — Married parents file in DR; never-married parents file at the Juvenile Court.

Related to your protection orders case

• Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
• Divorce & Dissolution — End your marriage through a contested divorce or an amicable dissolution.
• Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.

Keep exploring

• Ohio Civil Protection Orders guide — Statewide overview of civil protection orders in Ohio.
• Cincinnati family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Cincinnati metro.
• Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
• Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.