By James Stevens, Director and Solicitor, Go To Court Lawyers. Last reviewed 10 April 2026.
Key points
- A VRO (violence restraining order) protects you from personal violence by someone you are not in a family relationship with, such as a colleague, friend or neighbour.
- The test: personal violence that is likely to happen again, or reasonable grounds to fear it, and an order that is appropriate.
- No court fee to apply; applications are lodged in person at a Magistrates Court registry.
- If one is made against you, you have 21 days to object, or the interim order becomes final.
- A final VRO lasts 2 years unless the court sets a different period.
- Breaching a VRO carries up to $10,000 and 2 years' imprisonment; a third conviction in 2 years means imprisonment unless that would be clearly unjust.
- For advice on applying for or contesting a VRO, call 1800 577 015 at any hour: free general legal information, and a 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in Western Australia for a fixed $295.
In Western Australia, a violence restraining order (VRO) protects a person from personal violence by someone they are not in a family relationship with. Under the Restraining Orders Act 1997, a court can make one if the respondent has committed personal violence and is likely to again, or there are reasonable grounds to fear it, and the order is appropriate; a final VRO lasts 2 years unless the court sets another period, and breaching it carries up to $10,000 and 2 years' imprisonment.
Checked on 23 October 2026 against the Restraining Orders Act 1997 (WA) and the Magistrates Court of Western Australia's restraining orders page.
What is a VRO?
In Western Australia, a VRO (violence restraining order) is a court order under the Restraining Orders Act 1997 that protects a person from personal violence by someone they are not in a family relationship with, such as a work colleague, friend or neighbour. People in a family relationship apply for a family violence restraining order (FVRO) instead. A misconduct restraining order (MRO) covers intimidating or offensive behaviour, property damage and breaches of the peace.
- Personal violence means assaulting or injuring the person, kidnapping them or depriving them of their liberty, stalking them, threatening to do any of those things, or, where the respondent has an imagined personal relationship with them, acts that would be family violence if they were family.
- When a court can make a VRO: if it is satisfied that the respondent has committed personal violence against the person and is likely to do so again, or that there are reasonable grounds to fear the respondent will commit personal violence against them, and that a VRO is appropriate in the circumstances.
- What the court considers includes the need to protect the person and any children, the accommodation needs of both people, hardship to the respondent, other court cases, the respondent's criminal record and any earlier similar behaviour.
Applying for a VRO in WA
- Who can apply: the person needing protection, or a police officer on their behalf. For a child, a parent, guardian or child welfare officer can apply; for an adult under guardianship, the guardian.
- Where: the Magistrates Court (or the Children's Court if the respondent is a child). The court says applications must be lodged in person at a Magistrates Court registry, unless an approved legal service provider lodges it online for you.
- Cost: there is no fee for applying to the Magistrates Court for a VRO.
- Two ways to start: you can ask for a first hearing without the respondent present, where the court can make an interim order, or go straight to a defended hearing with the respondent summoned.
Contesting a VRO made against you
- 21 days to respond. If you are served with an interim VRO, you have 21 days to fill in and return the respondent's copy, saying whether you object to it becoming final.
- If you do not object, or do not return it, the interim order becomes a final order on the same terms. If you did not return it, you can apply within 21 days of being told it became final to have it set aside, but only if you had a reasonable cause for not returning it.
- If you object, the registrar fixes a hearing. If you consent to a final order at a mention hearing, the court can make it without being satisfied there are grounds, and your consent is not an admission of the allegations.
- The final order hearing. If you do not consent, there is a final order hearing where both sides can give evidence. If you do not attend after being notified, the hearing can go ahead without you. The court makes the order it considers appropriate, which can be a misconduct restraining order instead of a VRO.
How long a VRO lasts
- A final VRO lasts for the period the court states, or 2 years if no period is stated. An interim order that becomes final lasts for the period stated in it, or 2 years.
- A telephone order that becomes final lasts 3 months, or a shorter period stated in it.
- Police orders are for family violence only: they last up to 72 hours after being served, and lapse if not served within 24 hours.
Breaching a VRO
| Breach | Maximum penalty or rule |
|---|---|
| Breaching a VRO, an FVRO or a police order | A fine of $10,000, 2 years' imprisonment, or both |
| Breaching an MRO | A fine of $1,000 |
| A third conviction for breach within 2 years | The court must impose imprisonment (or detention for a child) unless that would be clearly unjust and the person is unlikely to be a threat to the protected person or the community; it must give written reasons if it does not |
A prosecution for breaching a VRO must be started within 2 years of the alleged breach. Breaches are heard in the Magistrates Court, or the Children's Court for a child.
Does a VRO go on your record?
A VRO is a court order made to protect someone; making one is not a criminal conviction. Breaching a VRO, however, is a criminal offence, and a conviction for breach is part of your criminal record. Whether a restraining order itself shows up in a particular background or employment check depends on the check, so get advice if this matters to you.
Free legal help in Western Australia
| Service | Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Police, ambulance or fire in an emergency | 000 | Any time |
| Legal Aid WA Infoline | 1300 650 579 | 9am to 4pm (Western time), Monday to Friday |
How Go To Court Lawyers can help
Our free line, 1800 577 015, answers at any hour. Jen, our AI legal information assistant, gives general legal information and takes your details; Jen is not a lawyer and does not give advice about your case. A 60-minute consultation with a lawyer who practises in Western Australia is a fixed $295, by phone, video or in person where the lawyer offers it. The lawyer can help you apply for a VRO, advise you on objecting to an interim order or consenting without admissions, represent you at the final order hearing, and defend a breach charge. Requests are taken at any hour; how soon a lawyer can see you depends on who is available. Request a $295 consultation.
General information only, not legal advice. Updated 23 October 2026. Checked against the Restraining Orders Act 1997 (WA), official version as at 25 September 2025, sections 6, 11A, 12, 16B, 25, 26, 30A, 30F, 31 to 33, 41 to 43, 61 and 61A, and the Magistrates Court of Western Australia's page "Restraining Orders" (updated 14 July 2025), on 23 October 2026.