CH-120-INFO - How Can I Respond to a Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders?

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How Can I Respond to a Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders?

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Form ID: CH-120-INFO
Title: How Can I Respond to a Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders?
Effective Date: 2026-01-01
Mandatory Form: no
Languages: 汉语, 한국어, español, Tiếng Việt
Info Page: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/CH-120-INFO
Primary Download URL: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch120info.pdf
Alternate Download URLs: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch120infoc.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch120infok.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch120infos.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch120infov.pdf
Form Detail Page:
How Can I Respond to a Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders?
(CH-120-INFO)
Explains what a restraining order is and how you can respond to a request for a restraining order.
Get form CH-120-INFO
汉语
Get form CH-120-INFO in Chinese Simplified
(Chinese Simplified)
한국어
Get form CH-120-INFO in Korean
(Korean)
español
Get form CH-120-INFO in Spanish
(Spanish)
Tiếng Việt
Get form CH-120-INFO in Vietnamese
(Vietnamese)
Effective: January 1, 2026
Go to
How-to instructions for Civil Harassment
Go to
Civil Harassment Form Packets
PDF Text:
Judicial Council of California, courts.ca.gov 
Rev. January 1, 2026, Optional Form 
Code Civ. Proc., §§ 527.6, 527.9
How Can I Respond to a Request for Civil 
Harassment Restraining Orders? 
(Civil Harassment Prevention)
CH-120-INFO How Can I Respond to a Request for  
Civil Harassment Restraining Orders?
What is a civil harassment restraining order? 
It is a court order that prohibits you from doing certain  
things and going to certain places.
What does the order do? 
The court can order you to:
Not contact the person who asked for the order
Stay away from that person and the person’s home and 
workplace
Not have any firearms (guns), firearm parts, 
ammunition, or body armor as long as the order is in 
effect. This includes firearm receivers and frames, and 
any item that may be used as or easily turned into a 
receiver or frame (see Penal Code section 16531).
For more information about the items you would not be 
allowed to have, please see 
Who can ask for a civil harassment  
restraining order? 
A person who is worried about safety because they have 
been or are being:
Stalked
Harassed
Assaulted, including sexually, or 
Threatened with violence
I've been served with a request for civil  
harassment restraining orders. What do I  do 
now? 
Read the papers served on you very carefully. The Notice 
of Court Hearing tells you when to appear in court. There 
may also be a Temporary Restraining Order forbidding 
you from doing certain things. You must obey the order 
until the hearing.
What if I don't agree with what the order  
says?
You still must obey the order until the hearing. If you 
disagree with the orders the person is asking for, fill out 
form CH-120, Response to Request for Civil Harassment 
Restraining Orders, before your hearing date and file it 
with the court. If you need to include attachments, you can 
use form MC-025. You can get the forms from legal 
publishers or from the California Courts website at 
courts.ca.gov/rules-forms/find-your-court-forms. Forms 
may also be at your local courthouse or county law library.
What if I don't obey the order? 
The police can arrest you. You can go to jail and pay a  
fine.
Do I have to serve the other person with a  
copy of my response?
Yes. Have someone age 18 or older— not you—mail a  
copy of completed form CH-120 to the person who asked 
for the order (or that person’s lawyer). (This is called 
“service by mail.”)
The person who serves the form by mail must fill out form 
CH-250, Proof of Service by Mail. Have the person who 
did the mailing sign the original. Take the completed form 
back to the court clerk or bring it with you to the hearing.
Should I go to the court hearing?
Yes. You should go to court on the date listed on form  
CH-109, Notice of Court Hearing. If you do not go to the 
hearing, the judge can make orders against you without 
hearing from you.
CH-120-INFO, Page 1 of 2

For your protection and privacy, please press the Clear 
button after you have printed the form.
 Rev. January 1, 2026 How Can I Respond to a Request for Civil 
Harassment Restraining Orders? 
(Civil Harassment Prevention)
CH-120-INFO How Can I Respond to a Request for  
Civil Harassment Restraining Orders?
If the court issued a temporary restraining order before the 
hearing, it will last until your hearing date. At that time, the 
court will decide to continue or cancel the order. Any order 
issued at the hearing can last for up to five years.
How long does the order last?
Do I need a lawyer?
Having a lawyer is always a good idea, but it is not  
required, and you are not entitled to a free, court-appointed 
attorney. Ask the court clerk about free and low-cost legal 
services and self-help centers in your county.
Will I see the person who asked for the order 
at the court hearing?
Yes. Assume that the person who is asking for the order 
will attend the hearing. Do not talk to them unless the 
judge or that person’s attorney says that you can.
Can I bring a witness to the court hearing? 
Yes. You can bring witnesses or documents that support 
your case to the hearing. But if possible, you should also 
bring the witnesses’ written statements of what they saw or 
heard. Their statements must be made under penalty of 
perjury. You can use form MC-030 for this.
See selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/CH-restraining-order.
Information about the process is also 
available online.
For help in your area, contact: 
[Local information may be inserted.]
What if I don't speak English?
When you file your papers, ask the clerk if a court 
interpreter is available. You can also use form INT-300, 
Request for Interpreter (Civil), or a local court form or 
website to request an interpreter. For more information 
about court interpreters, go to 
What if I have a firearm (gun), firearm part, or 
ammunition?
If a restraining order is issued, you cannot own, possess, or 
have a firearm (gun), firearm parts, ammunition, or body 
armor while the order is in effect. If you have a firearm 
(gun), firearm parts, or ammunition, you must sell it to or 
store it with a licensed gun dealer, or turn it in to a law 
enforcement agency.
What if I need to have a firearm or 
ammunition for my job?
If the judge grants a restraining order against you, you 
cannot have firearms or ammunition. The judge may give 
you permission to have a firearm or ammunition for work. 
Before permission can be granted, you will be required to 
show the judge that (1) carrying a firearm or ammunition is 
required for your work, and (2) your employer is unable to 
reassign you to another position where carrying a firearm 
or ammunition is not necessary. There are other things that 
you will have to prove. For more information, go to 
selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/respond-to-CH-restraining-order/
obey-firearms-orders/exception, or see Code of Civil 
Procedure section 527.9(f).
Can I agree with the protected person to 
cancel the order?
No. Once the order is issued, only the judge can change or 
cancel it. You or the protected person would have to file a 
request with the court to cancel the order.
What if I have a disability?
If you have a disability and need an accommodation while 
you are at court, you can use form MC-410, Disability 
Accommodation Request, to make your request. You can 
also ask the ADA Coordinator in your court for help. For 
more information, see form MC-410-INFO, How to 
Request a Disability Accommodation for Court.
What if I need to have body armor?
If you need to have and use body armor for your work, 
livelihood, or safety, you may ask for an exception with 
the chief of police or sheriff in the county where you will 
have and use the body armor (see Penal Code section 
31360(c)).
CH-120-INFO, Page 2 of 2

Retrieval chunks

• #1

  Form ID: CH-120-INFO Title: How Can I Respond to a Request for Civil Harassment Restraining Orders? Effective Date: 2026-01-01 Mandatory Form: no Languages: 汉语, 한국어, español, Tiếng Việt Info Page: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/CH-120-INFO Primary Download URL: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/ch120i…

• #2

  of Court Hearing tells you when to appear in court. There may also be a Temporary Restraining Order forbidding you from doing certain things. You must obey the order until the hearing. What if I don't agree with what the order says? You still must obey the order until the hearing. If you disagree with the order…

• #3

  Yes. Assume that the person who is asking for the order will attend the hearing. Do not talk to them unless the judge or that person’s attorney says that you can. Can I bring a witness to the court hearing? Yes. You can bring witnesses or documents that support your case to the hearing. But if possible, you shoul…

• #4

  also ask the ADA Coordinator in your court for help. For more information, see form MC-410-INFO, How to Request a Disability Accommodation for Court. What if I need to have body armor? If you need to have and use body armor for your work, livelihood, or safety, you may ask for an exception with the chief of poli…