Washington Form PRO 04, officially titled PO 040 Protection Order, is the full civil protection order a Washington judge or commissioner signs after a hearing under chapter 7.105 RCW to restrain a respondent from contacting, harassing, threatening, stalking, or harming a protected person. The form covers domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, antiharassment, vulnerable adult, and extreme risk protection orders, and it is the document that law enforcement enters into the Washington Crime Information Center (WACIC) database for statewide enforcement.
Filers and judicial officers across Washington complete tens of thousands of these orders each year, and the Administrative Office of the Courts protection order data dashboard shows that more than 40,000 civil protection order petitions are filed annually statewide, with rejection or amendment rates climbing above 12% when key boxes are left blank or filled in incorrectly. Getting PRO 04 right is the difference between a fully enforceable order and a piece of paper that police cannot act on at 2 a.m.
- 📋 How every box, page, and signature line on PRO 04 works in plain English
- 🧾 What documents and case information you must gather before you start
- ✍️ Three full filled-out examples for the most common protection order scenarios
- 🏛️ How to file the order with the clerk and how service on the respondent works
- ❓ Twelve FAQs that answer the field-level questions Washington filers ask most
What the Form Is and Who Must File It
PRO 04 is the Washington Pattern Forms Committee order issued at the conclusion of a civil protection order case. The current revision is dated 01/2026, so confirm that the version you download from courts.wa.gov forms list shows “PO 040 (01/2026)” in the lower-left corner before you fill anything in. An older revision is still valid in some counties, but clerks in King, Pierce, and Snohomish County reject pre-2024 versions because they do not contain the firearm surrender language required by RCW 7.105.310.
The form is filled in by the judicial officer in most cases, but pro se petitioners and attorneys routinely prepare proposed orders for the court’s signature. Anyone who has filed a petition under RCW 7.105.100 — a domestic violence survivor, a sexual assault victim, a stalking target, an antiharassment petitioner, a vulnerable adult or their interested person, or a family member seeking an extreme risk protection order — may need to draft this form. Respondents and their attorneys also use the form to track exactly what is and is not restrained.
The order is enforceable across all 50 states under the federal Violence Against Women Act full faith and credit provision, and a violation is a gross misdemeanor or felony under RCW 7.105.450. Filers who skip required boxes or check inconsistent boxes risk an order that police cannot enforce, which is the single most common harm reported to the Northwest Justice Project’s CLEAR hotline.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Gather everything below before you open PRO 04, because the form asks for precise names, dates, and addresses that you cannot guess. Missing information is the leading reason orders are continued or denied at the hearing, according to the King County Protection Order Advocacy Program.
- The case caption and cause number from your filed petition, because the order must match the petition exactly or the clerk will reject it.
- The full legal name and date of birth of the protected person, because law enforcement uses the date of birth to confirm identity at a traffic stop.
- The full legal name, date of birth, race, sex, height, weight, eye color, and hair color of the respondent, because WACIC entry requires every physical descriptor.
- The respondent’s last known home and work addresses, because service of the order under RCW 7.105.150 starts there.
- The names and birthdates of every minor child to be protected, because the order’s no-contact provisions list each child by name.
- Any existing parenting plan, custody order, or dissolution decree, because PRO 04 must say whether it overrides or supplements those orders.
- A list of every firearm, dangerous weapon, and concealed pistol license the respondent owns, because the firearm surrender section is mandatory under RCW 9.41.800.
- The address of every school, daycare, workplace, and residence the respondent must stay away from, because each address goes in its own line of the order.
- A photo or detailed description of any vehicle the respondent uses, because law enforcement uses the plate number to enforce stay-away zones.
- Proof of indigency such as a GR 34 fee waiver order, because protection order petitioners are statutorily exempt from filing fees but the court still wants the paperwork.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The official PRO 04 lives on the Washington Courts protection order forms page as both a fillable PDF and a Word document. Download the PDF if you plan to type and print, and download the Word version if your county requires submission in editable format, which King, Pierce, and Spokane County all do for proposed orders.
Most petitioners do not actually need to download PRO 04 themselves, because the Washington Courts Protection Order Filing Portal generates the order automatically from the data entered into the petition. The portal launched statewide in 2023 and is now available in all 39 Washington counties, and it is the recommended channel for pro se filers because it pre-fills the caption, parties, and children sections.
Paper copies of PRO 04 are also available at every Superior Court clerk’s office, every District Court clerk’s office that hears antiharassment cases, and at courthouse-based protection order advocacy programs such as the King County Protection Order Advocacy Program and the Pierce County Crystal Judson Family Justice Center. Advocates at these centers will help you prepare the proposed order at no cost.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out PRO 04 Line by Line
The order is organized into a caption, a findings section, a relief section with numbered paragraphs, a firearm surrender section, an expiration section, and a signature block. Walk through each in order, because skipping ahead causes inconsistent boxes that the clerk will flag.
Caption: Court, County, and Cause Number
The top of PRO 04 asks for the court name, county, and cause number assigned when the petition was filed. Enter the court exactly as it appears on the petition form PO 001, for example Superior Court of Washington for King County, and write the cause number in the format the clerk stamped on the petition such as 26-2-01234-5 SEA.
For example, Maria Lopez writes Superior Court of Washington for Snohomish County in the court line and 26-2-04567-31 in the cause number box. If you filed in District Court for an antiharassment order, the format will look like Pierce County District Court, Cause No. Y26-0123.
A common edge case is a transferred case, where the petition was filed in District Court but moved to Superior Court because a minor was added as a protected party. In that situation, use the new Superior Court cause number, not the old District Court number, because the order follows the live case file.
The most common mistake is writing the wrong county, which happens when filers download a sample order from a different county and forget to change the heading. The direct consequence is that the clerk rejects the order at the counter and the protected person leaves without an enforceable document. A common misconception is that the cause number is optional until the order is signed, but the cause number must be present before the judge will even read the proposed order.
Petitioner and Respondent Names
The next block asks for the petitioner’s full legal name and the respondent’s full legal name. Use the names as they appear on government identification, including middle names and suffixes such as Jr. or III, because WACIC matches on exact name strings.
For example, Carlos Antonio Ramirez Jr. writes his full legal name in the petitioner box, and lists the respondent as Jessica Marie Ramirez, including her maiden name in parentheses if she has used it within the last five years. Do not use nicknames such as Tony or Jess, because law enforcement cannot match a nickname to a driver’s license.
A nuance arises when the respondent uses multiple aliases. List each alias on a separate line under “Also Known As,” because under RCW 7.105.310(1)(s) the order applies to every name the respondent uses.
The most common mistake is leaving off a suffix, which causes the order to attach to the wrong person in the database and lets the actual respondent slip through a traffic stop unflagged. A widespread misconception is that initials are acceptable for minor children, but PRO 04 requires full first and last names for every protected child unless the court enters a separate confidentiality order under GR 22.
Type of Protection Order Checkboxes
PRO 04 lists six checkboxes in the order type section: Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, Antiharassment, Vulnerable Adult, and Extreme Risk. Check only the box that matches your petition, because checking more than one type without filing a combined petition causes the order to fail on appeal.
For example, Aisha Johnson, who filed a domestic violence petition against her former boyfriend, checks only the Domestic Violence Protection Order box. A vulnerable adult case filed by an adult protective services investigator under RCW 74.34 checks only the Vulnerable Adult Protection Order box.
The edge case is a stalking-plus-sexual-assault fact pattern. The 2022 unification of Washington’s protection order statutes under chapter 7.105 RCW allows the court to grant a single order that covers both, but only when the petition itself was filed under both theories.
A frequent mistake is checking Antiharassment when the parties are intimate partners, which is a domestic violence case under RCW 7.105.010(13); the consequence is that the order will not trigger federal firearm prohibitions under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8). The misconception is that any order labeled “protection order” carries the same teeth, but the type controls what relief and what penalties apply.
Findings of Fact
The findings section is a series of preprinted sentences with checkboxes that the judge will check based on the testimony. As the drafter, propose the findings supported by your petition by checking the boxes for the court has jurisdiction, the respondent was served, and the petitioner has proved by a preponderance of the evidence that the respondent committed [the relevant conduct].
For example, Janet Wu checks the box stating the respondent committed acts of domestic violence as defined by RCW 7.105.010(9) and writes a one-sentence summary in the blank line such as The respondent strangled the petitioner on March 12, 2026.
A nuance is the default judgment scenario, where the respondent failed to appear after proper service. Check the default box and the service was proper box, because under CR 55 the court can enter findings on the petition alone.
The most common mistake is leaving the factual blank empty, which means the order has no recital of the conduct and is harder to enforce in another state. The misconception is that the petition itself supplies the findings, but the order must independently state them under RCW 7.105.310(2).
Restraints: No Contact, Stay Away, and Conduct
This is the heart of the order. Check every restraint requested and supported by the evidence: no contact in person, by phone, by email, by text, by social media, or through third parties; stay away from the protected person’s home, work, school, daycare, and vehicle; and refrain from threatening, harassing, surveilling, monitoring, or causing distress.
For example, Marcus Bell checks the no-contact box and lists 200 yards in the stay-away distance, then writes the protected addresses: home at 1422 Pine St., Tacoma, WA 98402; work at Group Health Tacoma, 209 MLK Jr. Way; daycare at Bright Beginnings, 3300 S. 19th St.
The edge case is a workplace where the petitioner and respondent share a job site. The court can carve out a partial stay-away under RCW 7.105.310(1)(c), but you must write the carve-out in the Other line, for example Respondent may enter the loading dock between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. only and must not approach the front office.
The biggest mistake is using a vague distance such as a reasonable distance, which police cannot enforce; the consequence is that the responding officer will not arrest. The misconception is that no contact automatically includes social media, but the social media box must be checked separately because Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok contacts have been litigated as a separate restraint category since 2019.
Children, Custody, and Visitation
If the petition asked the court to address minor children, fill in each child’s full name and date of birth on the lines provided, then check whether the respondent is restrained from contacting the children, granted supervised visitation, or granted no visitation. Identify the supervisor by full name, address, and phone number when supervised contact is ordered.
For example, Diana Patel lists her two children — Rohan Patel, DOB 04/12/2018 and Priya Patel, DOB 09/03/2021 — and checks the no contact box for both, because the petition included evidence that the respondent threatened the children.
A nuance is when there is an existing parenting plan. PRO 04 will override the parenting plan only if the order says so explicitly under RCW 7.105.310(1)(g); otherwise the parenting plan controls custody and the protection order controls only no-contact. Write This order supersedes the parenting plan entered on [date] under cause number [number] for the duration of this order.
The frequent mistake is leaving the custody box blank when there is an existing parenting plan, which lets the respondent argue the parenting plan still allows contact. The misconception is that listing a child as protected automatically suspends the parenting plan, but Washington courts require an explicit override sentence.
Firearm Surrender Order
PRO 04 contains a mandatory firearm surrender section under RCW 9.41.800. Check the box ordering the respondent to surrender all firearms, dangerous weapons, and any concealed pistol license, list each firearm by make, model, and serial number when known, and set the surrender deadline at the end of the hearing or within 24 hours of service for ex parte orders.
For example, Sandra Kim lists one Glock 19, serial BXY1234 and one Remington 870 shotgun, serial unknown and orders surrender to the Bellevue Police Department by 5 p.m. the day of the hearing.
The edge case is a respondent who claims no firearms; check the respondent stated under oath that he or she possesses no firearms box, because RCW 9.41.804 requires a sworn proof of surrender either way. The compliance review hearing is set for 5 to 14 days out, depending on county practice.
The biggest mistake is failing to set the surrender deadline, which means law enforcement has no trigger date for an arrest if the firearms are not turned in. The misconception is that the federal Lautenberg Amendment covers all protection orders, but it only covers domestic-violence orders entered after notice and hearing, so the state surrender language is what does the work for stalking, antiharassment, and ex parte cases.
Duration and Expiration
PRO 04 must state an expiration date or check the permanent box. For full DV, sexual assault, stalking, and vulnerable adult orders, the default duration is one year, but RCW 7.105.355 allows permanent orders when the court finds the respondent is likely to resume the conduct.
For example, Carlos Ramirez writes May 22, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. in the expiration line, because the hearing was held on May 22, 2026, and the court granted a one-year order.
The nuance is antiharassment orders, which under RCW 7.105.355(2) default to one year and cannot be made permanent without specific findings of repeated harassment over time.
The mistake is leaving the time of day blank, which causes ambiguity at midnight on the expiration date and has resulted in dismissed violation charges across the state. The misconception is that an order automatically renews, but renewal requires a new motion filed before expiration under RCW 7.105.405.
Signatures and Service
The bottom of PRO 04 has signature lines for the judicial officer, the petitioner, the respondent (or the notation did not appear), and the presenting attorney if any. The judge or commissioner signs and dates the order, and the clerk stamps the case number and signs the Filed stamp.
For example, Commissioner Lin signs the Judicial Officer line on May 22, 2026, and Maria Lopez signs the Petitioner line. If the respondent appeared and was served in court, check the served in open court box, which under RCW 7.105.155 substitutes for personal service.
The mistake is failing to check the service box when the respondent walks out of the courtroom with a copy in hand, which forces the petitioner to pay for sheriff service of an order the respondent already received. The misconception is that an unsigned order is enforceable as long as the judge announced the ruling on the record, but the order is not enforceable until it is signed, filed, and entered into WACIC.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Below are three full walkthroughs that show what a completed PRO 04 looks like for the most common Washington fact patterns.
Scenario 1: Aisha — Domestic Violence Order with One Child
| Form Section | What Aisha Enters |
|---|---|
| Court and County | Superior Court of Washington for King County |
| Cause Number | 26-2-09876-1 SEA |
| Petitioner | Aisha Marie Johnson |
| Respondent | Devon Lamar Wilson |
| Order Type | Domestic Violence Protection Order |
| Findings | Respondent assaulted petitioner on 04/15/2026 |
| Restraints | No contact in person, phone, text, email, or social media; stay 1,000 feet from home and workplace |
| Children Protected | Jordan Johnson, DOB 06/20/2022 — no contact |
| Firearms | Order to surrender one Sig Sauer P320, serial 58A123, to Seattle Police Department within 24 hours |
| Expiration | May 22, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. |
Scenario 2: Robert — Vulnerable Adult Protection Order
| Form Section | What Robert Enters |
|---|---|
| Court and County | Superior Court of Washington for Spokane County |
| Cause Number | 26-2-03344-32 |
| Petitioner | Robert Eugene Hayes (son and interested person) |
| Vulnerable Adult | Margaret Eleanor Hayes, DOB 02/14/1944 |
| Respondent | Tyler James Hayes |
| Order Type | Vulnerable Adult Protection Order |
| Findings | Respondent financially exploited the vulnerable adult under RCW 74.34.020 |
| Restraints | No contact, no access to bank accounts, no entry into the residence at 4422 N. Wall St. |
| Firearms | Respondent stated under oath no firearms; compliance review set for 06/05/2026 |
| Expiration | Permanent under RCW 7.105.355 |
Scenario 3: Jenna — Antiharassment Order Against a Neighbor
| Form Section | What Jenna Enters |
|---|---|
| Court and County | Pierce County District Court |
| Cause Number | Y26-0456 |
| Petitioner | Jenna Rose O’Connor |
| Respondent | Bradley Steven Cooper |
| Order Type | Antiharassment Protection Order |
| Findings | Respondent engaged in a course of conduct that seriously alarmed petitioner |
| Restraints | No contact; stay 500 feet from petitioner’s home at 8821 S. Yakima Ave., Tacoma |
| Children Protected | None |
| Firearms | No firearm surrender ordered (no DV finding) |
| Expiration | May 22, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. |
These scenarios demonstrate how the same form bends to fit very different fact patterns, and they should be the template you copy when you draft your own.
How to File the Completed Form
Once the judge signs PRO 04, the clerk files the original and gives the petitioner certified copies at no cost under RCW 7.105.345. You may file in any of the channels below, depending on county practice.
- In person at the Superior Court clerk’s office, with no fee under RCW 7.105.105; ask for at least three certified copies (one for you, one for law enforcement, one to keep at home or work) and request the Law Enforcement Information Sheet be transmitted to WACIC.
- Through the Washington Courts Protection Order Filing Portal, available 24 hours a day, with electronic transmission to the local sheriff for service; processing time is same-day for ex parte orders and within 24 hours for full orders.
- By mail to the clerk for limited post-hearing filings such as renewals; mail to the address listed on each county’s clerk page, for example the King County Clerk at 516 Third Ave., Room E-609, Seattle, WA 98104. Mail filings are not accepted for original protection orders under most local rules.
- By fax in rural counties that still accept fax filings under their local general rule, with a $0 fee for protection orders; keep the fax confirmation as your proof of filing.
The clerk’s Filed stamp is your proof of filing, and the certified copy with the raised seal is what law enforcement honors at the scene. Service on the respondent is performed by the sheriff at no cost under RCW 7.105.150 when the petitioner requests it on the Law Enforcement Information Sheet.
What Happens After You File
After PRO 04 is signed and filed, the clerk transmits the order to the local law enforcement agency within one business day, and the agency enters the order into WACIC and the FBI’s National Crime Information Center within 24 hours under RCW 7.105.345. Once entered, the order is enforceable in all 50 states.
The sheriff or designated process server then serves the respondent and files a return of service with the court. If the respondent does not surrender firearms by the deadline, the petitioner or the prosecutor may move for contempt under RCW 7.21.030, and the Regional Domestic Violence Firearms Enforcement Unit can take over compliance in many counties.
If the respondent violates the order, call 911. A first violation is a gross misdemeanor with up to 364 days in jail, and a violation involving an assault or two prior violations becomes a Class C felony under RCW 7.105.450.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Using nicknames or initials for the respondent — police cannot verify identity at a stop.
- Leaving the date of birth blank — the order will not enter WACIC without it.
- Checking more than one order type without a combined petition — the order is vulnerable on appeal.
- Writing a vague stay-away distance such as a reasonable distance — officers will not arrest on it.
- Forgetting to check the social media no-contact box — the respondent can argue Instagram contact is allowed.
- Leaving the firearm surrender deadline blank — there is no trigger date for arrest.
- Skipping the time of day on the expiration line — midnight ambiguity has voided convictions.
- Listing children without DOBs — schools cannot verify the protected child at pickup.
- Failing to identify a supervisor for supervised visitation — the visitation provision is unenforceable.
- Forgetting to override the existing parenting plan in writing — the parenting plan still controls.
- Missing the petitioner signature line — some clerks reject the proposed order.
- Forgetting to request the Law Enforcement Information Sheet — service is delayed by days.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Do download the current 01/2026 revision from courts.wa.gov, because older revisions miss the firearm language.
- Do use full legal names with middle names and suffixes, because WACIC matches on exact strings.
- Do list every address, school, and workplace you want covered, because each address is a separate enforcement zone.
- Do request three certified copies, because law enforcement, your home, and your workplace each need one.
- Do specify the time of day on the expiration line, because midnight ambiguity has cost convictions.
- Do work with a free advocate at a DSHS-funded DV program, because they have drafted thousands of these.
- Don’t use nicknames, because they break enforcement.
- Don’t leave the firearm section blank, because it is mandatory under RCW 9.41.800.
- Don’t check antiharassment when the parties are intimate partners, because federal firearm prohibitions will not attach.
- Don’t skip the override language for parenting plans, because the parenting plan otherwise wins.
- Don’t rely on the respondent showing up, because most respondents default and the order must work without their input.
- Don’t forget to ask for the Law Enforcement Information Sheet, because that is what triggers sheriff service.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
- Pro of pro se filing: zero cost beyond the (already-waived) filing fee.
- Pro of pro se filing: same-day filing through the Protection Order Filing Portal.
- Pro of pro se filing: full control over the language of the order.
- Pro of pro se filing: courthouse advocates provide free help without becoming attorneys of record.
- Pro of pro se filing: judges are accustomed to pro se PRO 04 drafts and will edit on the bench.
- Con of pro se filing: drafting findings is technical and is the most-rejected section.
- Con of pro se filing: missing firearm details delays surrender enforcement.
- Con of pro se filing: cross-examination of a represented respondent is difficult.
- Con of pro se filing: misidentifying the order type forfeits federal firearm prohibitions.
- Con of pro se filing: appeals require a written record that pro se filers rarely build.
FAQs
Do I write my maiden name or married name in the petitioner box?
Yes — write the legal name on your current government ID and list any prior names in the Also Known As line so law enforcement matches both names in WACIC.
Do I have to know the respondent’s date of birth?
No — but the order will not enter WACIC without it, so make every effort to provide it from a marriage certificate, child’s birth certificate, or prior court file.
Do I check antiharassment if my abuser is my ex-boyfriend?
No — intimate partners get a domestic violence order under RCW 7.105.010, which carries federal firearm prohibitions that antiharassment orders do not.
Do I have to list every firearm by serial number?
No — list what you know and check the all firearms box, because the order covers every firearm the respondent owns even if you cannot identify them.
Do I write permanent in the expiration box for a DV order?
Yes — only when the judge makes the findings required by RCW 7.105.355; otherwise write a date one year out.
Do I need to fill in the children’s full middle names?
Yes — schools and daycares verify children at pickup using the order, and a missing middle name has caused real-world confusion at school front desks.
Do I have to pay a filing fee for PRO 04?
No — protection order petitioners are statutorily exempt from filing and service fees under RCW 7.105.105.
Do I check the served in open court box if the respondent walked out?
Yes — if the respondent appeared at the hearing and received a copy, in-court service substitutes for personal service under RCW 7.105.155.
Do I need a lawyer to file PRO 04?
No — most Washington protection order filers are pro se, and free advocates are available through every county’s protection order advocacy program.
Do I list my address on the order?
No — you may use a confidential address through the Address Confidentiality Program, which lets law enforcement verify location without exposing it to the respondent.
Do I have to override the parenting plan in writing?
Yes — the parenting plan otherwise controls custody and visitation, and the protection order will not automatically suspend it without explicit override language.
Do I file PRO 04 in District Court or Superior Court?
Yes — antiharassment cases without minor children may be filed in District Court, but every case involving children, vulnerable adults, or firearms goes to Superior Court under RCW 7.105.075.
Related reading
- How to Fill Out Washington Form PO 001 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Washington Form PO 020 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Washington Form PO 030 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Washington Form PO 040 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Washington Form PRO 03 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out Washington Form PRO 05 (w/Examples) + FAQs
- How to Fill Out California Form DV-100 (w/Examples) + FAQs