Filing a Protective or Peace Order in Maryland: how to handle address confidentiality, what relief you can ask for, and risks of false statements

On Maryland's domestic-violence protective order petition, you don't have to list your home address if doing so would put you at risk. The form acknowledges that sharing an address can lead to further harm or abuse - and it specifically addresses situations where an address might reveal a shelter's confidential location. If providing your address is unsafe, use the form's option to proceed without it.

The Maryland Petition for Peace Order works the same way: you don't need to provide your address if doing so risks further harm. Keep in mind that the respondent gets a copy of what you file. Think through what information could expose where you're staying, and use the form's built-in option when you need to protect your location.

One of the most fundamental protections you can request on the domestic-violence protective order form is an order prohibiting the respondent from abusing you or threatening to abuse you. This puts a clear line in writing: abuse and threats are prohibited, and violations can be addressed as violations of a court order.

You can also ask the court to order the respondent not to contact you, attempt to contact you, or harass you. That "attempt to contact" language matters - it covers calls, messages, third-party outreach, and the kind of repeated unwanted communication that often needs to stop.

If your safety concerns are tied to specific places, the form lets you request "stay away" provisions. You can ask the court to order the respondent not to go to listed residences, schools, child care providers, or workplaces. The goal: reduce the chances of run-ins, intimidation, or escalation in the places you need to be for daily life.

If you believe you've been a victim of abuse and there's a danger of serious and immediate injury, the protective order paperwork lets you request help from a police officer or local law enforcement agency. This can be critical when you need to retrieve essentials - clothes, medicine, medical devices, or other personal effects - but going back on your own could trigger immediate danger.

1. State that you need law-enforcement assistance - use the option on the protective order paperwork that allows you to request a police officer or local law enforcement agency when you believe there is danger of serious and immediate injury.
2. Be specific about what you need to retrieve - list the essentials you’re trying to get (for example, clothes, medicine, medical devices, and personal effects), so the request is clear.
3. Keep the request tied to immediate safety risk - this option is meant for situations where you believe there’s a danger of serious and immediate injury, not routine property disputes.

Be careful with what you put in a Maryland Petition for Peace Order. Knowingly providing false information is a misdemeanor. The penalty: a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both.

Practical Tips

• ✓ If listing your home address would risk further harm (or reveal a shelter location), use the form option that lets you omit it.
• ✓ If your peace order filing includes restricted information, follow the form’s instruction to include the required notice and mark the restricted-information box.

• ✓ Double-check every factual statement you make in a peace order petition - knowingly false information can lead to a misdemeanor charge with up to $1,000 in fines and/or up to 90 days in jail.
• ✓ Write your requested relief clearly (no-abuse/no-threats, no-contact/no-harassment, and stay-away locations like residences, school, child care, and workplace) so the court can see exactly what protections you’re asking for.
• ✓ If you’re unsure how to fill out a section, ask the clerk for additional paper if needed and get help understanding what the form is asking before you sign.

If you're requesting police or law-enforcement assistance because you believe there's danger of serious and immediate injury, make that request directly on the protective order paperwork. And if the danger is immediate, prioritize getting to safety first - then use the court process and the form's options to document what you need help with.