Civil Protection Orders

You can file a domestic violence protection order petition through the Skagit County Customer Portal.

You can file this petition if you are a victim of domestic violence or you fear violence by a family or household member. This includes:

• Adults who are related by blood or marriage.
• Adults who do or did reside together.
• Persons 16 years or older who have or had a dating relationship.
• Persons who are or were domestic partners.
• Persons who are or were married.
• Persons who have a child in common.
• Persons with a biological or legal parent-child relationship, including stepparents and stepchildren, and grandparents and grandchildren.

You can file a sexual assault protection order petition through the Skagit County Customer Portal.

A petition can be filed by:

• A person, 16 or older, who is a victim of sexual assault (unless the victim qualifies for a domestic violence protection order).
• Any person* on behalf of a victim of sexual assault (unless the victim qualifies for a domestic violence protection order) who is a child.
• Any person* on behalf of a victim of sexual assault (unless the victim qualifies for a domestic violence protection order) who is a vulnerable adult as defined in RCW 74.34.020.
• Any person* on behalf of a victim of sexual assault (unless the victim qualifies for a domestic violence protection order) who is an adult who cannot petition due to age, disability, health, or inaccessibility.

*The court may require the participation of a parent or guardian on behalf of a minor. The court will determine if a person has legal standing to file a petition on behalf of another person.

"Sexual assault" means:

• Forced display of the genitals, anus, or breasts for the purpose of sexually arousing another.
• Nonconsensual (meaning lack of freely given agreement) sexual touching of the genitals, anus, or breasts, either directly or through clothing.
• Nonconsensual sexual penetration, however slight, of the genitals or anus by a body part of another, including the mouth, or the use of objects.

You can file an anti-harassment protection order petition through the Skagit County Customer Portal.

The law requires a $53 filing fee in anti-harassment cases filed in Superior Court. See the petition for exceptions.

A petition can be filed by:

• An adult who is a victim of unlawful harassment.
• Parents, on behalf of their child, against a minor who is under investigation or has been adjudicated of an offense against the child.
• Parents, on behalf of their child, against an adult whose behavior is detrimental to the child.

"Unlawful harassment" means:

A knowing and willful course of conduct that seriously alarms, annoys, harasses, or is detrimental to you, and that serves no legitimate or lawful purpose. The conduct must be such that it would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress and must cause substantial emotional distress to you. It also applies when the course of conduct would cause a reasonable parent to fear for the well-being of their child.

"Course of conduct" means a pattern of conduct made up of a series of acts over a period of time, however short, that shows a continuity of purpose.

You can file a vulnerable adult protection order petition through the Skagit County Customer Portal.

A petition can be filed by:

• A legal guardian, legal fiduciary, the Department of Social and Health Services, or an "interested person" on behalf of the vulnerable adult.
• A vulnerable adult who is a victim of abandonment, abuse (sexual, mental, or physical), financial exploitation, or neglect.

"Vulnerable adult" includes:

• Someone who is 18 years or older and has a developmental disability.
• Someone who is 18 years or older and has been admitted to a Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) licensed care facility or has received in-home care from a provider under DSHS contract.
• Someone who is 18 years or older and self-directs at-home care from a compensated personal aide.
• Someone who is 18 years or older and was found incapacitated.
• Someone who is over 60 years old and without the functional, mental, or physical ability to care for themselves.

*The court will determine if the vulnerable adult is unable, due to incapacity, undue influence, or duress, to protect their own interest.

*The court will determine if a person has legal standing to file a petition on behalf of the vulnerable adult.

You can file a stalking protection order petition through the Skagit County Customer Portal.

Stalking conduct may include a person intentionally and repeatedly harassing or following another person. The person who is being harassed or followed is placed in fear for themselves or their property. Stalking conduct also includes behaviors that intend to frighten, intimidate, or harass another person, even if the stalker did not intend to place the person in fear or intimidate or harass the person.

Cyberstalking conduct may include the intent to harass, intimidate, torment, or embarrass any other person. The stalker makes an electronic communication to another person using any lewd, lascivious, indecent, or obscene words, images, or language, or suggests the commission of any lewd act.