0800 COURTS closes at 3:00pm 24 December 2025, for urgent matters (relating to family matter or bail conditions), please call 0800 253 425. 0800 4 FINES closes at 7:00pm, 24 December 2025. Our Contact Centres will reopen at 8:00am on Monday 5 January 2026. National Office (Aitken Street, Wellington) reception will be closed from 3:00pm on Friday 19 December, reopening at 8:00am on Monday 5 January 2026. For more information, see Court and Tribunal hours
The court can say how long the Restraining Order will last.
If the court doesn’t set a time limit on the Restraining Order, it’ll last for 1 year.
You can ask the court to make the Restraining Order last longer if you need protection for longer. This is called varying an Order.
You can also ask the court to end (discharge) the Restraining Order early. You’ll have to prove to the court that it’s not needed anymore.
To do this, you’ll need to fill in an application to vary or discharge a Restraining Order and some other forms.
Apply to vary or discharge a Restraining Order
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