Need a Safety, Protection, Barring, or Emergency Barring Order? The District Court process is FREE and same-day in emergencies.

Get safe right now

Before anything else, focus on physical safety and on preserving the documents you will need for an application under the Domestic Violence Act 2018.

• If you are in immediate danger, dial Garda on 999 or 112. Tell the call-taker that this is a domestic abuse incident and that you need a Garda response now.
• Call Women's Aid 1800 341 900 (24/7, freephone, 170-language interpretation) for confidential support and a safety plan. Men experiencing abuse can call Men's Aid 01 554 3811 during business hours.
• Secure your documents. Photograph or scan and send to a trusted email: passport / IRP card, PPS number, driving licence, tenancy or mortgage papers, bank cards and statements, children's birth certificates, medical letters, and any evidence of abuse (photographs of injuries, threatening messages, voicemails, GP notes).
• Tell one trusted person where you are and where you might go. A friend, family member, GP, or refuge can be an emergency contact for Garda.
• If you have children, take their immunisation / school documents if you can do so safely. The District Court can include children in a Safety, Barring, or Protection Order under the Domestic Violence Act 2018.

The five District Court orders under DVA 2018

The Domestic Violence Act 2018 created (or restated) five distinct civil orders. You do not need a solicitor to apply for any of them. Court staff at your local District Court office can give you the Order 59 application form and explain how to file it.

Breach of any order under the Domestic Violence Act 2018 is a criminal offence and Garda can arrest without warrant. Keep a certified copy of your order with you and give your local Garda station a copy.

Coercive control is a crime — DVA 2018 s.39

Section 39 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018 created the standalone criminal offence of coercive control. It captures a pattern of psychological, emotional, financial, or other non-physical abuse by a spouse, civil partner, or intimate partner where the conduct has a serious effect on the other person.

• Summary conviction — up to 12 months' imprisonment and/or a Class A fine.
• Conviction on indictment — up to 5 years' imprisonment and/or a fine.
• Coercive control can be charged alongside, or independently of, any application for a civil order under DVA 2018.
• Garda investigation of coercive control is led through the Garda National Domestic Abuse Unit (NDAU) within GNPSB, with frontline support from your local Garda station.

Ireland currently has no Clare's Law equivalent — there is no statutory right for a partner to request information from Garda about a new partner's prior violent history. "Jennie's Law" has been proposed as a Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme but has not yet commenced. If you are concerned about a new partner, raise the concern with Women's Aid or Men's Aid rather than relying on a disclosure scheme that does not yet exist.

The court fee is ZERO — in camera by default — legal aid

The Irish District Court does not charge a fee to apply for any order under the Domestic Violence Act 2018. There is no filing fee, no service fee, and no fee to enforce a breach. Hearings are held in camera (in private) by default — the public and reporters are excluded unless the court otherwise directs.

• You do not need a solicitor. Court office staff can give you the Order 59 application form. Women's Aid and Men's Aid can accompany you to court.
• Civil legal aid is available through the Legal Aid Board if you meet the means test — broadly, disposable income under €18,000 and disposable capital under €100,000 (the family home is disregarded in the capital calculation). Domestic violence applications are often fast-tracked.
• Garda accompaniment. If you fear the respondent will attend the hearing, ask Garda to attend with you. The Garda National Domestic Abuse Unit (NDAU) can support the application.
• Interpretation. The District Court provides interpreters for non-English speakers; Women's Aid's phone interpretation covers over 170 languages and they can brief the court interpreter on the case.

The District Court application — Order 59 forms

District Court procedure for the Domestic Violence Act 2018 is governed by Order 59 of the District Court Rules. The rules were updated by SI 219/2025, which came into force on 3 June 2025 and consolidated the previous separate forms into a single "Application for a Domestic Violence Order" PDF available on courts.ie.

• Download the consolidated application form from courts.ie — the same form covers Safety, Barring, Interim Barring, Emergency Barring, and Protection Orders. Tick the section(s) that apply.
• File the form at the District Court office for the area where you ordinarily reside (or where the respondent ordinarily resides). The court clerk will give you a hearing date — often the same day for s.8 / s.9 ex parte applications.
• Bring evidence. Photographs of injuries, screenshots of threatening messages, voicemails, medical records, Garda PULSE incident numbers, and a written timeline of abuse. The court considers the totality of the conduct, not just the most recent incident.
• Ex parte applications (s.8 Interim Barring or s.9 Emergency Barring) can be made without the respondent being notified. You will need to swear evidence on affidavit or orally before the judge.
• If granted, get a certified copy of the order from the court clerk and lodge a copy with your local Garda station. Garda need the order on PULSE to enforce it.

SI 219/2025 took effect on 3 June 2025. If you are looking at an older standalone form (DV1, DV2, etc.), make sure you use the new consolidated application instead — older forms may be rejected at the court office.

Hotlines

All the numbers below are free to call from any phone in Ireland (including from a mobile in pay-as-you-go). Verified 15 May 2026 against official portals.

Wallet card — screenshot this

The text below fits on one phone screen. Screenshot it now and save it where you can find it without unlocking the app — even a paper printout in your wallet works. If a crisis happens later, you will have the steps and the numbers in front of you without needing to search.

If you're in immediate danger in Ireland:
1. Call Garda 999 or 112.
2. Call Women's Aid 1800 341 900 (24/7, free, 170 languages).
3. The District Court process is FREE.
4. Five orders available: Safety (s.6), Barring (s.7),
   Interim Barring (s.8), Emergency Barring (s.9),
   Protection (s.10).
5. Emergency Barring (s.9) is ex parte and granted
   same-day for non-spouses.
6. Coercive control is a criminal offence
   (DV Act 2018 s.39).

Right now — what to do

1. If you are in immediate danger: dial Garda on 999 or 112 immediately. Tell them this is a domestic abuse incident. Ask for and write down the PULSE incident number.
2. Call Women's Aid 1800 341 900 (24/7, free, 170-language interpretation) — or Men's Aid on 01 554 3811 Mon-Fri 9-5. They will help you plan and can accompany you to court.
3. Preserve evidence. Photograph injuries, screenshot threatening messages, save voicemails, keep medical letters and any prior Garda incident numbers.
4. Go to your local District Court office and ask for the consolidated Order 59 "Application for a Domestic Violence Order" form. There is no court fee. For s.8 Interim Barring or s.9 Emergency Barring Orders, ask the clerk for an ex parte hearing.
5. Tell the judge clearly which order you want. Safety (s.6), Barring (s.7), Interim Barring (s.8), Emergency Barring (s.9), or Protection (s.10) — you can apply for more than one.
6. If granted: collect a certified copy from the court clerk and lodge a copy with your local Garda station so it is on PULSE. Breach of any DVA 2018 order is a criminal offence — arrestable without warrant.
7. Take a screenshot of this page or save the hotline numbers in your contacts. Print the wallet card above.

After the emergency call — the full playbook

Once you have called Garda or Women's Aid / Men's Aid and taken the first protective step, the next stage is preparing your court papers and your evidence file. The free Commoner Law playbook walks you through each of the five DVA 2018 orders, drafts the supporting affidavit language, and lists the Order 59 procedural steps.

• Ireland Domestic Violence Act 2018 Playbook — FREE — covers s.6 / s.7 / s.8 / s.9 / s.10 orders, the s.39 coercive control criminal route, in-camera District Court procedure, civil legal aid eligibility, and the consolidated Order 59 application form under SI 219/2025.
• Contact Commoner Law — if a hotline number above no longer works, tell us so we can update this page.