# DV-100: what the California request form asks for

> A plain-language, official-source guide to the California DV-100 form: name, safe address, relationship, description of abuse, requested orders, attachments, and signature review.

**Direct answer.** DV-100 asks for your name and contact information, relationship, abuse you want the court to know about, and requested orders. Use a safe address when allowed, then check every page, attachment reference, signature, and date before filing.

## The form records facts and requests; the court decides

DV-100 is the Request for Domestic Violence Restraining Order. It is not a court order. The form gives the court the person’s identifying information, the relationship that makes the request a domestic-violence matter, a description of abuse, and the specific orders being requested. DV-110 is the proposed Temporary Restraining Order. A judicial officer reviews the filed request and decides what, if anything, to issue.

Use your own words and facts. JusticeOS can place those words into the official form and point out missing or inconsistent fields, but it does not write a legal theory, decide which facts matter most, tell a person what orders to request, or predict a result. A court Self-Help Center or lawyer can help with questions that require legal judgment.

## Name, address, relationship, and protected people

The opening pages ask for your name, mailing address, and information about the person you want protection from. Read the address instruction carefully. The official form allows a different mailing address when a person does not want to list a home address. Choose a safe address where court mail can actually reach you, and consider whether another person can access that mail.

Do not place a Social Security number or other sensitive information on DV-100 or on a public attachment unless an official form specifically asks for it. CLETS-001 is the separate confidential form used for law-enforcement identifying information. Keep confidential information off copies intended for the public court file or for service unless the official form and instructions require it.

The relationship section matters because California uses different restraining-order processes for different relationships. Other types of restraining orders use different forms. Answer the checkboxes accurately. If none seems to fit, or you are unsure which kind of restraining-order form applies, stop and ask a court Self-Help Center or lawyer rather than forcing an answer.

## Describe abuse with dates and enough context

California Courts calls the description of abuse very important because the judge will read what is written. Start with the incident the form asks you to describe and follow the prompts for what happened, when it happened, who was present, whether law enforcement was involved, and what supporting material is attached. Avoid labels that replace facts; state what you saw, heard, received, or experienced in your own words.

If you do not know an exact date, do not invent one. Give the most accurate approximate date or time period you can and say that it is approximate. Preserve the distinction between what you remember exactly and what you estimate. Supporting attachments may include text messages, email, or pictures. If you run out of space, use the continuation form the current official form names (DV-101 or MC-025, when directed). Label each added page clearly. Then check that the DV-100 points to every page you added.

## Requested orders, attachments, and signature

The later sections let a person identify the orders they are asking the court to consider. Some choices trigger another form or attachment. Read the instruction beside each selected item and compare the final packet against the California Courts form list. JusticeOS can check that a referenced attachment exists; it cannot decide whether a request is appropriate.

Before filing, read the completed packet from beginning to end. Confirm the names are consistent, the court and county are correct, every required question has an answer, each continuation page is referenced, and the signature and date are present where the person preparing the request must sign. Do not sign sections reserved for the court. Keep a copy of exactly what you file.

JusticeOS is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. This guide explains the document’s structure and links to official instructions. The current court form and the filing court’s instructions control.

## The official form is published in other languages

DV-100 is published by California Courts in Spanish, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, Vietnamese and Tagalog, alongside the English version. Those are the Judicial Council’s own translations of the form itself — the document you file — rather than summaries of it. Each translation is on that form’s own page at California Courts, linked under Official sources at the foot of this guide.

These guides are written in English. California Courts also publishes a page on asking for a court interpreter, and makes a point worth repeating here: even for someone who speaks English in everyday life, the situations and language in court can be very difficult.

## Questions people ask next

### What if I do not remember the exact date of abuse?

Do not invent an exact date. Use the most accurate approximate date or time period you can, identify it as approximate, and describe the event in your own words. Ask a Self-Help Center or lawyer if you need case-specific guidance.

### Can I use a safe address on DV-100?

The official form’s address instruction allows a different mailing address when you want to keep a home address private. Use an address where you can safely and reliably receive court mail, and read the current form before filing.

### Who signs DV-100?

The person asking for protection signs the request where the form directs. Do not sign areas reserved for a lawyer or the court. Review the current form and instructions because forms can change.

## Official sources

- [California Courts — DV-100 current form page](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/DV-100)
- [California Courts — Fill out domestic violence restraining-order forms](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/DV-restraining-order/fill-forms)
- [California Courts — CLETS-001 confidential information form](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/CLETS-001)
- [California Courts — Ask for an interpreter](https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/request-interpreter)

## Related guides

- [California domestic violence restraining-order forms: the starting packet](https://justiceos.ai/guides/california-dvro-forms)
- [DV-110: the temporary order a judge fills in, not you](https://justiceos.ai/guides/dv-110)
- [CLETS-001: the confidential form the other person never sees](https://justiceos.ai/guides/clets-001)
- [DV-105 and the children forms: which one rides with the request, and which one rides with the order](https://justiceos.ai/guides/dv-105)
- [Organizing pictures, text messages, and emails for a DVRO hearing](https://justiceos.ai/guides/dvro-evidence)

Published 2026-07-20. Reviewed against official California Courts guidance on 2026-07-20.

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JusticeOS is not a law firm, is not your lawyer, and does not give legal advice. It explains California court forms and procedure in plain language and cites official sources. In immediate danger call 911. National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.

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