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TCA 36-3-622

Out-of-state protection orders

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What does this charge mean?

Protection orders issued by courts in other states, Native American tribes, or U.S. territories are recognized and enforced by Tennessee courts exactly as if they were issued in Tennessee. Tennessee police and courts must treat out-of-state protection orders the same as in-state orders.

Penalty Details

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Penalty SummaryClassification not specified
(a) Any valid protection order related to abuse, domestic abuse, or domestic or family violence, issued by a court of another state, tribe or territory shall be afforded full faith and credit by the courts of this state and enforced as if it were issued in this state. Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!(A) Inflicting, or attempting to inflict, physical injury on an adult or minor by other than accidental means. See Tennessee Code 36-3-601Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.court: means any court of record with jurisdiction over domestic relations matters or the general sessions criminal court. See Tennessee Code 36-3-601Domestic abuse: means committing abuse against a victim, as defined in subdivision (5). See Tennessee Code 36-3-601Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Petitioner: means the person alleging domestic abuse, stalking, sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual assault, or a human trafficking offense in a petition for an order for protection. See Tennessee Code 36-3-601Respondent: means the person alleged to have abused, stalked or sexually assaulted another in a petition for an order for protection. See Tennessee Code 36-3-601State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105(b) (1) A protection order issued by a state, tribal or territorial court related to abuse, domestic abuse or domestic or family violence shall be deemed valid if the issuing court has jurisdiction over the parties and matter under the law of the issuing state, tribe or territory. There shall be a presumption in favor of validity where an order appears authentic on its face. (2) For a foreign protection order to be valid in this state, the respondent must have been given reasonable notice and the opportunity to be heard before the order of the foreign state, tribe or territory was issued; provided, that in the case of ex parte orders, notice and opportunity to be heard must have been given as soon as possible after the order was issued, consistent with due process. (3) Failure to provide reasonable notice and the opportunity to be heard shall be an affirmative defense to any charge or process filed seeking enforcement of a foreign protection order. (c) A petitioner may present a certified copy of a foreign order of protection to a court having jurisdiction of orders of protection in the county in which the petitioner believes enforcement may be necessary. The clerk of such court shall receive the certified copies of any foreign order of protection and any supporting documents used to show the validity of such order and shall maintain such orders, along with any submitted documents. No costs, fees or taxes shall be charged by the clerks for this service. If an enforcement action is instituted in the court pursuant to any such order, the clerk shall file the order and shall otherwise treat the enforcement action as a case, except that all court costs, fees and litigation taxes shall be taxed by the judge at the adjudication of the enforcement action. It shall be a defense to any action taken for the enforcement of such order that the order is not valid as provided in subsection (b) or (d). No person shall present a foreign order of protection to a clerk that the person knows to no longer be in effect. A foreign order of protection shall continue in effect for the period of time specified in the order, and, if no time limitation is so specified, then the order shall continue in effect for a period of one (1) year from the date on which it is first presented to a Tennessee court pursuant to subsection (c); provided, that a continuation of any such order may be granted by the court subject to the requirements set forth in § 36-3-605. (d) A protection order entered against both the petitioner and respondent shall not be enforceable against the petitioner in a foreign jurisdiction unless: (1) The respondent filed a cross- or counter-petition, or a complaint or other written pleading was filed seeking such a protection order; and (2) T
View on official sourceLast verified: Feb 25, 2026

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TCA Section36-3-622