Tex. Fam. Code § 85.022 · Subchapter B. CONTENTS OF PROTECTIVE ORDER
REQUIREMENTS OF ORDER APPLYING TO PERSON WHO COMMITTED FAMILY VIOLENCE.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) In a protective order, the court may order the person found to have committed family violence to perform acts specified by the court that the court determines are necessary or appropriate to prevent or reduce the likelihood of family violence and may order that person to:
(1) complete a battering intervention and prevention program accredited under Article 42.141, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(2) beginning on September 1, 2008, if the referral option under Subdivision (1) is not available, complete a program or counsel with a provider that has begun the accreditation process described by Subsection (a-1); or
(3) if the referral option under Subdivision (1) or, beginning on September 1, 2008, the referral option under Subdivision (2) is not available, counsel with a social worker, family service agency, physician, psychologist, licensed therapist, or licensed professional counselor who has completed family violence intervention training that the community justice assistance division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice has approved, after consultation with the licensing authorities described by Chapters 152, 501, 502, 503, and 505, Occupations Code, and experts in the field of family violence.
(a-1) Beginning on September 1, 2009, a program or provider serving as a referral option for the courts under Subsection (a)(1) or (2) must be accredited under Section 4A, Article 42.141, Code of Criminal Procedure, as conforming to program guidelines under that article.
(b) In a protective order, the court may prohibit the person found to have committed family violence from:
(1) committing family violence;
(2) communicating:
(A) directly with a person protected by an order or a member of the family or household of a person protected by an order, in a threatening or harassing manner;
(B) a threat through any person to a person protected by an order or a member of the family or household of a person protected by an order; and
(C) if the court finds good cause, in any manner with a person protected by an order or a member of the family or household of a person protected by an order, except through the party's attorney or a person appointed by the court;
(3) going to or near the residence or place of employment or business of a person protected by an order or a member of the family or household of a person protected by an order;
(4) going to or near the residence, child-care facility, or school a child protected under the order normally attends or in which the child normally resides;
(5) engaging in conduct directed specifically toward a person who is a person protected by an order or a member of the family or household of a person protected by an order, including following the person, that is reasonably likely to harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment, or embarrass the person;
(6) possessing a firearm, unless the person is a peace officer, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, actively engaged in employment as a sworn, full-time paid employee of a state agency or political subdivision;
(7) harming, threatening, or interfering with the care, custody, or control of a pet, companion animal, or assistance animal, as defined by Section 121.002, Human Resources Code, that is possessed by or is in the actual or constructive care of a person protected by an order or by a member of the family or household of a person protected by an order; and
(8) tracking or monitoring personal property or a motor vehicle in the possession of a person protected by an order or of a member of the family or household of a person protected by an order, without the person's effective consent, including by:
(A) using a tracking application on a personal electronic device in the possession of the person or the family or household member or using a tracking device; or
(B) physically following the person or the family or household member or causing another to physically follow the person or member.
(c) In an order under Subsection (b)(3) or (4), the court shall specifically describe each prohibited location and the minimum distances from the location, if any, that the party must maintain. This subsection does not apply to an order in which Section 85.007 applies.
(d) In a protective order, the court shall suspend a license to carry a handgun issued under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, that is held by a person found to have committed family violence.
(e) In this section, "firearm" has the meaning assigned by Section 46.01, Penal Code.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 34, Sec. 1, eff. May 5, 1997. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1193, Sec. 14, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1412, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 91, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 23, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 113 (S.B. 44), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1146 (H.B. 2730), Sec. 11.21, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 136 (S.B. 279), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 543 (S.B. 555), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2013.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 437 (H.B. 910), Sec. 12, eff. January 1, 2016.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 839 (H.B. 2715), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2023.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FA/htm/FA.85.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 6cdd3ed5a650087b8e3a8917e0bae6f71a14151e19c4956328c12a9f61dcf94d
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
BenchPath cards that rely on this text
- 223rd District Court Standing Order - Children, Property, and Conduct of Parties in Suits for Divorce and Suits Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship (Gray County)
- Angelina County Joint and Mutual Standing Order on Children, Property and Conduct of Parties
- County Court at Law No. 10 (Hidalgo County) — Standing Order Regarding Child(ren), Pets, Property and Conduct of Parties in Divorce and Suits Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship
- Dallas County Standing Order Regarding Children, Pets, Property and Conduct of the Parties (Family District Courts, F2026/05)
- First Amended Hill County Standing Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties (66th District Court and County Court at Law; 2025)
- Houston County Court at Law - Standing Restraining Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties (signed December 31, 2025)
- Local Rules of the District Courts of Angelina County
- Madison County Standing Restraining Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties
- Montgomery County Second Amended Standing Order Regarding Children, Pets, Property and Conduct of the Parties (Dec. 28, 2022)
- Seventh Amended McLennan County Standing Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties
- Standing Restraining Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties, Leon County District Courts (Rev. 4/2026; filed June 30, 2026)
- Walker County Standing Restraining Order Regarding Children, Property and Conduct of the Parties
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Code of Criminal Procedure
Government Code
Human Resources Code
Cited by 8 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Fam. Code § 85.022. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Family Code
- Tex. Fam. Code § 85.001REQUIRED FINDINGS AND ORDERS.Printed as Section 85.022
- Tex. Fam. Code § 85.002EXCEPTION FOR VIOLATION OF EXPIRED PROTECTIVE ORDER.Printed as Section 85.022
- Tex. Fam. Code § 85.003SEPARATE PROTECTIVE ORDERS REQUIRED.Printed as Section 85.022
- Tex. Fam. Code § 85.005AGREED ORDER.Printed as Section 85.022 | Sections 85.021 and 85.022
- Tex. Fam. Code § 85.024ENFORCEMENT OF COUNSELING REQUIREMENT.Printed as Section 85.022 | Section 85.022(a)(1)
- Tex. Fam. Code § 85.041DELIVERY TO RESPONDENT.Printed as Section 85.022
- Tex. Fam. Code § 85.042DELIVERY OF ORDER TO OTHER PERSONS.Printed as Section 85.022
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.