Peace Orders

A Maryland peace order is a civil stay-away order for people who are NOT in a qualifying domestic relationship — neighbors, coworkers, strangers, and dating partners who don't qualify for a protective order — under Courts & Judicial Proceedings §3-1501. The petitioner must file within 30 days of the act, a final order can last up to 6 months, and all peace orders are heard in District Court. Violating one is a crime, so comply fully and get advice.

Updated June 2026 · ~7 min read · By Emden Law — 30+ years of Maryland trial experience, Rockville

What a peace order is — and how it differs from a protective order

A peace order is Maryland's civil "stay-away" remedy for conflicts outside a domestic relationship. It's governed by the Maryland Code, Courts & Judicial Proceedings (CJP) §3-1501 and following, and every peace order is filed in the District Court of Maryland.

The dividing line between a peace order and a protective order is the relationship. Protective orders (Family Law §4-501) are for domestic situations — spouses, former spouses, cohabitants, relatives, co-parents, and certain intimate partners. A peace order covers everyone else: neighbors, coworkers, classmates, strangers, and dating partners who don't meet a protective-order category (for example, no qualifying cohabitation and no sexual relationship within the past year). The remedies are also narrower — a peace order cannot remove you from a shared home or decide custody.

Who can get one — the 30-day rule and the predicate acts

Two things must line up for a peace order. First, timing: under CJP §3-1503, the petitioner must file within 30 days of the act they're complaining about. Second, the act must be one of the statute's predicate acts, which include:

• serious bodily harm, or placing someone in fear of imminent serious bodily harm;
• assault in any degree;
• false imprisonment;
• harassment (CR §3-803) or stalking (CR §3-802);
• trespass or malicious destruction of property;
• misuse of telephone or electronic communication; and
• revenge porn.

New as of October 1, 2025: Maryland added intentional "visual surveillance" of an area of someone's home where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy as both a peace-order predicate act and a form of criminal harassment (HB 236 / SB 92). A judge can order a respondent to remove or reposition surveillance devices.

The three stages and the standard of proof

Like protective orders, peace orders move through three stages:

• Interim — issued by a District Court commissioner when court is closed; lasts until the second business day the court is open.
• Temporary — issued by a District Court judge, usually without you present; lasts up to 7 days, extendable up to 30 days to complete service or for good cause.
• Final — issued by a District Court judge after a hearing where you can appear and respond. To grant a final peace order, the judge must find by a preponderance of the evidence that you committed a predicate act and are likely to commit one again.

That second requirement — a likelihood of future acts — is specific to peace orders and can be an important point at the hearing.

How long it lasts — and what it costs

A final peace order is effective for the period stated, not to exceed 6 months (CJP §3-1505). Unlike a protective order, a peace order is not extended for a further term. Unlike protective orders (which are free to file), peace orders also carry filing and service fees, and the court can order either party to pay costs.

What a peace order can — and can't — do

A peace order can order you to:

• stop committing or threatening the predicate act;
• refrain from contacting or harassing the petitioner;
• stay away from the petitioner's home, workplace, or school; and
• attend counseling or mediation.

What it cannot do is just as important: a peace order does not evict you from a shared home, decide custody, or order financial support. Those remedies exist only in the domestic-relationship protective order track.

Violating a peace order is a crime

A peace order binds you, and breaking it is a criminal offense under CJP §3-1508, carrying up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine for a first offense and up to 1 year and/or a $2,500 fine for a later one. As with protective orders, an officer must arrest on probable cause of a violation — and the order restricts only you, so responding to the petitioner's contact can still be a crime. If the terms need to change, ask the court.

The criminal side you shouldn't ignore

Because the predicate acts behind a peace order — assault, harassment, stalking, malicious destruction — are also crimes, the same incident is frequently charged criminally at the same time. The civil peace order hearing usually comes first, and what you say there can surface in the criminal case. That overlap is exactly why it pays to understand both tracks before you walk into the hearing. Our domestic violence defense guide explains the parallel-case risk in detail.

How a respondent can fight a peace order

You have the right to contest a peace order at the final hearing. Depending on the facts, lawful defenses include:

• The act doesn't qualify — the conduct doesn't fit any statutory predicate act, or it falls outside the 30-day filing window.
• No likelihood of future acts — even if something happened once, the petitioner must show you are likely to do it again.
• Self-defense — the petitioner was the aggressor and you used only reasonable force.
• Burden and credibility — the petitioner must prove the case by a preponderance; cross-examination can expose missing evidence, inconsistencies, or improper motives.

A respondent can also, in some cases, consent to a peace order without admitting the allegations — a strategic option to weigh with your attorney, especially when a parallel criminal charge is in play.

What to do if you've been served

1. Read the order and follow every term immediately.
2. Have no contact with the petitioner — through anyone, by any means — even if they reach out first.
3. Save your evidence — texts, emails, photos, video. Delete nothing.
4. Note the hearing date and get advice quickly; the final hearing is usually only days away.

Frequently asked questions

This article is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Maryland law changes and every case turns on its specific facts. Consult a licensed Maryland attorney about your situation. (Maryland Attorneys' Rules of Professional Conduct 19-307.1.)