The Protection Order Registry is a confidential database containing all civil and criminal protection orders issued in British Columbia. The goal of the Protection Order Registry is to contribute to the reduction of violence against women, vulnerable adults, youth and children through support of the enforcement of civil and criminal protection orders.

Protection orders issued in BC Courts or by the police are sent to the registry on the day they are made in court, and are entered on the database the same day. The police have 24-hour access to the Protection Order Registry, and can obtain a copy of the order within minutes.

If you are in immediate danger…
It is a criminal offence (a crime) for anyone to assault you or your children, to harass or stalk you, to threaten you with bodily harm or to damage your property. If you feel you are in immediate danger, contact the local police right away.

What is a protection order?
A protection order is an order containing a condition that affords safety and security to a specified (named) person or persons. An order must contain a no contact, limited contact, or other protective condition to be considered a protection order.

An order is not a protection order if it does not name an individual and if its only condition is to protect property, assets or the community.

Ensuring your protection order is on the registry
If you are a protected party, you can confirm that your order is on the registry by calling VictimLINK at 1-800-563-0808. VictimLINK, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, provides information and referral services to all victims of crime and immediate crisis support to victims of family and sexual violence. The line is TTY accessible and provides interpretation services for all the major languages spoken in British Columbia.

Registering a protection order made in another province
If you have a protection order made in another province, you can ask that it be registered in BC. Take your protection order to your local court registry. You will need to present identification in order to register the order in BC.

Victim notification process when
offenders are released from provincial custody
If the offender named in your protection order is in a provincial jail, and you are not already being notified by B.C. Corrections, the Victim Safety Unit will attempt to contact you prior to the offender's end of sentence release date. You may also be eligible to register with the Victim Safety Unit for an automated notification system, which provides information to victims 24 hours a day, every day of the year. To register on the automated system contact the Victim Safety Unit toll-free at 1-877-315-8822. Your local victim service program can also assist in registration.

Victim Contact Information
To assist the Victim Safety Unit in contacting you, file a confidential Contact Information Form through a victim services office (call VictimLINK to find the office nearest you) or your local court registry. You will need to present your identification when you file.

It is important to keep your contact information current. Should you need to update the contact information in the future, you can call the Victim Safety Unit (1-877-315-8822).

Victim notification for federally sentenced offenders
You may be eligible to register with, and receive information from, the Correctional Service of Canada if the offender named in your order is in a federal correctional facility. Please contact the Correctional Service of Canada for more information.

If you are a protected party but have not federally registered, the Victim Safety Unit will still attempt to contact you when the offender is being released.

To find out more about peace bonds and restraining orders click here. [126KB]

To find out more about Victim Services in BC, click here.