2011 California Code
Family Code
DIVISION 10. PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE [6200 - 6409]
CHAPTER 3. Registration and Enforcement of Orders
Section 6383

(a) A temporary restraining order or emergency protective order issued under this part shall, on request of the petitioner, be served on the respondent, whether or not the respondent has been taken into custody, by any law enforcement officer who is present at the scene of reported domestic violence involving the parties to the proceeding.

(b) The petitioner shall provide the officer with an endorsed copy of the order and a proof of service that the officer shall complete and transmit to the issuing court.

(c) It is a rebuttable presumption that the proof of service was signed on the date of service.

(d) Upon receiving information at the scene of a domestic violence incident that a protective order has been issued under this part, or that a person who has been taken into custody is the respondent to that order, if the protected person cannot produce an endorsed copy of the order, a law enforcement officer shall immediately inquire of the Department of Justice Domestic Violence Restraining Order System to verify the existence of the order.

(e) If the law enforcement officer determines that a protective order has been issued, but not served, the officer shall immediately notify the respondent of the terms of the order and where a written copy of the order can be obtained and the officer shall, at that time, also enforce the order. The law enforcement officer s verbal notice of the terms of the order shall constitute service of the order and is sufficient notice for the purposes of this section and for the purposes of Sections 273.6 and 29825 of the Penal Code.

(f) If a report is required under Section 13730 of the Penal Code, or if no report is required, then in the daily incident log, the officer shall provide the name and assignment of the officer notifying the respondent pursuant to subdivision (e) and the case number of the order.

(g) Upon service of the order outside of the court, a law enforcement officer shall advise the respondent to go to the local court to obtain a copy of the order containing the full terms and conditions of the order.

(h) There shall be no civil liability on the part of, and no cause of action for, false arrest or false imprisonment against any peace officer who makes an arrest pursuant to a protective or restraining order that is regular upon its face, if the peace officer in making the arrest acts in good faith and has reasonable cause to believe that the person against whom the order is issued has notice of the order and has committed an act in violation of the order. If there is more than one civil order regarding the same parties, the peace officer shall enforce the order that was issued last. If there are both civil and criminal orders regarding the same parties, the peace officer shall enforce the criminal order issued last, subject to the provisions of subdivisions (h) and (i) of Section 136.2 of the Penal Code. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to exonerate a peace officer from liability for the unreasonable use of force in the enforcement of the order. The immunities afforded by this section shall not affect the availability of any other immunity which may apply, including, but not limited to, Sections 820.2 and 820.4 of the Government Code.

(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 178, Sec. 24. Effective January 1, 2011. Operative January 1, 2012, by Sec. 107 of Ch. 178.)