Safety and support after abuse: the complete guide

What happened to you is not your fault. You do not have to carry it alone. There are people whose whole job is to help you be safe, and the law gives you real tools.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. DNLH is not a hotline, a shelter, a law office or a crisis line, and we cannot take calls for help or represent you. The groups on this page can. Every situation is different, so talk to an advocate or a lawyer about your own.

On this page

1. What should I do if I am in danger right now?
2. Who can I call, day or night?
3. How do I make a safety plan?
4. How do I get a restraining order?
5. Can I get help without papers, and is it safe?
6. How do I keep my location and information private?
7. Where can I stay, and can I keep my home?
8. Can I get help paying for costs after a crime?
9. Can I take time off work and keep my job?
10. What immigration options do survivors have?
11. What if the abuse left me with a criminal record?
12. How do I care for my children and myself?
13. How can I help someone who is being abused?
14. What changed in 2025 and 2026?
15. Where can I get free help in the Bay Area?
16. Questions people ask, Printables and Sources

What should I do if I am in danger right now?

Call 911. Use it any time you need the police, the fire department or an ambulance right away. You do not need papers to call 911.

If you can, get to a place with other people around, or a room with a door that locks and a way out. Keep your phone with you.

Ask the police for an emergency protective order

When police come because of domestic violence, you can ask the officer for an emergency protective order. Here is how it works in California:

• The officer asks a judge for you. A judge can issue it when an officer says there are reasonable grounds to believe you are in immediate danger from recent abuse or threats. The same tool can protect a child in danger of abuse or abduction, or an elder or dependent adult in danger of abuse.
• A judge is on call at all times. Every county must have a judge available to issue these orders by phone or in person, even when court is closed.
• It is short. It ends after 5 court days or 7 calendar days, whichever comes first.
• Use that time. Ask for a longer restraining order from the court before it runs out. See How do I get a restraining order?

If you are thinking about hurting yourself

Abuse can bring you to a very dark place. If you are thinking about suicide or are in crisis, call or text 988, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It is free, confidential and open 24/7. To talk in Spanish, dial 988 and press 2, or text AYUDA to 988. If a life is in danger right now, call 911.

Who can I call, day or night?

Call a 24 hour hotline. An advocate can listen, help you think through your choices, help you plan for safety and connect you with shelter and local help. You do not have to be sure it is "bad enough." If you are scared, it is enough to call.

National lines, open 24/7

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: call 800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org. Free and confidential. Spanish site: espanol.thehotline.org. Deaf Hotline by videophone: 855-812-1001. The Hotline does not give money directly, but it can point you to local help.
• RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: call 800-656-4673, text HOPE to 64673, or chat at rainn.org. Free, confidential, English and Spanish.
• National Human Trafficking Hotline: call 1-888-373-7888 (TTY 711), text 233733, or chat at humantraffickinghotline.org. For survivors of sex and labor trafficking. English, Spanish and more than 200 other languages through an interpreter.
• Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: call or text 800-422-4453. For anyone worried about a child. Staffed 24/7 by crisis counselors, with interpreters in over 170 languages.
• love is respect (for teens and young adults in dating abuse): call 1-866-331-9474, or text LOVEIS to 22522.

Local lines near East Palo Alto

• San Mateo County, CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse): 24 hour hotline 800-300-1080. Crisis support, short term safe housing if you are in danger, counseling for you and your children, and legal help. Crisis counselors speak Spanish and English, with other languages through an interpreting service (CORA, checked October 21, 2026). corasupport.org
• Santa Clara County, Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence: 24/7 hotline 408-279-2962. Free and confidential. Emergency shelter, safety planning, help with restraining orders and court, counseling and services for children. It says it supports survivors of every background and status. nextdoorsolutions.org
• YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley: 24/7 bilingual support line 800-572-2782. Free help for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking, including crisis counseling, therapy, restraining order and court help, and support at sexual assault exams. Its center in Palo Alto serves north Santa Clara County and the East Palo Alto area. yourywca.org

Not sure which line fits? See Which helpline to call. For food, rent help or other needs, dial 211.

How do I make a safety plan?

A safety plan is your own plan for staying safer, today and in the weeks ahead. It is not a form you file. It lives in your head or on a paper you keep hidden. An advocate can build it with you in one call.

What a plan covers

• If danger starts. Which room you go to, how you get out, who you call, and a code word that tells a trusted person "call for help."
• A safe place to go. A friend, family member, church or shelter. Know the address and how you will get there.
• Papers and things to grab. ID, passport, immigration papers, birth certificates, medicine, money, keys and a phone charger. Keep copies with someone you trust.
• Your children. What they should do, who they can call, and who is allowed to pick them up from school.
• After you leave. New routes to work, a changed phone and passwords, and who at work or school should know.
• Your heart. Who you can talk to when it gets heavy.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline has a free online safety plan tool. Our printable checklist is below. If you have children and also worry about immigration enforcement, add the steps in Make a family preparedness plan.

Mistakes to avoid

• Leaving the plan where the abuser can find it. Memorize key numbers, or keep the paper with someone you trust.
• Filing court papers without a plan for the days after. The person you file against gets a copy of your papers. Plan for that time with an advocate.
• Thinking you must leave today to deserve help. You can call a hotline while you are still living with the person. Many people plan for a while first.

How do I get a restraining order?

Ask a California court for a domestic violence restraining order. There is no court fee and you do not need a lawyer. A judge usually decides on a temporary order the same day you file or by the next business day.

Who it is for

You can ask for a domestic violence restraining order against someone you are married to or were married to, a domestic partner, someone you dated or had an intimate relationship with, or a close relative such as a child, parent, brother, sister or grandparent, including in laws.

Abuse is more than hitting. The courts include emotional, psychological and verbal abuse, abuse online, controlling your money or basic needs, and isolating you. The order can also protect your children, your property and your pets.

If the person is a neighbor, landlord, coworker or a more distant relative, you need a different order, called a civil harassment restraining order. You do not need a lawyer for that one either, and it can also last up to 5 years. There is no filing fee if your request says the person used or threatened violence, stalked you, or made you reasonably afraid of violence (Code of Civil Procedure 527.6). Otherwise, ask the clerk about fees and a fee waiver. See Civil harassment restraining orders.

What the judge can order

A judge can order the person to stay away from you, not contact you, and not harass, stalk or threaten you. The judge can order them to move out, and to give up guns, ammunition and body armor. The judge can also make orders about child custody and child or spousal support.

Step by step

1. Get help with the forms. The main form is the DV-100. Describe the most recent abuse first, then the worst. Estimate dates if you are not sure. Attach proof like photos or texts. Free help is listed below.
2. Fill out the CLETS-001. This form gives police information to enforce the order. The person you file against does not get a copy.
3. File with the court. Give the clerk the original and 2 copies, or e-file if your court allows it. A drop box may be slower. Keep a copy and take a photo of every page.
4. The judge decides on a temporary order, usually the same day or by the next business day. If the judge says no to a temporary order, you can still ask at the hearing.
5. Have the other person served. You cannot serve the papers yourself. The sheriff will serve them for free. Another adult who is not part of the case can too. Once served, police can arrest the person for breaking the order.
6. Go to your hearing. It is usually within 21 days, or 25 days if the court has good reason. Bring witnesses, evidence and your proof of service. You may be able to appear remotely. Check your court's rules.
7. Get your order. A long term order can last up to 5 years. You can ask the court to change, end or renew it.

The whole process can take a few weeks to a few months, and longer when children or property are involved.

Situations people are in

• You are 12 to 17. You can ask for a restraining order on your own, without a parent's permission. A judge may ask a trusted adult to help.
• There is already a criminal case. A judge in the criminal case may have issued a criminal protective order. You can still ask for your own restraining order. A criminal order ends if the case is dismissed, and it may not cover custody.
• You are worried about court and immigration. California law says no one may be put under civil arrest in a courthouse while attending court or doing legal business there, unless there is a valid judicial warrant. See Can ICE arrest me at a courthouse, hospital or church?

Watch what you write

Most court papers can be seen by anyone who asks. Do not put your Social Security number or other private information on forms where it is not asked for. Ask the self help center how to list a safe mailing address. Safe at Home can help too.

Free help with the forms

• Statewide: California Courts Self Help, domestic violence restraining orders, also in Spanish.
• San Mateo County: the court's Self Help Center and Family Law Facilitator is free. Use the LiveChat on its page before going to 400 County Center, 6th Floor, Redwood City. For domestic violence orders, the court sends people to the Bay Area Legal Aid restraining order clinic at (650) 358-0745.
• Santa Clara County: the Restraining Order Help Center at the Family Justice Center Courthouse in San Jose. Staff help and forms are free. Call (408) 534-5600 and choose the Restraining Order Help Center, or walk in. If English is hard for you, the court suggests bringing someone to interpret.
• CORA, Next Door Solutions and the YWCA can also help you get ready and go with you to court.

For the full step by step, and how an order can help an immigration case, see How to get a domestic violence restraining order and what it means for your immigration case.

Can I get help without papers, and is it safe?

Yes, you can get help without papers. None of the hotlines or local agencies on this page say you need papers. CalVCB says U.S. citizenship is not required. Court restraining order pages do not list immigration status as a requirement.

It is normal to be afraid. Here is what is true right now, both the protections and the limits.

What protects you

• A federal privacy law, 8 U.S.C. 1367. If you apply for a U visa, a T visa or VAWA protection, immigration officials may not share information about your case, with narrow exceptions, until the case is denied and all appeals are over. Officials who break this rule can be disciplined and fined up to $5,000 for each violation.
• The abuser cannot be the only source. Under the same law, the government may not decide you are deportable or inadmissible using only information from the abuser, the trafficker or the person who committed the crime. This does not protect people convicted of certain crimes.
• California courthouses. No civil arrest in a courthouse while you attend court or do legal business there, unless there is a valid judicial warrant.
• U visa certifiers in California may not share your immigration status, except to follow federal law or legal process, or if you agree.
• Being protected is not a deportation ground. The federal rule on protection orders reaches the person the order is against, and only when a court finds they broke its protective part (8 U.S.C. 1227(a)(2)(E)(ii), read October 21, 2026). We found no rule that makes the protected person deportable. An immigration lawyer is reviewing this line.

What records does getting help create?

Some steps leave a paper trail, and it helps to know which ones before you act:

• Court papers. Most restraining order papers can be seen by anyone who asks. Write only what the form asks for, and ask the self help center how to use a safe mailing address.
• Immigration filings. The federal privacy law covers U visa, T visa and VAWA filings once you apply. It limits immigration agencies, not courts or the abuser.
• Hotline calls and advocates. Ask each group what it records and who can see it, using the questions below.

None of this means you should not ask for help. It means you plan the order of your steps with an advocate or lawyer.

• Your rights at work and at home do not depend on your status. See the job and housing sections below.

What has changed

In 2025, ICE replaced an older policy that told officers to generally avoid enforcement against known crime victims who had applied for these benefits. The new interim policy, ICE Policy 11005.4, says people who have applied may be subject to civil immigration enforcement. Officers must check with ICE lawyers first when they know someone has applied. The privacy law above still applies.

What this means for you: asking for safety is your right. Applying for immigration protection does not make you safe from arrest, and staying silent does not make you safer either. The right choice for you depends on your full story, so talk to a survivor immigration lawyer. Free help is below.

Questions to ask before you share

You can say: "Do you need to know my immigration status? Who will see what I tell you? Do you ever share information with the police or immigration?" A good advocate will answer plainly.

Learn your rights if agents come: Your rights if immigration agents come and Red cards.

How do I keep my location and information private?

Use Safe at Home for your address, separate your phone from the abuser's account, and protect your devices. These steps work together with your safety plan.

Safe at Home: a secret address program

Safe at Home is run by the California Secretary of State. It gives you a substitute mailing address. State, county and city agencies in California accept it in place of your home address, so your real address stays private.

• Who can join: survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, child abduction, and elder or dependent adult abuse. Some health care workers and public employees can join too.
• How to join: make an appointment with a Safe at Home enrolling agency. Call (877) 322-5227 or email SafeAtHome@sos.ca.gov to find one near you.
• Voting: members can register as confidential voters.
• It works best as part of a full safety plan. It does not hide you from everyone. Talk with an advocate about what else you need.

Separate your phone line from the abuser

A federal rule called the Safe Connections Act helps survivors who share a phone plan with an abuser.

• You can ask your carrier to separate your line, and the lines of people in your care, from a shared plan. You must be 18 or older.
• The carrier must act fast: no later than the end of 2 business days after it gets a complete request.
• No fee to separate. The carrier may not make the separation depend on a fee, penalty or other charge.
• Bring proof. For example, a police report, a restraining order, or a signed statement from a health care provider, social worker or victim services provider. Your own statement alone is not enough.
• Hotline calls stay off your bill. Carriers must leave calls and texts to covered hotlines off the call and text logs that customers can see.

These rules took effect July 15, 2024.

Protect your devices

• History can never be fully erased. Private or incognito mode does not hide everything. Clear your history if it is safe.
• Use a safer device the abuser cannot reach. A library computer is one option. Shared computers are not private, so be careful what you look up and sign out when you finish.
• Phones can share where you are. Check location settings and apps. Trackers can be hidden in a car, a purse or a phone. If you think there is spyware on your phone, a phone service store can check it.
• Change passwords on email, social media and bank accounts from a safe device.

Court papers and your address

Most court papers can be seen by the public. The CLETS-001 form is not shared with the other person. Ask the self help center before you list a home address on any form.

Where can I stay, and can I keep my home?

You have choices: a shelter, a safer home, or staying where you are with stronger locks. California law protects survivors who rent.

If you need a safe place tonight

Call CORA (800-300-1080) in San Mateo County, or Next Door Solutions (408-279-2962) in Santa Clara County. Both offer safe housing or emergency shelter for people in danger. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (800-799-7233) can find shelter in other places. Dial 211 for other housing help.

If you want to stay: change the locks

Under California Civil Code 1941.5, if the person who hurt you, or hurt someone in your household, does not live in your unit:

1. Ask your landlord in writing to change the locks.
2. Give proof. A restraining order or emergency protective order, a police report, a statement from a qualified third party such as a health practitioner, counselor or advocate, or other reasonable proof, such as your own signed statement.
3. The landlord must change the locks within 24 hours of getting your proof, pay for it, and give you a new key.
4. If the landlord does not act in 24 hours, you may change the locks yourself, using locks as good or better. Tell the landlord within 24 hours and give them a key. The landlord must pay you back within 21 days. This self help step applies to leases signed on or after January 1, 2011.

Use the lock change request below.

If you need to leave: end your lease early

Under Civil Code 1946.7, a survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, elder abuse or certain other crimes can end a lease early:

• Give written notice to your landlord, with documentation such as a restraining order or police report from within the last 180 days.
• You owe rent for no more than 14 days after you give notice.
• You do not lose your deposit just because you ended the lease this way.

If your landlord tries to evict you because of the abuse

Under Code of Civil Procedure 1161.3, a landlord generally may not end or refuse to renew your tenancy because of abuse or violence against you, a family member or someone in your household, once the landlord has your documentation. Proof can be an order or police report from the last 180 days, a form from a qualified third party, or other proof. There are exceptions, for example if the abuser is a tenant in the same unit, or if you keep letting the abuser onto the property after a 3 day notice. The landlord must keep your information private.

A California landlord also may not evict you or force you out because of your immigration status. See Renting and housing rights for immigrant families.

If you live in HUD subsidized housing

Federal VAWA housing rules say survivors in HUD assisted housing cannot be denied or evicted because of the violence against them. You can ask for an emergency transfer for safety, and Section 8 voucher holders must be allowed to move with their help. You can ask to remove the abuser from the lease. You can prove you are a survivor by filling out the HUD self certification form, HUD-5382. Your information must be kept strictly confidential.

If you get eviction papers, act right away. In San Mateo County, call the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County at (650) 517-8911. Missing a deadline can cost you your home.

Can I get help paying for costs after a crime?

Yes, you may. The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) can pay back some costs from a violent crime when nothing else covers them. U.S. citizenship is not required.

What it can cover

Medical and dental care, counseling, lost income, relocation, home security, crime scene cleanup, funeral costs, job retraining, mileage to medical and counseling visits, and counseling for children who saw a violent crime. For human trafficking, it can cover income loss for up to two years. The most it pays on one approved application is $70,000. Some costs, such as relocation, have their own limits. CalVCB lists them on its covered costs page and in its Compensation Benefit Reference Guide.

Who can apply and when

• Victims of crimes in California, and California residents hurt by a crime in another state or country.
• Apply within 7 years of the crime. If you were 21 or younger, you have until your 28th birthday.
• Send bills within 3 years of the date of service.

Things to know

• CalVCB pays last. First use insurance, public benefits, restitution or other sources. If another source pays later, you pay CalVCB back.
• Working with police. CalVCB asks victims to cooperate with police and courts, but says exceptions may apply for domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault.
• How to apply: online at victims.ca.gov, on a paper form, or with an advocate. Advocates can now file online for you through CalVCB's Advocate Portal. Find local help by county at victims.ca.gov/get-help. Call 800-777-9229 or email info@victims.ca.gov.
• New rules are scheduled to start January 1, 2027. CalVCB has posted a notice of new regulations. Check victims.ca.gov for changes before you apply.

Can I take time off work and keep my job?

Yes. California protects survivors at work, whatever your immigration status. You can take time off and ask for changes that keep you safe. Your employer may not punish you for it.

Rights at every job, any size

• Time off to get a restraining order or other court help for your safety or your child's.
• Time off for jury duty or to be a witness in court.
• Safety changes at work, such as a new schedule, a changed work phone or number, a new workstation, a lock, or help documenting the abuse. Your employer must work with you to find what fits.
• Paid sick days can be used as "safe time," for example for protective orders and certain court cases. See Paid sick days in California.

More rights at jobs with 25 or more workers

• Time off for medical care, counseling, shelter or services, safety planning, relocation, court cases, and child care needed for safety.
• Up to 12 weeks if you survived a qualifying act of violence. Up to 10 days if a family member survived one. Up to 5 of those days can be used to help relocate.
• You may use vacation, personal leave, paid sick leave or comp time you already have. Other time off can be unpaid (Gov. Code 12945.8(g), (h)). Ask your employer how they will handle pay.

What to know

• No arrest or conviction is needed. Domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and acts or threats involving injury, a gun or a dangerous weapon all count.
• Give notice when you can. If you cannot, your employer cannot punish you if you give proof within a reasonable time when asked. Proof can be a police report, court papers, a letter from an advocate or counselor, or your own signed statement.
• Your employer must keep it private, except where the law requires sharing or for safety, and must tell you first.
• If you are punished, file with the California Civil Rights Department within 3 years. Call 800-884-1684.
• Threats to call immigration because you used your rights are illegal retaliation. See What if my boss threatens to call immigration?

Free job help for survivors: Legal Aid at Work's Project SURVIVE Helpline, 888-864-8335. Free, confidential legal advice for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking who meet its eligibility rules. Leave a voicemail. They usually call back within 2 to 3 business days.

For the details, see Your job rights in California as a survivor of abuse.

What immigration options do survivors have?

Three federal paths are made for survivors, and all three can lead to a green card. Each fits a different story. Talk to a survivor immigration lawyer or DOJ accredited representative before you file anything.

Quick signs

• A crime was committed against you here, such as domestic violence or sexual assault, and you reported it or could? Look first at the U visa.
• Someone forced or tricked you into work or sex, kept your papers, or held a debt over you? Look first at the T visa.
• Your spouse, parent or adult U.S. citizen child abused you, and they are a citizen or green card holder? Look at VAWA. You file it yourself, without the abuser's knowledge, consent or help. See Can I get a green card if my spouse or parent abuses me?

U visa certification in California

A U visa needs a signed certification from an official who worked on the crime, such as police, a district attorney or a judge. California Penal Code 679.10 helps you:

• You are presumed helpful unless you refused or failed to give help law enforcement reasonably asked for.
• No arrest, charge or conviction is needed. An agency cannot refuse only because the case is old or closed.
• The agency must act within 30 days, or 7 days after the first business day after it gets your request if you are in removal proceedings.
• The signed form must be dated within the 6 months before you file.

A restraining order judge may also be able to sign. See How to get a U visa certification signed in California.

What to expect

The wait is long, usually years. Only 10,000 U visas go to main applicants each year, so there is a waiting list. U and T status, once approved, usually last 4 years and let you live and work here, with a path to a green card after 3 years. Green card applicants through a U visa, T visa or VAWA do not face the public charge test.

Fraud warning. Only a lawyer or a DOJ accredited representative can give immigration legal advice. A notario cannot. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

USCIS charges no filing fee for any of the three main forms, under 8 CFR 106.2 (checked October 21, 2026). U and T applicants are also exempt from the fee for the I-192 waiver.

For the full guide, see Immigration options for survivors: U visa, T visa and VAWA.

What if the abuse left me with a criminal record?

You may be able to clear it, but the way it is cleared matters for immigration. California lets some survivors of trafficking and abuse ask a court to cancel convictions that came directly from being trafficked or abused.

1. Get a copy of your California record first. See How to get a copy of your criminal record in California.
2. Talk to a survivor immigration lawyer before you file in criminal court. Some ways of clearing a record help an immigration case more than others.
3. Tell your lawyer about every arrest, even dropped ones. Immigration forms ask about all of them.

See Survivors of trafficking or abuse: clearing convictions caused by the abuse. If you are charged with a crime now, ask your defense lawyer to talk with an immigration lawyer before any plea. See Before you take a plea deal.

How do I care for my children and myself?

Healing takes time, and you do not have to do it alone. Abuse hurts the body and the heart. Children feel it even when they do not see it.

For your children

• Tell them it is not their fault. Keep their routines as normal as you can.
• Tell their school who may and may not pick them up, and share a copy of any restraining order.
• Get counseling. CORA, Next Door Solutions and the YWCA offer counseling and services for children. CalVCB can pay for counseling for children who saw a violent crime.
• If your child is a teen in an abusive relationship, they can call love is respect at 1-866-331-9474 or text LOVEIS to 22522. Teens 12 and older can ask for a restraining order on their own.
• See When your teen is struggling and Help for a child's mental health in California.

For yourself

• Counseling is open to you. CORA, Next Door Solutions and the YWCA offer counseling. CalVCB can help pay for it. For other options, see Mental health care without fear.
• Simple calming steps can help on hard days. See Simple grounding exercises.
• If you are in crisis, call or text 988.

Faith communities can be a real source of strength. If yours is, lean on it. A pastor or friend can sit with you, pray with you, and drive you to court. They do not replace an advocate who knows safety planning.

How can I help someone who is being abused?

Listen, believe them, and let them lead. You cannot rescue someone, but you can make it easier for them to get help.

• Say it plainly: "I believe you. It is not your fault. I am here."
• Do not push them to leave before they are ready. Leaving safely takes a plan. Offer to sit with them while they call a hotline.
• Share numbers quietly, such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 800-799-7233, and the local lines on this page.
• Offer practical help: a ride, a place to keep copies of papers, a phone charger, child care during a court date.
• Never confront the abuser. It can put the survivor in more danger.
• If someone is in danger right now, call 911.
• If you think a child is being abused, call Childhelp at 800-422-4453.

Pastors and teachers: ask before you share anything about the person with others, unless the law requires you to report. Keep what they tell you private.

What changed in 2025 and 2026?

The protections in the law are mostly the same. Some agencies changed how they act. Here is what we could confirm.

• 2025: ICE changed its policy on crime victims. ICE Policy 11005.4 replaced the older "victim centered" directive. People with pending or approved U, T or VAWA cases may be subject to civil immigration enforcement. Officers must check with ICE lawyers first when they know someone applied. The federal privacy law, 8 U.S.C. 1367, still applies.
• January 1, 2025: survivor leave rules moved to the Civil Rights Department. The CRD now handles complaints about survivor time off and safety changes at work for actions on or after this date.
• January 1, 2026: more court time off. Crime victims and family members can take time off to attend certain criminal court hearings, such as plea, sentencing and release decisions. Paid sick days can also be used for some proceedings about serious crimes.
• May 8, 2026: USCIS narrowed deferred action. USCIS Policy Alert PA-2026-01 says deferred action is given only in extraordinary cases, one by one. Immigrant rights groups such as the National Immigration Law Center say this may make it harder to get or keep deferred action while waiting on a U visa, T visa or VAWA case. Ask your lawyer what it means for you.
• January 1, 2027: new CalVCB rules (scheduled). New regulations for victim compensation claims are set to take effect. Check victims.ca.gov before you apply. Also from January 1, 2027, courts may not charge a fee to appear remotely at a domestic violence restraining order hearing.

Rules are moving fast. If you hear about a big change, ask an advocate or a lawyer before you act on it.

Where can I get free help in the Bay Area?

These groups help survivors. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

Safety, shelter and counseling

• CORA (San Mateo County): 800-300-1080, 24 hours. corasupport.org
• Next Door Solutions (Santa Clara County): 408-279-2962, 24/7. nextdoorsolutions.org
• YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley: 800-572-2782, 24/7 bilingual. yourywca.org

Restraining orders

• Bay Area Legal Aid restraining order clinic (San Mateo County): (650) 358-0745
• Santa Clara County Restraining Order Help Center: (408) 534-5600
• San Mateo County court Self Help Center: sanmateo.courts.ca.gov/flf

Immigration legal help for survivors

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): VAWA and U visa cases, and deportation defense, for low income residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. (650) 326-6440. Walk ins Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1861 Bay Road, East Palo Alto. clsepa.org
• Bay Area Legal Aid: VAWA, U visa, T visa and green cards for survivors. Advice line 1-800-551-5554. Free to people with low income who qualify. Domestic violence survivors may need a referral. baylegal.org
• Tahirih Justice Center, Bay Area: free legal services for immigrant women and girls fleeing violence in California. 1-866-575-0071, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. No walk ins. tahirih.org
• More groups: Free legal help in the Bay Area and How to find a lawyer you can trust.

Work, housing and money

• Project SURVIVE Helpline (Legal Aid at Work): 888-864-8335
• Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, housing: (650) 517-8911
• CalVCB: 800-777-9229. victims.ca.gov
• Safe at Home: (877) 322-5227
• 211: dial 211 for food, shelter and other local help

Questions people ask

Do I need papers to get help? No. The hotlines, local agencies and courts on this page do not ask for papers to help you. CalVCB says citizenship is not required. See Can I get help without papers?

Will calling a hotline get me reported to immigration? None of the hotlines on this page say they ask about immigration status. The trafficking hotline and Childhelp say they may share some information with authorities in certain cases. Ask how they handle what you share before you give details.

Does a restraining order cost money? No. There is no court fee for a domestic violence restraining order, and the sheriff serves it for free. You do not need a lawyer.

Does the person who hurt me have to be arrested or convicted for me to get help? No. Not for a restraining order, not for survivor time off at work, and not for U visa certification in California.

Can a restraining order help my immigration case? It can. Restraining order papers are often used as evidence in U visa and VAWA cases, and a family court judge may be able to sign a U visa certification. See the restraining order guide.

Can I break my lease to get away? Yes, with written notice and proof from the last 180 days. You owe rent for no more than 14 days after notice. See Where can I stay?

My partner pays for my phone. Can I get my own line? Yes. Your carrier must separate your line from a shared plan within 2 business days of a complete request, with no fee for the separation. Bring proof like a police report or restraining order.

How do I keep the abuser from finding my new address? Ask about Safe at Home at (877) 322-5227. Use a safe mailing address on forms. Tell your landlord, employer and school to keep your information private.

Can my boss fire me for missing work to go to court? No. Every California employer must give time off to get a restraining order, and cannot punish you for being a survivor or asking for leave. Call Project SURVIVE at 888-864-8335.

I am a man. Is help for me too? Yes. Abuse can happen to anyone. Next Door Solutions, for example, says it supports survivors of every gender and sexual orientation. Call any line on this page.

I was forced to work to pay off a debt. Is that trafficking? It may be. Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or a survivor immigration lawyer. See What immigration options do survivors have?

Can DNLH help me directly? DNLH is not a hotline, shelter or law office. We cannot take calls for help. Please use the groups above, and in an emergency call 911.

My safety and papers checklist

Print this, or copy only what you need. Keep it where the person hurting you cannot find it.

Lock change request to my landlord

Send this in writing and keep a copy. Attach one piece of proof. This applies when the person who hurt you does not live in your unit.

You are worth protecting. Reaching out is brave, and every step you take, even a small one, counts. Help is there when you are ready, and you do not have to walk this road alone.