What to do if…
you are served with a no-contact order or official communication restriction

What to do now

1. Freeze contact across every channel you control.
   Stop calls, texts, emails, direct messages, comments, likes, reactions, tags, gaming chat, shared apps, letters, gifts, and in-person contact. Block or mute if that helps you avoid accidental contact.

2. Read the notice like a checklist and identify what it is.
   On paper, write down the body named on the notice, such as a court, police, prison, probation service, or other official body; the exact people covered; what counts as direct or indirect contact; any distance or exclusion zone; any exceptions, such as children or legal representatives; and any start date, end date, review date, or next hearing date. If anything is unclear, treat the unclear part as not allowed until a solicitor or the issuing authority clarifies it.

3. Save proof and make a simple compliance note.
   Keep a copy, photo, or PDF of the notice. Make a dated note of when you received it and what you did immediately, such as blocked numbers, muted accounts, changed settings, or told household members not to pass on messages.

4. If the restricted person contacts you first, do not respond unless there is an immediate safety emergency.
   Do not answer, react, forward a reply, or ask them to stop. Save the contact attempt. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999; otherwise, show the contact attempt to your solicitor and follow their advice.

5. If you need essential communication, use only a clearly permitted route.
   For children, a shared home, urgent property, or urgent money issues, look for an explicit route in the notice, such as communication through solicitors, a named third party, or a specified app. If there is no clear route, do not invent one; ask a solicitor how to request a clarification or variation.

6. Contact the right gatekeeper for clarification or changes.

   • If it is a restraining order or other criminal court order: contact your solicitor, or the solicitor who helped you at court, and ask them to confirm the exact wording and how any variation would be requested.
   • If it is a bail condition set by the police or a court: contact your solicitor, or the solicitor who helped you at the police station or court, and ask what the paperwork means in practice.
   • If it is family court-related, such as a non-molestation order: contact a family solicitor and ask what counts as indirect contact and how child-related logistics should be handled.
   • If the notice names a prison, probation service, or other official body: use the contact route on the notice, but do not use it to pass a message to the restricted person.

7. If the issue is unwanted contact from someone in prison, use the official non-contact route.
   In England and Wales, the Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service can be used to request that contact from a prisoner stops. Keep the notice and any contact attempts so you can provide details if asked. If the notice concerns Scotland or Northern Ireland, use the official route named on the notice or ask the prison service named in the paperwork.

8. If there is immediate danger or someone is using the situation to threaten you, use the appropriate police route.
   Call 999 if there is immediate danger. For a non-emergency police report in the UK, call 101 or use your local police force’s online reporting route. Have the order or notice wording with you.