Article from Domestic and Sexual Violence Services
(Posted 2022 January)
Fairfax County now participates in the Hope Card program—a way to enforce a civil protective order and a handy resource for victims of family abuse.
A Hope Card is an easy to read and carry laminated, wallet-sized card that contains all the essential information of an existing, permanent civil protection order.
Hope Cards have been in use in Virginia since 2016, according to Jaime Clemmer, HOPE Card program coordinator with the Supreme Court of Virginia. They were created in Montana in 2004, but they are a new resource in Fairfax County for victims of family violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, or sexual assault.
Though not a substitute for protective orders, a Hope Card lets law enforcement know there is a valid, permanent Order of Protection in place. In case of a potential violation of an order, a law enforcement officer can refer to the Hope Card for more information. The card includes relevant information related to a valid, permanent protection order, including identifying characteristics of the person being ordered to stay away (name, sex, race, eye and hair color, height, weight, and any distinguishing features like scars or tattoos), as well as information about the person and any children protected by the order.
The Hope Card can reduce the time on scene for officers responding to incidents of protection order violations, allow officers to verify if there is a valid protective order in place, and provide a sense of security to victims. It also helps keep officers safe by informing law enforcement about weapons involved in the incident resulting in a protective order.
“The Fairfax County Police Department in partnership with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and other community partners, including the Domestic Violence Action Center (DVAC), have joined more than five dozen jurisdictions in Virginia offering Hope Cards.
For more information about the Hope Card or to find out how to obtain one, contact DVAC at
703-236-4573, the Fairfax County Police Department’s Victim Services Division main line at 703-246-2141, or the Virginia Supreme Court at 703-246-33467.
Learn more about the services and resources Domestic and Sexual Violence Services provides by calling its 24-Hour Hotline at 703-360-7273.
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