More States Adopt the Domestic Violence Hope Card Program

By Bill Raftery

In the last 2 years, 3 states have adopted a statewide Hope Card program. Several individual courts or counties have implemented similar support for domestic violence survivors as well. As noted in 2023, Hope Cards are wallet-size cards that provide concise information regarding a protection order. They typically include the dates of issuance and expiration of the order, information about the issuing court, information about the protected parties, and identifying characteristics of the person against whom the protection order has been issued. As a result, law enforcement is not wasting precious time while trying to track down the paperwork. Hope Cards are especially helpful to survivors. It is difficult to keep track of and always carry a packet of paperwork; whereas, a wallet-size card is portable.

In 2023 and 2024, 3 states adopted the program by law:

• Florida: On October 1, 2024, the clerks of court in the state, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, began issuing cards upon request. The Florida law also makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly produce a fake Hope Card.
• New York: Unlike most states that provide for the issuance of only a physical card, New York’s 2023 law also allows a digital image of the final order of protection as issued in court, delivered via text message, email, or other electronic communication, to be used to present to law enforcement. The state’s Office of Court Administration oversees the program.
• Washington: Their program, enacted in 2023 and started January 1, 2025, also indicates the card must have “a scannable electronic format.” The state’s Administrative Office of the Courts administers the program.

These statewide programs join Montana, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Oregon, and Virginia. Nevada’s legislature is considering the creation of a Hope Card program in 2025 (A.B. 159).

In addition to these statewide efforts, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania created its own local Hope Card program in February 2024. Operated by the county’s prothonotary (elected civil clerk of the Court of Common Pleas), the card is mailed to anyone with a final Protection from Abuse Order.

Does your state or court have a Hope Card program? Email us at [email protected] or call 800-616-6164 and let us know. Follow the National Center for State Courts on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Vimeo. For more Trending Topic posts, visit ncsc.org/trendingtopics and subscribe to the LinkedIn newsletter.