Hope Card Program Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Hope Card?

  • A Hope Card is a portable version of an Order of Protection. The Hope Card program allows anyone protected by an active final Order of Protection to request and receive a physical Hope Card, a digital Hope Card, or both.

  • A physical Hope Card is a durable, wallet-sized card with a summary of your Order of Protection information. There is also a link on the card to your digital Order of Protection. Physical Hope Cards are sent to the protected party by mail.

  • A digital Hope Card is a digital image of your Order of Protection. Digital Hope Cards are sent to the protected party by email or text message with a secure link to the digital image.

  • No. Hope Cards are issued only for active final Orders of Protection.

  • A temporary order will indicate it is temporary in the title of the order. A final order will say Order of Protection.

  • No, Hope Cards are only available for active final Orders of Protection.

Who can get a Hope Card?

  • Any protected party on a final Order of Protection can request a Hope Card. If your final Order of Protection was issued in a family or matrimonial case, your attorney may request a Hope Card for you. If you are under 18, your attorney, your parent, or your guardian may request a Hope Card on your behalf, as long as they are not the against party. The agency that has custody of a child who is a protected party may request a Hope Card on the child’s behalf. If your final Order of Protection was issued in a criminal case, the district attorney or your crime victim or domestic violence advocate may also request a Hope Card for you.

  • A protected party is any person covered by an Order of Protection. The protected party may be a petitioner, complainant, victim, complaining witness, or child.

  • The primary protected party (the requestor) is the person who is requesting a Hope Card for themselves. This person’s name and date of birth will be listed first on the Hope Card, even if other people are also listed on the Order of Protection.

  • An against party is the person who the Order of Protection is filed against. This person may also be identified as the respondent, defendant, or restrained person on a final Order of Protection.

How do I get a Hope Card?

  • Hope Cards can be requested online or by filing a paper Hope Card Request form at any criminal, family, or supreme court. To request a Hope Card online use the Request a Hope Card button on this website.

  • If you submit your request by using the online form, your physical Hope Card will be mailed to you within 10 days of receiving your request. If you submit a paper request form at the courthouse, please allow 10 to 30 days to receive your Hope Card.

  • If you submit your request by using the online form, your digital Hope Card will be sent to you by text or email within 30 minutes of receiving your request. If you submit a paper request form at the courthouse, please allow 10 to 30 days to receive your Hope Card.

  • Hope Cards are FREE.

  • No. When you make a request for a physical Hope Card to be mailed to you, the address you provide will remain within the Hope Card program. That address will not be shared with the court’s case management system. A request for a digital Hope Card does not require you to provide a mailing address, as the digital Hope Card will be sent to you by email or text message.

  • Two physical cards are provided per request. If you need more physical cards, you may complete the application process again.

  • If you have more than one final Order of Protection, you must make a separate request for Hope Cards for each Order of Protection.

How do I use my Hope Card?

  • A Hope Card is an easy way to carry your final Order of Protection with you, either in your wallet, pocket, or on your cell phone. A Hope Card will allow a protected party to quickly share the details of their Order of Protection with anyone they choose (for example: school, workplace, family, neighbors). A Hope Card has the same legal effect as a paper Order of Protection.

  • You can show either your digital or physical Hope Card to the police. If they need to see the full Order of Protection, they can use the information on the card to look up your order on their system.

  • At this time, Hope Cards are only available for final Orders of Protection that are issued by the State of New York or foreign final Orders of Protection that have been registered with the State of New York.

  • The physical Hope Card only has room for the names of ten protected parties. The full Order of Protection showing the names of all the protected parties can be seen when you use the QR code or the URL to access the digital copy of the Order of Protection.

  • To protect your security, the passcode must be entered every 15 minutes to continue to view your order.

I’m having trouble getting a Hope Card. What can I do?

  • Be sure to have the paper copy of your final Order of Protection handy to refer to when filling out your request. All the information the form requires is on the order. If you still need help, contact the court that issued your Order of Protection and ask for assistance in making your request. You can find their contact information here: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courtlocator. A Hope Card request may also be made by filling out a paper form that is available at any courthouse that issues Orders of Protection.

  • Paper Hope Card request forms are available at any criminal, family, or supreme court. You may also get a request form at hope-card-request-2024-fillable-new.pdf

  • Check your email spam folder. If it’s not there, call the court that issued your Order of Protection. They can check to be sure your request was received properly. You can find the court’s contact information here: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courtlocator.

  • If you submitted your request online more than 10 days ago, or if you submitted a paper request form more than 30 days ago, contact the court that issued your Order of Protection to see if the card was returned to them by the Post Office. They can also check to be sure your request was received properly. You can find the court’s contact information here: https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courtlocator.

Can I talk to someone at the court about my Hope Card request?