Domestic Violence Resources and Safety for Single Mothers in Minnesota

Where to start

You do not need to fix everything in one day. Pick the safest first step. If calling is not safe, texting or chat may be better. If texting is not safe, an advocate can help you think through another option.

For a broader next step, use ASMOM’s domestic violence guide and Minnesota help hub.

Quick contacts

Before giving your number or address: Tell the helper if a voicemail, email, text or letter could be seen by the person harming you.

Shelter and advocacy

Day One is often the fastest statewide starting point because it can connect you to programs across Minnesota. It serves people dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, general crime, or unsafe relationships. Day One says advocates are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and interpreter help is available.

A local advocate may help you talk through shelter, transportation, court forms, school changes, child needs, pet safety, medical needs, and safe communication. You do not need a police report or court order before calling an advocate.

Court protection in Minnesota

Minnesota courts explain two common civil orders: an Order for Protection, often called an OFP, and a Harassment Restraining Order, often called an HRO. An OFP is for domestic abuse by a family or household member under Minnesota law. An HRO may be used for harassment, stalking, or unwanted acts when the relationship does not fit OFP rules.

Filing an OFP: An Order for Protection is for domestic abuse involving a person covered by Minnesota’s family or household law, which can include a dating partner. You can use the official OFP forms and instructions or Minnesota Guide & File. You may file electronically through Guide & File or print the forms. The court recommends asking an advocate for help. Minnesota law waives the filing fee for an OFP. Ask whether a temporary order is available if you face immediate danger.

Keep your address private: The court says you can leave your address off the public OFP petition and provide it on a separate court form. Tell the clerk you want the address kept from the respondent and public file. If you have children, ask about keeping their location private too. Filing a case can alert the other party, so discuss service, hearing dates and safe contact with an advocate first.

What the 2026 firearms change means: On the OFP petition, share only what you already know about any guns the respondent may have and where they might be. If you do not know, say so. Chapter 75 says missing gun details are not grounds to dismiss the petition. A court decides whether firearm restrictions or a transfer order apply; filing an OFP does not itself mean a weapon has been removed. Ask an advocate or the court about safe ways to report a weapon concern.

Fees differ: Minnesota’s current court fee schedule lists a base filing fee for a Harassment Restraining Order, with exceptions for certain allegations and possible fee waivers. An OFP does not have the same filing fee. Ask the clerk which order fits your facts rather than paying for the wrong form.

You can get official court forms from the Minnesota Judicial Branch. The court says Minnesota Guide & File can create forms for an OFP or HRO and let you file electronically or print them. Ask the court about interpreters, fee waivers when available, and how to keep your address out of the public court file.

A Domestic Abuse No Contact Order, or DANCO, is different. It is usually part of a criminal case, not something you file on your own. If there is a criminal case, ask the prosecutor, victim advocate, or court clerk what orders are already in place.

For more legal starting points, read ASMOM’s Minnesota legal help page.

If your petition is not granted, ask the clerk for the written order and what review or new-filing steps are available. If an order is granted, keep a safe copy and ask an advocate how to report violations. An order is one tool, not a promise that the other person will obey it.

Housing and address safety

If you need to leave your home, call Day One first when it is safe. If you are in subsidized housing, public housing, or a Housing Choice Voucher program, federal VAWA rules may protect you from being denied housing, evicted, or terminated because of violence against you. Minnesota Housing explains VAWA housing rights, including emergency transfer, confidentiality, and lease bifurcation protections in covered housing.

Under Minnesota’s lease-termination law (section 504B.206), some tenants facing domestic abuse, sexual violence, sexual extortion or harassment can end a lease early if they meet the legal steps. You must give the landlord a signed and dated advance written notice with the required details and a qualifying document. A statement from a licensed health professional, domestic abuse advocate or sexual assault counselor may qualify; a police report is not always the only path. Talk with legal aid or an advocate before sending papers that could put you at risk.

Costs and exceptions: Do not read “without penalty” as “no costs.” A sole tenant using this law owes rent for the full month the lease ends and gives up the right to recover the security deposit. Rules differ when several tenants share a lease or federal subsidized-housing rules apply. The law also limits what a landlord can share about you. Ask about any unpaid rent, deposit, other tenants or VAWA protection before moving out.

Safe at Home: Minnesota’s address privacy program gives eligible people a legal substitute PO Box address and forwards some mail. It is not an emergency shelter or a way to hide your current location right away. Apply through a trained application assistant. To ask about enrollment, call 651-201-1399 in the metro area or 1-866-723-3035 elsewhere in Minnesota. The Secretary of State says applicants should call, not email, for security reasons. Ask how the program handles schools, benefits notices, mail, packages, and court records.

Money, food, child care, and work

Abuse often affects money, food, work, phones, transportation, and child care. Minnesota’s online benefit application is MNbenefits. It can be used for several safety-net programs, but your county or Tribal Nation usually reviews the case.

Related ASMOM guides can help you go deeper: Minnesota food help, Minnesota TANF, child care help, Minnesota WIC help, and utility help.

Ask about family-violence rules: MFIP may offer a Family Violence Waiver if violence affects work or program tasks. Ask your worker or job counselor what plan and proof are safe. Minnesota’s July 2026 child-support good-cause policy says a caregiver can request an exemption at any time using form DHS-2338. It says good cause is approved on completion of that form for a current Safe at Home participant. Ask for written instructions and confirm your case status before missing a child-support appointment.

Using sick and safe time: If you meet Minnesota’s worker rules, earned sick and safe time can be used when you or a family member faces domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking. Ask your employer for the leave policy and check the state’s current rules. Do not give more personal detail than the law requires.

Children, health care, and child support

If your child’s school, child care program, or clinic needs to know about custody, pickup rules, or court orders, give only what is needed and ask how they protect private records. If your address must stay private, ask about Safe at Home and court address privacy before sharing it widely.

For health coverage, Medical Assistance is Minnesota’s Medicaid program for people with low income, including many families with children and pregnant women. MNsure’s MA and MinnesotaCare page can also help you apply with financial help.

If you need counseling, trauma support, or crisis support, ask Day One, your clinic, county human services, or 988 for options. Local advocates may know providers who understand domestic abuse, sexual assault, child trauma, disability, immigration concerns, or culturally specific needs.

ASMOM has related guides on Minnesota health coverage, mental health help, and child support help. If pursuing child support could increase danger, ask a benefits worker or legal aid about good-cause rules before taking action.

Child safety and support: If you have an OFP or custody order, ask the school or child care center who may pick up your child and what records stay private. If there is no order, ask an advocate or family-law attorney how to make a safety plan without assuming a school can change custody rights. If contacting the other parent for child support could put you at risk, ask about the good-cause process before you respond to a request for cooperation. The rules depend on the benefit program.

Documents and information checklist

Do not delay calling for help because you do not have every paper. Bring or upload what you can safely access. If the other person controls papers, money, mail, or devices, tell the advocate or worker.

For a wider list, use ASMOM’s documents checklist.

If you are denied, delayed, or overwhelmed

If an agency says no, ask for the denial in writing and the appeal deadline. If a county, landlord, school, or benefits office does not respond, write down the date and time, call back, and ask for a supervisor, advocate, or appeal information.

For benefits problems, ASMOM’s benefits problem guide explains basic steps for notices, missing proof, and deadlines. For legal help, try LawHelp Minnesota, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Central Minnesota Legal Services, or Minnesota Legal Advice Online.

Standpoint provides legal advice, advocacy, and support for Minnesota survivors and professionals dealing with domestic and sexual violence. If a crime caused medical bills, counseling needs, lost wages, or other costs, ask an advocate about the Minnesota Crime Victims Reimbursement Program and whether it fits your situation. Standpoint’s Action Line is 800-313-2666 (toll-free) or 612-343-9842 (local) during business hours; it is not a 24-hour emergency line.

Crime-related costs: Minnesota’s Crime Victims Reimbursement Program may help with some costs after a violent crime. It has police-reporting and claim deadlines, along with exceptions for certain cases. Do not assume being able to talk with an advocate without a police report means the reimbursement program has the same rules. Ask the program or an advocate about deadlines, exceptions and the state claim portal as soon as it is safe.

If a court or benefit office says no: Get a written decision and ask what deadline applies to review, reconsideration or appeal. If the notice is unsafe to receive at home, ask the agency about a safe address or other contact method. An advocate can help you plan the next step, but do not ignore a deadline while waiting for help.