Last updated: June 18, 2026
Urgent help first
If you or your children are in immediate danger, call 911. If talking is not safe, Arizona says Text-to-911 is available in every county. Send your exact location and a short message about the emergency first.
For domestic violence support, shelter referrals, and help thinking through safer next steps, contact the Arizona helpline at 602-279-2980 or 800-782-6400, text 520-720-3383, or use chat during posted hours. The National Hotline is available 24/7 at 800-799-7233 or by texting START to 88788.
Safety note: Internet and phone use can be monitored. Use a safer device if you can. If you cannot safely use this page, leave it and call from a safer phone, public phone, shelter, school, clinic, library, court, or trusted person’s device.
Bottom line
Arizona help for domestic violence can include advocacy, emergency shelter, legal help, protective orders, address privacy, benefits, food, health coverage, child support safety screening, work-rights help, and help after a crime. Most help is a service, benefit, legal protection, or referral.
If you are not sure where to start, call the Arizona helpline or use 2-1-1 Arizona for local referrals. If you need a protective order, use AZPOINT to prepare the forms, then contact a court to finish filing. If you need food, health care, or cash help, use Health-e-Arizona Plus or ask an advocate or community partner for a safer way to apply.
This guide is general information. It is not legal advice, safety-plan advice, medical advice, or a promise that a program can help in every case. For a national overview, see ASMOM’s DV safety guide when it is safe to read more.
Where to start in Arizona
The best first call depends on what is happening today. You do not need perfect proof before calling. Share only what is safe to share.
If you need safety today
Call 911 for danger right now. For shelter or advocacy, contact the Arizona helpline.
If you need court protection
Use AZPOINT to prepare a petition for an Order of Protection, Injunction Against Harassment, or Injunction Against Workplace Harassment. Then follow the portal directions and contact a court.
If you need benefits
Use Health-e-Arizona Plus to apply for Nutrition Assistance, Cash Assistance, and AHCCCS. If your device is not safe, ask an advocate, clinic, or community partner for help.
If you need referrals
Call 2-1-1 from inside Arizona or 877-211-8661 from anywhere. Ask for domestic violence support, food, housing, legal aid, transportation, and child care near your ZIP code.
For broader statewide support, ASMOM’s Arizona assistance guide can help you see food, health, housing, and cash aid paths in one place.
Quick reference table
| Need | Start here | Reality check |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate danger | Call 911 or text 911 if talking is not safe. | Calling is usually faster. If texting, give your exact location first. |
| DV shelter or advocacy | Call the Arizona helpline at 602-279-2980 or 800-782-6400. | Shelter space changes daily. Advocates may help with other safe options. |
| Protective order | Start forms in AZPOINT and contact a court. | AZPOINT prepares forms. A court must still review your request. |
| Address privacy | Ask about Safe at Home. | You meet with a registered Application Assistant to apply. |
| Food, cash, medical | Use Health-e-Arizona Plus or a community partner. | Rules depend on household, income, documents, and program type. |
| Legal help | Ask DVLAP, legal aid, or AZLawHelp. | Free legal aid depends on income, case type, county, and capacity. |
Shelter, advocacy, and local support
Arizona DES says the state Domestic Violence Program includes mobile and community-based advocacy, lay legal advocacy, emergency shelter, and transitional housing. Start with DES domestic violence information if you need to understand the state program, but call an advocate for current shelter and safety referrals.
The Arizona helpline can help you sort out shelter, legal questions, referrals, and safer contact. You can also use the ACESDV service map to look for programs by area. If you are Native American or Alaska Native, StrongHearts help is available 24/7 at 844-762-8483.
If sexual assault is part of what happened, the RAINN hotline can connect you to support by phone, chat, or text. Arizona DES also says sexual violence services may include emotional support, medical accompaniment, support groups, and counseling through local programs.
Safety caution
Do not rely on a public shelter list alone if someone may be tracking you. An advocate can help you think through safer contact, transportation, children, pets, work, school, court papers, and technology concerns.
Protective orders in Arizona
An Order of Protection is a court order that can tell a person not to contact you, come near you, or commit domestic violence against you. Arizona courts also use Injunctions Against Harassment and Injunctions Against Workplace Harassment in some cases. Which order fits depends on the relationship and facts.
The Arizona Judicial Branch says AZPOINT is the courts’ preferred online portal for completing protective-order forms. It can help prepare protective-order forms. There is no fee to use AZPOINT, and the portal saves your information for up to 90 days.
After using AZPOINT, you still need to contact a court and follow that court’s instructions. If you already have a family court case with the other person, the Arizona courts say you must file with the superior court handling that family case. Use the Arizona courts DV court page for official court information before filing.
| Protective order topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Starting forms | AZPOINT guides you through questions and prepares forms for court review. |
| Cost | There is no fee to use AZPOINT. Ask the court about any filing or service questions. |
| Children | List children only when the facts support protection. Ask legal aid if custody is involved. |
| Evidence | Helpful items may include messages, photos, police report numbers, medical records, witness names, or prior orders. |
| Hearing | If the other person asks for a hearing, do not ignore the notice. Ask legal aid or an advocate for help. |
Address confidentiality and safer mail
Arizona’s Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program can provide a substitute address and confidential mail forwarding for eligible people affected by domestic violence, sexual offenses, or stalking. The Arizona Secretary of State says state and local government agencies must accept the substitute address issued by the program.
You do not apply directly to Safe at Home. The Secretary of State says applicants must meet with a registered Application Assistant at an agency or nonprofit that helps victims of domestic violence, sexual offenses, or stalking. Start with the Safe at Home overview, then ask an advocate about the ACP enrollment process.
Safe at Home is not the same as a shelter, protective order, or legal name change. It is one privacy tool. Ask an advocate whether it fits your situation before using new addresses on court, school, benefits, or housing papers.
Children, custody, child support, and school safety
Domestic violence can affect custody, parenting time, school pickup, child support, and benefits. Arizona law says courts must consider evidence of domestic violence when deciding legal decision-making and parenting time. It also says the safety and well-being of the child and the victim are of primary importance.
Talk with legal aid before changing parenting time, moving, withholding visits, or filing new papers. In some cases, a court may set conditions such as protected exchanges, supervised parenting time, no overnight parenting time, or address privacy. The right request depends on your case.
If child support cooperation may create danger, tell your DES worker or DCSS worker and ask about family violence screening. Arizona child support policy says DCSS screens cases for family safety concerns and monitors family-violence documentation through the life of the case.
For more background, use ASMOM’s Arizona child support guide. If you suspect child abuse or neglect, the Arizona Department of Child Safety lists the Child Abuse Hotline as 1-888-SOS-CHILD or 1-888-767-2445.
Benefits, food, health coverage, and basic needs
Leaving abuse can create fast needs: food, medicine, documents, diapers, transportation, child care, rent, utilities, or phone access. Arizona does not have one domestic violence grant that solves all of this. The practical path is usually advocacy, benefits, legal help, and local charities.
DES says Health-e-Arizona Plus can be used to apply for AHCCCS medical coverage, Nutrition Assistance, and Cash Assistance. If it is unsafe to use your own device, ask an advocate, clinic, school, or community partner for help applying from a safer place.
For food help, use ASMOM’s Arizona SNAP guide. For pregnancy, babies, and young children, see Arizona WIC help. For cash help, see Arizona TANF help.
If housing is the main problem, start with advocacy and 2-1-1, then review Arizona housing help. For utilities, see Arizona utility help. For care while you work or attend appointments, go to Arizona child care.
Reality check
Benefits can take time. If documents are with the unsafe person or you cannot safely get them, say that clearly to the worker and ask what other proof they can accept.
Legal help for protection, housing, custody, and benefits
The DVLAP program is a statewide network of legal aid attorneys, volunteer attorneys, and lay legal advocates that provides free legal help to victims of domestic violence and their children. Help may include protective orders, family law forms, landlord-tenant questions, and basic rights information.
Arizona legal aid programs include Community Legal Services, Southern Arizona Legal Aid, and DNA People’s Legal Services. Each has its own service area, income rules, priorities, and capacity. Use AZLawHelp intake or call 866-637-5341 to ask where to apply.
Legal aid cannot take every case. If they cannot represent you, ask for brief advice, self-help forms, a clinic, a referral, or hearing help. For more local links, use ASMOM’s Arizona legal help guide.
Work rights, paid sick time, and unemployment
Arizona earned paid sick time can be used for some absences related to domestic violence, sexual violence, abuse, or stalking. The law lists reasons such as medical attention, victim services, counseling, relocation or steps to secure a home, and legal services.
Arizona unemployment law also says the state shall not disqualify a person from benefits just because the person left work due to a documented domestic violence case. This does not mean every claim is approved. You still need to follow unemployment rules, answer notices, and provide documents when asked.
If losing work is part of your situation, ask legal aid or the Industrial Commission what proof is needed. If your employer denies leave, threatens you, or demands unsafe details, get advice before sharing more information than needed.
Crime victim compensation
Arizona has a crime victim compensation program for some out-of-pocket costs tied to a crime. The Arizona Attorney General says county-based Crime Victim Compensation Boards decide awards through an application process. Possible covered costs can include medical and dental care, mental health counseling, funeral costs, lost wages, loss of support, crime scene cleanup, transportation, and emergency relocation.
Start with the victim compensation overview or ask the county victim compensation coordinator where the crime happened. Compensation is not guaranteed. Keep bills, receipts, police report information, victim advocate contacts, and court papers if you can safely access them.
Documents and information checklist
Do not risk your safety to collect papers. Bring or save what you can safely access. For paperwork, use ASMOM’s documents checklist.
| For this need | Helpful information | If you do not have it |
|---|---|---|
| Shelter or advocacy | Your name, safe contact method, children with you, pets, county, urgent medical needs. | Tell the advocate what is safe to share and what is not. |
| Protective order | Names, birth dates if known, addresses for service, dates of incidents, messages, photos, reports. | Give the best facts you know. Ask how to handle unknown details. |
| Benefits | ID, children’s information, income, rent, utilities, bank information, medical costs, immigration documents if relevant. | Ask the worker what alternate proof they can accept. |
| Legal aid | Court papers, hearing dates, lease, notices, police report number, benefit letters, custody orders. | Apply anyway. Time-sensitive cases may still need intake. |
| Work or unemployment | Employer name, last day worked, pay stubs, leave requests, proof of domestic violence if available. | Explain what happened in plain words and ask what proof is acceptable. |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for perfect proof. You can call a hotline or apply for legal aid even if you do not have every document.
- Posting plans online. If someone is monitoring you, social media posts can increase risk.
- Ignoring court notices. If the other person asks for a hearing, missing it can affect your order.
- Leaving out child support safety fears. Tell DES or DCSS if cooperation could put you or your child at risk.
- Using one device for everything. If you suspect monitoring, ask an advocate about safer ways to call, search, and save documents.
- Assuming benefits are fast. Ask about emergency food, shelter, and local charities while applications are pending.
If the first place cannot help
Keep the request narrow and ask for the next doorway. If a shelter is full, ask who has current bed information. If legal aid cannot take your case, ask for self-help forms. If benefits are delayed, ask about emergency food, a supervisor, or an appeal deadline.
You can also use ASMOM’s Arizona emergency help, Arizona mental health, and Arizona community support pages for related needs.
If benefits are denied, delayed, or closed, use our benefits problem guide to organize notices, deadlines, and next calls.
Phone scripts you can use
Use these only when it is safe to call, text, or leave messages. If not, ask an advocate about safer contact.
Calling the Arizona helpline
“I am a single mother in Arizona and I need help with domestic violence. I need a safe way to talk. Can you help me with shelter options, safety planning, and local advocacy near my county?”
Calling a court about AZPOINT
“I started a protective order petition in AZPOINT. What are the next steps to have a judge review it, and can I appear by video or do I need to come in person?”
Calling legal aid
“I need help with domestic violence and a civil legal issue. I may need a protective order, custody advice, housing help, or benefits help. I have a deadline on [date]. Can I do intake?”
Calling DES or DCSS
“I am applying for benefits and child support cooperation may not be safe. Can you explain good cause, family violence screening, and what proof I can provide if I cannot safely get documents?”
Resumen en español
Si usted o sus hijos están en peligro inmediato en Arizona, llame al 911. Si no puede hablar con seguridad, Arizona permite enviar texto al 911 en todos los condados. Escriba su ubicación exacta y una frase corta sobre la emergencia.
Para ayuda por violencia doméstica, llame a la Línea de Ayuda de Arizona al 602-279-2980 o 800-782-6400, o envíe texto al 520-720-3383 durante las horas publicadas. También puede llamar a la línea nacional al 800-799-7233 o enviar START al 88788.
Puede pedir ayuda para refugio, órdenes de protección, privacidad de dirección, beneficios, comida, atención médica, ayuda legal y apoyo para sus hijos. Este artículo es información general. No es consejo legal, médico ni de seguridad.
FAQ
What should I do first if I am in danger in Arizona?
Call 911. If calling is not safe, Arizona has Text-to-911 in every county. Send your exact location and a short message about the emergency.
Who can I call for domestic violence shelter in Arizona?
Contact the Arizona Sexual and Domestic Violence Helpline at 602-279-2980 or 800-782-6400, text 520-720-3383, or use chat during posted hours. Shelter space changes, so an advocate can help with current options.
Can I file for an Order of Protection online in Arizona?
You can use AZPOINT to prepare the forms for an Order of Protection or related protective order. You still need to follow the portal instructions and contact a court to finish filing.
Can Arizona hide my address if I am fleeing abuse?
Arizona has the Safe at Home Address Confidentiality Program for eligible people affected by domestic violence, sexual offenses, or stalking. You must meet with a registered Application Assistant to apply.
Can domestic violence affect child custody in Arizona?
Yes. Arizona law says courts must consider evidence of domestic violence and that the safety and well-being of the child and victim are of primary importance. Get legal help for advice on your case.
Can I get benefits without pursuing child support if it is unsafe?
Tell your DES worker or DCSS if child support cooperation could put you or your child at risk. Ask about family violence screening and what proof may be accepted.
Can I use paid sick time for domestic violence needs in Arizona?
Arizona earned paid sick time can cover some absences related to domestic violence, sexual violence, abuse, or stalking, including medical care, victim services, counseling, relocation, and legal services.
About this guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.
A Single Mother is independent and is not a government agency, benefits office, lender, law firm, medical provider, or tax advisor.
Program rules, funding, local availability, and eligibility can change. Always confirm details with the official program before you apply or make decisions.
Verification: Last verified June 18, 2026, next review September 18, 2026.
Corrections: If you see something wrong or outdated, email suggestions@asinglemother.org.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not legal, financial, medical, tax, immigration, disability, safety, or government-agency advice.