Last updated: October 28, 2026
Emergency help first
If you or your children are in immediate danger, call
911
. If calling is not safe, move toward the safest help you can reach, such as a trusted neighbor, hospital, police station, school office, clinic, public place, or local advocate.
For domestic violence help anywhere in Utah, call or text the
Utah Domestic Violence LINKLine at 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
. The
Utah LINKLine
connects survivors with confidential support, resources, and local services. You can also use the
National DV Hotline
at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or chat online if that is safer.
Phones, computers, email, apps, browser history, and location sharing can be watched. Use a safer device when you can. If you are worried your phone is being monitored, ask an advocate about safer ways to call, text, receive mail, and use benefits portals.
If you cannot speak safely, ask an advocate which contact method is safest for you. Deleting browser history may not hide activity from a person who controls or monitors the device.
Bottom line for Utah single mothers
In Utah, domestic violence help usually starts with a confidential advocate, not a long benefits application. An advocate can help you think through shelter, transportation, children’s needs, protective orders, safe contact, address privacy, benefits, and next steps without making every decision at once.
Utah’s main safety paths include the LINKLine, local domestic violence shelters, community advocates, victim advocates, Utah Courts protective order help, the Safe at Home address confidentiality program, and the Utah Office for Victims of Crime. This guide is general information only. It is not legal advice, safety planning, counseling, or a substitute for a trained advocate, attorney, court, police, doctor, or licensed professional.
Use ASMOM’s national
domestic violence guide
for broader steps, and use ASMOM’s
Utah help page
for food, housing, child care, health, and local resources. Always confirm current Utah rules with the official program before you act.
Where to start if you are not sure
You do not have to know the name of the right program. Start with the safest contact you can make. If your phone, car, email, bank account, or child’s device may be watched, use a safer phone or computer when possible. A library, clinic, school, trusted friend, advocate office, or public agency may be safer than a shared home device.
If danger is happening now
Call 911. Ask for help getting you and your children to safety. You can also ask whether a victim advocate is available.
If you need shelter
Call or text the LINKLine. Tell the advocate your county, children’s ages, pets, transportation limits, disability needs, and whether it is safe to leave messages.
If you need court help
Start with Utah Courts, then ask legal aid or a victim advocate to help you choose forms and prepare for any hearing.
If you already left
Ask about food, cash, child care, Medicaid, address privacy, school safety plans, replacement documents, and safe contact rules.
Quick contact table
| Need | Start here | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate danger | 911 | Ask for emergency help and a victim advocate if one is available. |
| Utah shelter or advocacy |
DCFS services |
Ask for the nearest shelter, community advocate, or safe referral. |
| Local food, motel, bills |
Utah 211 |
Ask about food, transportation, housing, legal, and crisis support near your ZIP code. |
| Native survivor support |
StrongHearts |
Ask for culturally specific support and referrals. |
| Sexual assault support |
RAINN hotline |
Ask about confidential sexual assault support and local referrals. |
| Crime-related costs |
victim financial help |
Ask if counseling, medical, lost wages, or relocation costs may be covered. |
If crime-related bills are piling up, check the Utah Office for Victims of Crime
online claim form
. Ask about the rules before you send sensitive details from a shared device. Help is not automatic, and the state has reporting and cooperation requirements. A victim advocate can help you ask about them.
Shelter, advocacy, and local support
Utah domestic violence programs may provide emergency shelter, 24-hour crisis lines, case management, transitional housing, counseling, support groups, transportation, children’s services, food, personal care items, and advocacy. Services vary by county, funding, bed space, and family needs.
Programs may ask a few intake questions; you can request an interpreter and ask if they serve your children and pets. A shelter bed, motel stay, ride, or cash help is not guaranteed.
Use the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition’s
local resources
page to find nearby shelter and advocacy programs. Call the LINKLine if you are unsure where to go. The county list may show shelter programs and system victim advocates. A shelter advocate usually focuses on your safety and support. A system advocate may work through police, prosecutors, or courts and can help you understand the criminal justice process.
Confidentiality note
Utah’s coalition says shelter and community advocates must keep client talks private except for limited legal duties, such as reports of child abuse or a court order. Staff who work for police or courts may follow different rules. Before you share sensitive details, ask: “What do you keep private, and what must you report?”
If shelter is full, ask the advocate to check other counties, motel options, transportation help, and a safe call-back plan. Also keep ASMOM’s
Utah emergency help
page handy for food, utilities, and local crisis programs.
Protective orders and court help
A protective order is a court order. It may tell the other person not to contact you, threaten you, come near your home, work, school, or place of worship, or have guns or weapons. A Utah protective order can also temporarily address custody of shared children in some cases.
Start with Utah Courts’
Protection from Abuse
page to understand which order may fit your situation. Utah Courts also has a detailed
Protective Orders
page with filing steps and forms. Utah Courts says the person asking for the order can be protected along with others, such as children.
Utah Courts says many protective order requests may be filed online, in person, by email, or by mail. The exact court and forms depend on the type of order. A judge usually reviews a request the same day. If a temporary order is granted, a hearing is normally set within
21 days
. If a temporary request is denied, you generally have
five days
to request a hearing; no temporary order protects you while that request is pending. Read the court papers for your exact dates and ask an advocate if you need help.
Legal help matters. If your case can be filed in Salt Lake County,
Legal Aid Salt Lake
may help victims with protective orders, child protective orders, dating violence protective orders, and civil stalking injunctions. For other Utah counties,
Utah Legal Services
explains domestic violence legal remedies and how to apply for help.
For another Utah-focused overview of legal options, ASMOM has a
Utah legal assistance guide
.
Important court reality check
A temporary order is not active against the other person until it is served. Keep copies of orders in more than one safe place. If an order is violated, call law enforcement. Do not rely on this article to decide what to file or say in court; ask legal aid, a court self-help contact, or an attorney.
An order cannot stop every threat. Ask an advocate how to plan for safe contact and any court hearing.
Housing and address safety
Leaving an abusive partner can create housing, school, mail, and address risks. Utah Legal Services explains that victims of domestic violence have some tenant rights, including possible lock changes or ending a rental contract when rules are met. Talk with legal aid or an advocate before giving notice to a landlord if you can do that safely.
Utah Legal Services says some lease-termination routes require a police report or court order, a written notice, and a fee that may equal one month’s rent. If you already have an eviction notice, that route may not work. Read the
Utah lease-termination rules
and ask legal aid before you give notice, if you can do so safely.
Utah’s
Safe at Home
program is the state address confidentiality program. It can provide a legal substitute address and mail forwarding for eligible survivors of abuse, child abuse, domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or human trafficking who fear danger if the unsafe person knows where they live.
You cannot apply to Safe at Home directly by yourself. The
enrollment page
says Safe at Home cannot accept direct applications from individuals. You must work with a certified program assistant who helps complete and submit the application.
The state also says you must live in Utah and have moved within the past 90 days, plan to move within the next 90 days, or already live at an address the unsafe person does not know. A program assistant can explain what proof is accepted; it does not always have to be a police report. You do not have to get a protective order just to ask about this program.
Ask your child’s school, child care provider, health clinic, benefits office, and court clerk how they handle confidential addresses. For broader rent and shelter support, see ASMOM’s
Utah housing help
.
Money, food, medical, and child care help
Domestic violence can affect income, housing, child care, school, transportation, documents, and health care all at once. Public benefits will not fix every problem, but they can help you stabilize after a move.
| Need | Program path | Reality check |
|---|---|---|
| Food and basic benefits |
Use DWS assistance to apply for food, financial, medical, and child care help. |
Rules depend on income, household size, expenses, and required proof. |
| Food quickly |
The Utah SNAP page explains food assistance basics. |
Some households may get faster service, but you still must complete the process. |
| Pregnancy or young children |
Utah WIC helps pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding mothers, infants, and children up to age 5. |
WIC is nutrition support and referrals, not rent or cash assistance. |
| Work, school, or training |
DWS child care help may help eligible parents pay for approved care. |
Approval, copays, provider rules, and reporting rules can change by case. |
| Online case access |
Use myCase to apply or manage many Utah benefits. |
Use a safe email and phone number if your account may be watched. |
For Utah benefit rules, see ASMOM’s
Utah SNAP guide
and
Utah TANF guide
. For child care or WIC, use the state links in the table above. Ask DWS how to apply without using an unsafe shared account.
When you apply
Tell the benefits office if you left home for safety, lost documents, changed addresses, do not have access to money, or cannot safely get proof from the other parent. Ask what alternate proof they accept and how to list a safe phone, email, or mailing address.
Legal aid, children, and child support
Domestic violence can affect custody, visitation, child support, housing, public benefits, immigration, taxes, debt, school records, and health care. Do not rely on general advice from friends or social media. Ask a legal-aid office, court self-help center, advocate, or attorney about your case.
If children are involved, ask every helper about child safety, school pickup rules, custody orders, safe contact, and safe address handling. A protective order may include temporary child-related terms, but family law can become complicated fast. Use ASMOM’s
Utah legal help
page and the national
family safety guide
to plan questions.
If child support is part of the picture, safety comes first. Some benefit programs may ask about child support cooperation. If contacting the other parent or opening a child support case could put you or your children in danger, tell the benefits worker and advocate right away. ASMOM’s
Utah child support
guide can help with general steps, but get legal help when safety is involved.
Utah’s Office of Recovery Services says that if child support cooperation could cause physical or emotional harm, you can ask DWS for a <a href=”https://ors.utah.gov/child-support/establish-child-support-orders/child-support-public-assistance/”>good cause exception</a>. DWS decides the request. Ask what proof is needed and how to keep it private.
Documents and information to gather if safe
Do not delay leaving because you cannot gather papers. If it is safe, the items below can help with shelter intake, court, benefits, school, and medical care. If it is not safe, ask an advocate how to replace documents later. Ask the office which items they can help you replace.
| Item | Why it helps | If you do not have it |
|---|---|---|
| Your ID | Benefits, court, shelter, school, and banking may ask for it. | Ask an advocate or DWS worker what other identity proof may work. |
| Children’s papers | Birth certificates, school records, medical cards, and custody papers can speed up services. | Ask the school, clinic, or vital records office how to replace copies. |
| Orders or reports | Police reports, prior orders, photos, messages, and medical records may help legal or UOVC claims. | Ask legal aid before collecting anything that could put you at risk. |
| Income and bills | Pay stubs, rent, utilities, child care costs, and child support proof help benefits offices. | Apply first when allowed, then upload or bring documents when requested. |
| Safe contact details | Agencies need a way to reach you without alerting the unsafe person. | Ask about phone, email, mailing, and Safe at Home options. |
If you are denied, delayed, or stuck
If the shelter is full, ask the LINKLine to check other counties, transportation, motel support, and safe waiting options. If legal aid is full, ask Utah Courts for self-help resources and ask a domestic violence advocate whether another clinic, forms workshop, or attorney referral is available.
If DWS asks for documents you cannot safely get, explain the safety issue and ask what else they can accept. Keep copies of notices, screenshots, letters, bills, and case numbers. Check myCase only from a safe device if your account could be watched. If benefits are denied, delayed, or closed, read the denial notice, check the appeal deadline, and ask DWS how to request a hearing or review.
If you need supplies for a baby, see ASMOM’s
Utah baby-items guide
.
If you need household items after leaving, check ASMOM’s Utah baby items . If you need safer communication, ask an advocate about access to a safer phone. If utilities are at risk, ask 211 or your local Community Action agency about LIHEAP and shutoff help.
Common mistakes to avoid
-
Waiting for the perfect plan.
A trained advocate can help you make a safer next step even if you are not ready to leave today. -
Using a monitored phone.
If the unsafe person tracks your phone, ask about a safer way to call, text, email, or receive mail. -
Skipping the court hearing.
If a temporary protective order hearing is set, missing it can hurt your case. Ask legal aid for help preparing. -
Sharing your address widely.
Ask about Safe at Home and safe address handling before giving your location to agencies or private companies. -
Missing benefit notices.
If you apply for benefits, check safe mail, email, and myCase notices so deadlines are not missed. -
Going back for papers.
Do not return to danger for documents. Ask advocates how to replace them.
Phone scripts you can use
Calling the LINKLine
“I am a single mother in Utah and I may need domestic violence shelter or advocacy. I have children with me. It is safe to call me at this number only at these times: _____. Can you help me find the safest next step?”
Calling legal aid
“I need help with a protective order or stalking injunction. The case may be in _____ County. I have children, and I am worried about contact and custody. What intake steps should I take today?”
Calling DWS
“I left because of domestic violence and need food, medical, cash, or child care help. My contact information must be safe. What can I apply for now, and how can I send documents safely?”
Calling your child’s school
“There is a safety concern involving my child. I need to update pickup permissions and contact rules. What documents do you need, and how can you protect our address and phone number?”
Resumen en español
Si usted o sus hijos están en peligro inmediato en Utah, llame al 911 si puede hacerlo de manera segura. Para ayuda por violencia doméstica, llame o mande texto a Utah Domestic Violence LINKLine al 1-800-897-LINK (5465).
También puede llamar a la Línea Nacional de Violencia Doméstica al 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), mandar START al 88788, o chatear en línea. Un defensor puede ayudarle con refugio, planificación de seguridad, órdenes de protección, transporte, niños, documentos, beneficios y apoyo local.
Este artículo es información general, no consejo legal ni plan de seguridad personal. Si puede, hable con una defensora o ayuda legal antes de tomar pasos que afecten vivienda, custodia, dirección o beneficios.
FAQ
What should I do if I am in danger right now?
Call 911 if it is safe. If calling is not safe, try to get to a safer public place or ask a trusted person to call for you. You can also call or text the Utah LINKLine at 1-800-897-LINK (5465) for domestic violence advocacy.
Can I get shelter in Utah with my children?
Possibly. Utah domestic violence programs may serve survivors with children, but bed space and services vary. Call or text the LINKLine and tell them your children’s ages, county, transportation needs, and any disability or language needs.
How do I ask for a protective order in Utah?
Start with Utah Courts’ protective order pages or ask an advocate. Filing options may include online, in person, email, or mail. A hearing is usually set within 21 days after a temporary order is granted. If a temporary request is denied, ask about the five-day deadline to request a hearing.
Can Utah help pay costs after abuse?
Possibly. Utah’s Office for Victims of Crime may cover some costs tied to a qualifying reported crime, such as medical bills, counseling, or lost wages. Rules and proof apply. Ask an advocate to help you check the official claim form and safe contact options.
How can I keep my new address private?
Ask a Utah Safe at Home program assistant. Utah residents may qualify if they have moved within 90 days, plan to move in 90 days, or already have an unknown address. The assistant submits the application; Safe at Home offers a substitute address and mail forwarding, not a guarantee of safety.
Can I apply for SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, or child care after leaving?
Yes. You can apply through Utah Department of Workforce Services if you meet program rules. Tell the worker if domestic violence affects your documents, child support cooperation, safe contact, or ability to attend appointments.
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 October 28, 2026, next review January 26, 2027.
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.
Last updated: October 28, 2026 Next review: January 26, 2027