State | Criminal Laws | Civil Protective Laws |
Alabama | B or C felony | |
Alaska | C felony orA misdemeanor | |
Arizona | Felony 4 |
Harassment Orders available; comtempt penalty |
Arkansas | B or C felony | |
California | Felony or misdemeanor; 2nd has 4 year maximum | Stalking and harassment orders available--violation has 4 year maximum |
Colorado | Felony 6; 2nd is Class 5 felony | Stalking and harassment orders available; violation is Class 6 felony |
Connecticut | D felony or misdemeanor | |
Delaware | F felony | |
District of Columbia | Misdemeanor; increase up to 10 months and 3 years for 2nd and 3rd offenses | |
Florida | Felony 3 or misdemeanor 1 |
Stalking protective orders available; violation is misdemeanor |
Georgia | Felony or misdemeanor |
Stalking protection order available; violation is misdemeanor |
Hawaii | C felony or misdemeanor | |
Idaho | Misdemeanor; felony for 2nd offense | Stalking protective orders available--violation is misdemeanor; 2nd is felony |
Illinois | Class 3 felony | |
Indiana | Felony or misdemeanor | |
Iowa | D felony or aggravated misdemeanor |
Stalking protection order available; violation is misdemeanor |
Kansas | Class 10 felony | |
Kentucky | De felony or C misdemeanor | |
Louisiana | Felony or misdemeanor | |
Maine | Class D crime; 3rd is Class C crime | Harassment protection orders available; violation is Class D crime |
Maryland | Misdemeanor (5 year maximum) | |
Massachusetts | Felony | |
Michigan | Felony or misdemeanor; Enhanced penalty if offender is adult stalking minor | Stalking protective orders available; no criminal penalty set |
Minnesota | Felony or misdemeanor | Stalking protective orders available--violation is misdemeanor |
Mississippi | Misdemeanor; felony for 2nd offense | |
Missouri | D felony; 2nd is C felony | Stalking protective orders available; violation is misdemeanor; 2nd in 5 years is D felony |
Montana | Misdemeanor; 2nd is felony |
Stalking protection orders available; 3rd violation is felony |
Nebraska | Class 3 misdemeanor; 2nd is class 4 felony |
Stalking protection orders available; violation is misdemeanor |
Nevada | Misdemeanor or B felony | Stalking protection orders available; violation of temp order is misdemeanor; permanent order violation is C felony |
New Hampshire | Misdemeanor; 2nd is B felony |
Protective Order; misdemeanor penalty, 2d is felony |
New Jersey | Felony or misdemeanor | |
New Mexico | Felony or misdemeanor | |
New York | B misdemeanor | |
North Carolina | Misdemeanor 1 or 2; 2nd is felony | |
North Dakota | Felony or misdemeanor |
Disorderly conduct orders available |
Ohio | Misdemeanor 1; 2nd is felony 5 | Stalking protection order available; violation is misdemeanor |
Oklahoma | Felony or misdemeanor | Stalking protective orders available--violation is misdemeanor |
Oregon | A misdemeanor; 2nd is C felony | Protective orders--Violation is A misdemeanor or C felony |
Pennsylvania | Misdemeanor; 2nd is felony | |
Rhode Island | Misdemeanor; 2nd is felony | Stalking protective orders available--violation is felony |
South Carolina | Felony or misdemeanor | Stalking protective orders available--violation is misdemeanor |
South Dakota | Felony or misdemeanor | Stalking protective orders available--violation is felony 6, if with assault or stalking violation of abuse order; misdemeanor otherwise |
Tennessee | A misdemeanor; 2nd is C felony (if same victim) or E felony | |
Texas | A misdemeanor; 2nd is felony 3 | |
Utah | Felony or misdemeanor | |
Vermont | Felony or misdemeanor; 2nd is felony | |
Virginia | Class 2 misdemeanor; 2nd is Class 1; 3rd is felony 6 | Stalking protective orders available; 3rd violation is felony |
Washington | Felony or misdemeanor | Harassment protective orders available; violation is C felony |
West Virginia | Misdemeanor; 3rd in 5 years is felony | |
Wisconsin | Felony or misdemeanor; 2nd is E felony | Anti-harassment protective orders available--Violation is 90 days maximum |
Wyoming | Felony or misdemeanor | Stalking protective orders available--violation is misdemeanor |
Last Updated on 9/04/98
By Institute for Law and Justice
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