State help guide
Domestic Violence Help in District of Columbia
Free, confidential help in District of Columbia — the state hotline and coalition, shelters near you, legal help and protective orders, and ways to keep a new address private.
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Get help now in District of Columbia
DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence
District of Columbia’s coalition doesn’t publish a separate statewide crisis line — this is their office number. For 24/7 crisis help, call the National Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, and the coalition can connect you to local programs.
Visit the coalition’s website — local programs, shelters, and advocates across District of Columbia.
National Domestic Violence Hotline — free, confidential, 24/7:
Call 1-800-799-7233 Text “START” to 88788 thehotline.org
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If this device may be monitored, use a phone or computer your abuser has never had access to — a library, a friend, a work device.
Find a shelter near you
Shelters don’t publish their street addresses — for good reason. Search by ZIP on DomesticShelters.org to find programs near you, with filters for 24/7 hotlines, emergency shelter, pets, language, and accessibility.
You can also call 2-1-1 — free and confidential — for local shelter beds, food, and support services anywhere in District of Columbia, or visit 211.org.
In District of Columbia, it’s called a “Civil Protection Order”
A court order that can require your abuser to stay away from you, your home, your work, and your children — and it’s free to file in most states. Local advocates and legal aid lawyers help with the paperwork every day.
Hide your new address: Address Confidentiality Program
District of Columbia runs an address confidentiality program (often called “Safe at Home”). It gives you a legal substitute mailing address and forwards your mail, so your home, work, and school addresses stay out of public records.
Enrollment usually starts through a local domestic violence advocate — call the coalition above and ask to apply.
Make a plan before you need it
A safety plan is simply thinking through, ahead of time, what you would do in the moments that matter. Advocates at the National Hotline (1-800-799-7233) will build one with you, personalized.
Read the safety plan and go-bag checklist on the main page, and check the phone, tech, and privacy safety checklist if your device, car, or address may be giving you away.
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