(a) If the respondent has been served with a copy of the petition, notice of hearing, and any ex parte order issued pursuant to § 36-3-605(c), any subsequent order of protection shall be effective when the order is entered. For purposes of this section, an order shall be considered entered when such order is signed by:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 36-3-609

  • court: means any court of record with jurisdiction over domestic relations matters or the general sessions criminal court. See Tennessee Code 36-3-601
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Petitioner: means the person alleging domestic abuse, stalking, sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual assault, or a human trafficking offense in a petition for an order for protection. See Tennessee Code 36-3-601
  • Respondent: means the person alleged to have abused, stalked or sexually assaulted another in a petition for an order for protection. See Tennessee Code 36-3-601
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) The judge and all parties or counsel;
(2) The judge and one party or counsel and contains a certificate of counsel that a copy of the proposed order has been served on all other parties or counsel; or
(3) The judge and contains a certificate of the clerk that a copy has been served on all other parties or counsel.
(b)

(1) As used in subsection (a), service upon a party or counsel shall be made by delivering to such party or counsel a copy of the order of protection, or by the clerk mailing it to the party’s last known address. In the event the party’s last known address is unknown and cannot be ascertained upon diligent inquiry, the certificate of service shall so state. Service by mail is complete upon mailing. In order to complete service of process in a timely manner on a party who lives outside the county where the order was issued, the clerk may transmit the order to the sheriff in the appropriate county by facsimile or other electronic transmission.
(2) Notwithstanding § 16-15-902, an ex parte order of protection may be served within one (1) year of issuance.
(c) Notwithstanding when an order is considered entered under subsection (a), if the court finds that the protection of the petitioner so requires, the court may order, in the manner provided by law or rule, that the order of protection take effect immediately.
(d) If the respondent has been served with a copy of the petition, notice of hearing, and any ex parte order issued pursuant to § 36-3-605(c), an order of protection issued pursuant to this part after a hearing shall be in full force and effect against the respondent from the time it is entered regardless of whether the respondent is present at the hearing.
(e) A copy of any order of protection and any subsequent modifications or dismissal shall be issued to the petitioner, the respondent, the local law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction in the area where the petitioner resides, and any court other than the issuing court in which the respondent and petitioner are parties to an action. The petitioner and respondent shall notify the judge of any such court. Upon receipt of the copy of the order of protection or dismissal from the issuing court or clerk’s office, the local law enforcement agency shall take any necessary action to immediately transmit it to the national crime information center.