How many domestic violence resources are in California?

Women's Corner tracks 18 domestic violence resources for women in California.

Are domestic violence resources in California free?

18 of the 18 listed domestic violence resources in California are explicitly free or low-cost.

Which cities in California have domestic violence resources?

Listings span cities including Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Orange County, Pasadena.

What are some examples of domestic violence resources in California?

Featured entries include RAINN — Sexual Assault Hotline, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, Peace Over Violence — Los Angeles, La Casa de las Madres — San Francisco, YWCA of San Diego County — DV Services.

Do these listings include phone numbers?

8 of 18 California domestic violence listings include phone numbers.

How do I get a restraining order?

Go to your county's family or civil courthouse and ask the clerk for a 'protective order' or 'order of protection' petition — no attorney or filing fee required. Temporary ex parte orders can be issued the same day. A full hearing follows within 10–21 days. Court advocates and DV agencies help fill out forms; bring any evidence (texts, photos, police reports).

Where can I go right now if I'm not safe?

Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (text START to 88788) — they connect you to your nearest shelter, arrange emergency transport, and help with a safety plan. Shelters are confidential, free, and 24/7. If you're in immediate danger, call 911 and ask for a DV advocate at the scene.

Will the shelter take my kids?

Yes. Domestic violence shelters accept women with children — most accommodate boys up to age 17 (a few have age limits around 12–13 for older boys, and will arrange alternate placement nearby). Pets are increasingly welcome through programs like RedRover and Sheltering Animals & Families Together. Bring kids' birth certificates, school records, and any medications if you can.

Is the hotline really free and confidential?

Yes — the National DV Hotline and all state DV hotlines are free, confidential, anonymous, available 24/7, and offered in 200+ languages. Advocates don't report to police, immigration, or CPS unless you request it (mandatory reporting applies only to active child abuse). You can call to plan, vent, or just ask questions before deciding anything.

Best Domestic Violence in California — 18 resources

About Domestic Violence for Women

Domestic violence services for women are anchored by the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE), the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and a state coalition in every state coordinated through the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). VAWA funds shelters, transitional housing, legal services, and immigration relief (U-visa, T-visa, VAWA self-petition). Survivors can obtain civil protective orders, address-confidentiality through state ACP programs, and victim advocates through local prosecutor offices. The National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE) and StrongHearts Native Helpline serve specific survivor populations. This directory includes hotlines, shelters, state DV coalitions, and protective order resources.

Domestic Violence in California

California handles custody in superior courts across all 58 counties, with the Department of Child Support Services running enforcement through local child support agencies (LCSAs). Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, and Sacramento are the major metros. LAFLA, Bay Area Legal Aid, the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, and Planned Parenthood affiliates serve women statewide.

18 Resources

★ Featured Partner1. RAINN — Sexual Assault Hotline — Free

1-800-656-HOPE routes California survivors to the closest rape crisis center—including Peace Over Violence in LA, SF Women Against Rape, and the Center for Community Solutions in San Diego—within seconds. The online chat at hotline.rainn.org is staffed 24/7 for women who can't speak by phone. RAINN also publishes a California-specific guide to the SART exam process and the state's evidence-preservation rules.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

2. California Partnership to End Domestic Violence — Free

CPEDV at 1020 N Street in Sacramento is the federally recognized state DV coalition coordinating 200+ member programs and shaping state policy including Family Code reforms on firearm relinquishment, gun violence restraining orders, and survivor data privacy. Mothers can use the public-facing tools to find their local shelter, file an OVW grant feedback complaint, or learn about California's lethality assessment protocols rolled out across law enforcement.

(916) 444-7163 · 1020 N St Suite 310, Sacramento, CA 95814 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website

3. Peace Over Violence — Los Angeles — Free

Peace Over Violence at 1015 Wilshire in downtown LA was founded in 1971 and now runs the 24-hour DV/sexual assault hotline (213) 626-3393 for LA County, the only multilingual hotline serving Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean speakers around the clock. Legal advocacy includes courthouse-based DVRO accompaniment, and the Emergency Response Team offers SART exam support at major hospitals. Children's services include trauma-focused therapy.

(213) 955-9090 · 1015 Wilshire Blvd Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90017 · 24/7 hotline · Visit Website

4. La Casa de las Madres — San Francisco — Free

La Casa de las Madres has run San Francisco's primary DV shelter since 1976 with 33 beds for women and children, plus the 24-hour bilingual Spanish/English hotline (877) 503-1850 and a teen-specific text line at 415-200-3575. Shelter location is confidential; advocates can meet mothers in safe places to begin intake. Wraparound services include legal advocacy at SF Superior Court, mental health, and job-readiness coaching.

(877) 503-1850 · San Francisco, CA (confidential) · 24/7 hotline · Visit Website

5. YWCA of San Diego County — DV Services — Free

YWCA San Diego County operates the Becky's House emergency shelter and Cortez Hill Family Center transitional housing, with the 24-hour hotline at (619) 234-3164 routing San Diego County survivors. The YWCA's legal advocacy team supports DVRO filings at the Hall of Justice and family court appearances. Children's programs include therapeutic childcare so mothers can attend appointments without leaving kids in chaotic conditions.

(619) 234-3164 · San Diego, CA (confidential) · 24/7 hotline · Visit Website

6. Women's Transitional Living Center — Orange County — Free

WTLC runs Orange County's longest-operating DV shelter network with 100+ beds across confidential sites, plus the 24-hour Spanish/English hotline (877) 531-5522. The transitional housing program lets mothers stay up to two years while rebuilding finances. Legal advocacy includes courthouse accompaniment at Lamoreaux Justice Center, where most OC family law cases are heard. Children's therapy is co-located with mom's services.

(877) 531-5522 · Orange County, CA (confidential) · 24/7 hotline · Visit Website

7. My Sister's House — Sacramento — Free

My Sister's House at a confidential Sacramento address is the only DV shelter in the region focused on Asian, Pacific Islander, and immigrant women, with multilingual staff in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Hmong, Tagalog, and Punjabi. The 24-hour hotline (916) 428-3271 routes Northern California survivors. Specialized services address language-based isolation, immigration-status coercion, and family-honor dynamics that mainstream shelters often miss.

(916) 428-3271 · Sacramento, CA (confidential) · 24/7 hotline · Visit Website

8. California Victim Compensation Board — Free

CalVCB at PO Box 3036 in Sacramento reimburses California crime victims up to $70,000 for relocation, mental health treatment, lost wages, and funeral costs not covered by insurance. DV survivors qualify even without filing a police report if a DVRO has been issued. Mothers can apply online or with help from a county victim/witness advocate. Processing typically takes 90 days; emergency relocation funds can be expedited.

(800) 777-9229 · PO Box 350 Sacramento CA 95812 · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website

9. Haven House — Pasadena — Free

Haven House at a confidential Pasadena address is the oldest DV shelter in the western United States, founded in 1964. Serves the San Gabriel Valley including Pasadena, Alhambra, Monrovia, and El Monte with 24-hour hotline (626) 564-8880, a 40-bed shelter, transitional housing, and a Children's Treatment Program with art and play therapy. The legal team accompanies survivors to Pasadena and Pomona courthouses for DVRO hearings.

(626) 564-8880 · Pasadena, CA (confidential) · 24/7 hotline

10. National Domestic Violence Hotline — Free

1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text 'START' to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org reaches a trained advocate 24/7 from anywhere in California. Operators access a real-time California shelter database to coordinate same-day intake. Safety planning, lethality assessment, and warm-transfers to California legal aid programs happen on a single call. Spanish, 200+ languages via interpreter, and TTY all supported.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

11. Loveisrespect — Free

Loveisrespect's 1-866-331-9474 line, LOVEIS-to-22522 text, and chat at loveisrespect.org are tuned for teen and young-adult California women experiencing dating abuse, including the digital coercion that drives many California school-age cases. Counselors connect to local resources like Break the Cycle in LA and provide safety planning specifically for high school, college, and shared-housing contexts.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

12. StrongHearts Native Helpline — Free

1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) provides culturally rooted DV and dating-abuse advocacy for Native American women, with knowledge of California's 109 federally recognized tribes and the unique jurisdictional complexity (VAWA, ICWA, Public Law 280) that affects Native survivors here. Advocates connect callers to tribal protection order processes and to California urban Indian DV programs like the Indigenous Justice Center.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

13. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence — Free

NCADV's get-help portal links California survivors to CPEDV member shelters and explains the firearm-relinquishment provisions under Family Code 6389 that follow every California DVRO. Policy resources include analyses of California's gun-violence-restraining-order law (the first in the nation, passed 2014) and the protective-order portability provisions that make California DVROs enforceable in all 50 states.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

14. Futures Without Violence — Free

FUTURES is headquartered at the Presidio in San Francisco and operates the National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence, the Workplaces Respond initiative, and the Promundo-aligned Coaching Boys Into Men program in California middle and high schools. Free toolkits help California pediatricians, OB-GYNs, and ER staff screen mothers for abuse and connect them with local services without breaking confidentiality.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

15. DomesticShelters.org — Free

DomesticShelters.org maintains the largest publicly searchable database of every DV shelter and program in the United States, including all 100+ California-licensed providers. Mothers can filter by county, services offered (children welcome, pet-friendly, immigration help, LGBTQ+ inclusive), and language. Each listing shows current capacity status when shelters self-report. Free to use; no account required.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

16. Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence — Free

API-GBV is headquartered in Oakland and provides culturally specific training, research, and advocacy for AAPI women experiencing gender-based violence—a critical resource given California's roughly 6 million AAPI residents. The site links to California in-language hotlines (My Sister's House, Center for the Pacific Asian Family in LA) and explains immigration relief options like U-visa and VAWA self-petition.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

17. Casa de Esperanza — Free

Casa de Esperanza leads the National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities, a critical resource for California's roughly 8 million Latina residents. Bilingual safety planning, in-language survivor stories, and policy resources address barriers like immigration coercion (common in California mixed-status families) and reluctance to engage law enforcement. Connects California Latinas to local Spanish-speaking shelter and legal aid programs.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

18. Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) — Free

DOJ's Office on Violence Against Women administers VAWA grants that fund a significant portion of California's DV services, including the SASP, STOP, and Rural grants flowing to CPEDV member programs. Mothers can use the OVW site to verify which California programs are federally funded and to learn about VAWA's housing protections, immigration relief, and confidentiality rules every California shelter must follow.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many domestic violence resources are in California?: Women's Corner tracks 18 domestic violence resources for women in California.
Are domestic violence resources in California free?: 18 of the 18 listed domestic violence resources in California are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in California have domestic violence resources?: Listings span cities including Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Orange County, Pasadena.
What are some examples of domestic violence resources in California?: Featured entries include RAINN — Sexual Assault Hotline, California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, Peace Over Violence — Los Angeles, La Casa de las Madres — San Francisco, YWCA of San Diego County — DV Services.
Do these listings include phone numbers?: 8 of 18 California domestic violence listings include phone numbers.
How do I get a restraining order?: Go to your county's family or civil courthouse and ask the clerk for a 'protective order' or 'order of protection' petition — no attorney or filing fee required. Temporary ex parte orders can be issued the same day. A full hearing follows within 10–21 days. Court advocates and DV agencies help fill out forms; bring any evidence (texts, photos, police reports).
Where can I go right now if I'm not safe?: Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (text START to 88788) — they connect you to your nearest shelter, arrange emergency transport, and help with a safety plan. Shelters are confidential, free, and 24/7. If you're in immediate danger, call 911 and ask for a DV advocate at the scene.
Will the shelter take my kids?: Yes. Domestic violence shelters accept women with children — most accommodate boys up to age 17 (a few have age limits around 12–13 for older boys, and will arrange alternate placement nearby). Pets are increasingly welcome through programs like RedRover and Sheltering Animals & Families Together. Bring kids' birth certificates, school records, and any medications if you can.
Is the hotline really free and confidential?: Yes — the National DV Hotline and all state DV hotlines are free, confidential, anonymous, available 24/7, and offered in 200+ languages. Advocates don't report to police, immigration, or CPS unless you request it (mandatory reporting applies only to active child abuse). You can call to plan, vent, or just ask questions before deciding anything.