Within the UK context there is scant literature on domestic violence protection notices and orders (DVPN-Os). Aside from the Home Office evaluation (Kelly et al., 2013) very few empirical studies have been published. DVPN-Os are short-term innovative two-step orders initiated by the police and (usually) extended by a magistrate’s court. DVPOs can remove a perpetrator from the home and/or prevent contact with a protected person. This research seeks to fill an empirical lacuna and contribute to the evidence base by making visible how these orders are used, who gets protection and what that looks like. This paper focuses on data from the use of DVPOs on multiple occasions between the same couples over a three year period in one particular police force. Implications on the efficacy of protection orders in light of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and the forthcoming domestic abuse protection orders (DAPOs) are also discussed.