Harassment Cease and Desist Letter Template

It's a formal written demand that someone stop harassing you — identifying the conduct with dated incidents, citing the laws it may violate, and stating the steps you'll take if it continues. It is not a court order (§2); its legal power is documented notice. Harassment statutes are built on conduct that continues despite objection and "serves no legitimate purpose" (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §527.6(b)(3); Wash. RCW 7.105.010) — a delivered letter is the proof of that objection, and it's the evidence courts expect to see when you later petition for a restraining order or injunction.

The letter itself is not — only a court order is enforceable (violating a restraining order is a crime, e.g., Cal. Pen. Code §273.6). But that doesn't make it symbolic: in practice, many harassers stop when they receive a formal, statute-citing demand, and if yours doesn't, the letter converts every later contact into knowing, unwanted conduct after clear notice — the core element of statutes like N.Y. Penal Law §120.45 (stalking conduct continuing after being "clearly informed to cease") and the foundation of a protective-order petition.

The ones that match the conduct. Repeated calls and texts: 47 U.S.C. §223(a)(1) plus your state's phone-harassment law (e.g., Cal. Pen. Code §653m; Tex. Pen. Code §42.07(a)(4); 720 ILCS 5/26.5). Online harassment: 18 U.S.C. §2261A(2) (federal cyberstalking) plus state cyber-harassment laws (e.g., Wash. RCW 9A.90.120; Fla. Stat. §784.048(1)(d)). In-person following: state stalking and harassment statutes (e.g., Cal. Pen. Code §646.9; 18 Pa.C.S. §2709.1). If any contact included threats, the letter adds the true-threat citation (18 U.S.C. §875(c)). Citations are phrased as "may violate" — factual, credible, and defamation-safe (§6).

You escalate to the remedy your state actually offers — which the letter already names (§3). In most states that's a civil order any victim can seek: California's Civil Harassment Restraining Order (CCP §527.6, same-day temporary orders), Florida's stalking injunction (§784.0485, no filing fee), Illinois's Stalking No Contact Order (740 ILCS 21), Washington's Antiharassment Protection Order (RCW 7.105), or Texas's Chapter 7B protective order. In New York and Pennsylvania — where no general civil harassment order exists between non-family members — the path is a police report or criminal complaint (N.Y. Penal Law §§240.25–240.30; 18 Pa.C.S. §2709/§2709.1). Bring your letter, delivery receipt, and incident log.

Not if it's truthful — and the form is engineered so it is. The risks with homemade letters are three: defamation (falsely accusing someone of a crime is defamation per se in most states — so this letter sticks to dated facts, says "may violate," and goes to the recipient only, never their employer or family); extortion (demanding money in exchange for silence can be a crime, e.g., Cal. Pen. Code §§518–523 — so there is no payment demand); and false threats (threatening action you can't take — like a civil restraining order in a state that doesn't offer one — undermines the letter, which is why the escalation clause is state-correct) (§6). One more caveat: harassment by a coworker or boss tied to a protected trait belongs with HR and the EEOC under Title VII (42 U.S.C. §2000e-2), and the form warns you accordingly (§7).

Contact law enforcement first. Threats to injure are crimes on their own (18 U.S.C. §875(c) for interstate threats; state laws like Wash. RCW 9A.46.020), and a demand letter can escalate a dangerous situation. In threat cases, consider petitioning directly for a protective order — most states offer same-day emergency relief (e.g., Cal. CCP §527.6 temporary restraining orders; Fla. §784.0485 temporary injunctions) — and let the court, not a letter, set the boundary. This is a self-help document and general information, not legal advice; for a dangerous or complex situation, consult the police, a victim-advocacy organization, or a licensed attorney in your state.