What the National Domestic Violence Hotline does

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is a phone and text service run by the nonprofit organization The Hotline. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and answers calls and texts from people in abusive relationships, their friends and family, and professionals who work with domestic violence survivors. The service is free and confidential.

When you call or text, you reach a trained advocate who listens to your situation and can help you think through your options. The advocate does not make decisions for you — they provide information about local shelters, safety planning, legal resources, and other services in your area. They also answer questions about what abuse is, how to recognize it, and what resources exist.

The Hotline does not send police to your home, does not require you to do anything, and does not report you to any agency unless you tell them you are in when ready danger and ask them to call for help.

Key Takeaways

  • You can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-7233 or texting START to 88788, and both services are free and available around the clock.
  • Advocates can tell you about shelters, housing programs, and legal aid in your specific city or county, not just national resources.
  • The service is confidential — the Hotline does not contact police, your employer, your family, or anyone else without your permission.
  • You do not have to be ready to leave, have a safety plan, or know what you want to do — the advocate can help you figure that out.
  • The Hotline also serves people who are concerned about someone else, including friends, family members, and professionals like teachers or healthcare workers.

How to reach the Hotline and what to expect on the call

Call 1-800-799-7233 from any phone, including a cell phone. If you cannot talk safely on the phone, text START to 88788 instead. Both the phone line and text line are staffed by trained advocates, and both are free.

When you call, you will hear a greeting and then be connected to an advocate. The wait time varies depending on call volume — sometimes it is when ready, sometimes a few minutes. If you are in when ready danger, you can hang up and call 911 at any time.

The advocate will ask you to share what is happening in your situation. You do not have to give your full name or any personal details you do not want to share. The advocate will listen and then ask questions to understand what you need — whether that is information about shelters, help thinking through a safety plan, legal resources, or just someone to talk to.

The call is confidential. The Hotline does not record your number, does not contact anyone on your behalf without your permission, and does not report you to police or any government agency unless you tell them you are in when ready danger and ask them to call for help.

What local resources the Hotline can connect you with

One of the main reasons to call the Hotline is to find out what services exist in your area. The advocates have access to a database of shelters, transitional housing programs, legal aid organizations, counseling services, and job training programs across the country. When you tell them your city or county, they can tell you which shelters have beds available, what their rules are, and how to contact them.

The Hotline can also connect you with information about restraining orders (also called protection orders or orders of protection), divorce lawyers who work with domestic violence survivors, housing information programs, and job training or employment services. They know which organizations in your area offer these services and can explain how each one works.

Because the Hotline advocates work with local organizations regularly, they can tell you practical details — for example, whether a particular shelter allows children, whether it accepts pets, what documentation you need to bring, and whether there is a waiting list. This is information that is often hard to find on a shelter's website.

Safety planning and what to do if you are not ready to leave

A safety plan is a personalized list of steps you can take to reduce your risk of harm, whether you stay in the relationship or leave. An advocate can help you think through a safety plan over the phone. This might include identifying a safe place to go if you need to leave quickly, a code word to use with a friend or family member if you need help, places to hide important documents, or ways to stay in touch with support people without your partner knowing.

You do not have to be ready to leave to call the Hotline. Many people call because they want to understand whether their relationship is abusive, or because they want to know what options exist without committing to anything. The advocate can answer those questions and help you think through what you want to do next, at your own pace.

If you are in a relationship where you feel unsafe but do not want to leave right now, the advocate can help you plan ways to stay safer where you are — for example, by identifying times when your partner is less likely to be angry, or by thinking through how to respond if a conflict starts. This is sometimes called a "safety plan for staying" and is a real option that the Hotline supports.

How the Hotline differs from shelters and other services

The Hotline is a starting point, not a shelter. It does not provide housing — it tells you about shelters and helps you contact them. It does not provide legal representation — it tells you about legal aid organizations and how to reach them. It does not provide ongoing counseling — it can refer you to counselors in your area.

Because the Hotline is a phone and text service, it is available to anyone, anywhere, at any time. You do not have to travel to an office, and you can call from your phone whenever you need to talk. This makes it useful for people who are not ready to go to a shelter yet, or who want information before they decide what to do.

The Hotline also serves people who are not in when ready crisis. If you are concerned about a friend or family member, or if you work with domestic violence survivors and want to know how to help, you can call the Hotline and talk to an advocate about that too.

What happens after you call or text

After your call ends, the Hotline does not follow up with you unless you ask them to. You can call back anytime — there is no limit to how many times you can contact them. Some people call once, some call many times over weeks or months as their situation changes.

If the advocate gave you information about a specific shelter or service, it is up to you to contact them. The Hotline can tell you how to reach them, but does not contact them on your behalf unless you ask them to and give permission.

If you are in a situation where you need ongoing support — for example, if you are living in a shelter or working with a lawyer — the Hotline can still be a resource you call when you need to talk to someone or when you have questions about your options.

Using the Hotline if you cannot talk on the phone

If you live with someone who monitors your phone calls or checks your phone bill, texting may be safer than calling. Text START to 88788 and you will be connected to an advocate through text message. The conversation happens in real time, just like a phone call, but it does not show up as a call on your phone bill.

Texting also works if you are deaf or hard of hearing, or if you straightforward prefer to communicate by text. The response time for texts is usually a few minutes, depending on how many people are texting at the same time.

The Hotline also has a website at thehotline.org where you can read information about abuse, safety planning, and local resources. You can browse the website without talking to anyone, and it does not track your visit or send you notifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will calling the Hotline send police to my house?

No. The Hotline does not contact police unless you tell them you are in when ready danger and ask them to call for help. The service is confidential and does not report you to any agency. If you are in when ready danger right now, you can call 911 directly.

Do I have to give my real name when I call?

No. You can share as much or as little information as you want. The advocate does not need your name, address, or any personal details to help you. You can call anonymously.

What if I call and then change my mind about what I want to do?

That is normal. Many people call the Hotline multiple times as their situation changes and they think through their options. You can call back anytime, and you do not have to explain what you decided before. Each conversation starts fresh.

Can I call the Hotline if I am worried about someone else, not myself?

Yes. You can call if you are concerned about a friend, family member, coworker, or student. The advocate can help you think through how to support that person and what resources are available to them. You can also call if you work in healthcare, education, or another field and want to know how to help someone you work with.

Is the Hotline service really free?

Yes. Calling 1-800-799-7233 or texting START to 88788 is free. There are no charges, and the call or text does not show up on your phone bill as a call to the Hotline — it shows as a call to that phone number or a text to that number.