What is a temporary restraining order (TRO)?

A temporary restraining order is a short-term order a court can issue before a full hearing, usually to keep something from changing while the case proceeds. In federal court it is governed by Rule 65 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

The rule provides a default limit on how long such an order lasts without further action, and it allows the court to extend it for good cause. The order itself, and the docket entries around it, are the record of what was actually ordered — not the case name.

A docket can show that a motion or an order exists without showing what it says; the text lives in the document.