To fill out a trespass notice form, get the template from your local police department or sheriff’s office, then complete the fields identifying yourself, the person being excluded, and the property they’re barred from, sign and date it, deliver it to that person with proof of delivery, and file a copy with the police. The whole process usually takes less than a day, and the form itself is free.
Where to Get the Form
Start with your local police department or county sheriff’s office. Many post a downloadable template on their website; others keep printed copies at the front desk. Agency-provided forms are free and already include the fields officers look for when they respond to a trespass call, so using the one your jurisdiction supplies avoids any question about whether your notice meets local requirements.
If your department doesn’t offer a standard form, a plain letter works. No magic language is required. The document just needs to clearly identify who is being excluded, what property they’re excluded from, and that their presence is no longer authorized. Generic templates from legal document sites are fine as a starting point, but call your local department first to confirm they’ll accept the format before you serve it.
What to Gather Before You Start
Two categories of information: details about the person, and details about your property.
For the person, a full legal name is ideal. If you don’t know it, write a physical description detailed enough for an officer to pick them out — height, weight, approximate age, hair color, and distinguishing features like tattoos or scars. Some police forms include a space to attach a photograph, which is better still.
For the property, the street address is essential. Beyond that, specify whether the notice covers the entire property or only certain areas, such as a parking lot or a specific building. If your property lacks clear boundaries (no fence, no obvious lot line), describe the edges using landmarks, adjacent streets, or other reference points so there’s no ambiguity about where the restricted zone begins and ends.
You don’t typically need a parcel number or a copy of your deed. Street address plus a plain description is enough in most jurisdictions. For a large or irregularly shaped parcel — rural acreage, for instance — having the legal description from your deed handy can help you define the boundaries more precisely.
Who Can Sign the Form
You don’t have to be the property owner. Anyone in lawful possession or control of the property can issue a notice. That includes tenants renting a home, business managers running a storefront, and authorized agents acting on behalf of an owner. If you manage a commercial property or apartment complex, you can generally issue notices on behalf of the owner without a new authorization for each incident, though some departments ask for a written letter of agency linking you to the owner before they’ll keep your notices on file.
Filling Out Each Field
Police-issued forms are usually one page with labeled fields. Layouts vary, but most ask for the same core information.
- Property owner or authorized person. Your full name and your relationship to the property: owner, tenant, manager, or agent.
- Property address and description. The street address plus any description of the restricted area.
- Person being excluded. Their name or physical description.
- Reason for the notice. A brief explanation of why you’re barring the person. This doesn’t need to be elaborate. “Prior disturbance,” “unauthorized entry,” or “harassment” is enough.
- Duration. Some forms ask you to specify how long the notice lasts. If the field isn’t there, you can write the duration into the body of the notice or leave it open-ended.
- Your signature and the date. Sign and date the form. Most jurisdictions don’t require notarization, but a few cities now mandate it for certain trespass authorization forms, so check your local department’s instructions.
Use permanent ink on paper forms. If the form has a signature line for the person being trespassed, that signature confirms they received the notice, but their refusal to sign doesn’t invalidate the document. An officer or witness can note “refused to sign” on that line, and the notice still stands.
Delivering the Notice
The notice is only enforceable once the person actually receives it. How you deliver it matters, because you’ll need to prove delivery happened if the person returns and you want to press charges. Three methods work for most situations.
Hand delivery in person. Give the notice directly to the person. It’s the most straightforward method and creates an immediate, clear moment of notification. If they refuse to take the paper, set it down at their feet; courts generally treat that as valid delivery. Bring a witness who can later confirm the delivery happened.
Certified mail with return receipt. Send the notice through USPS Certified Mail and request a return receipt. The signed receipt proves the person received the letter and gives you a specific delivery date. If you’re notifying multiple people at the same address, mail a separate letter to each.
Law enforcement delivery. In many jurisdictions, you can ask a police officer to deliver the notice during a trespass call or as a standalone service. When an officer hands the notice to someone, the police report is your proof of delivery.
Private process servers are another option, though they’re used more often for court documents than trespass notices. For most residential and small commercial situations, hand delivery with a witness or certified mail is more practical and much cheaper.
After delivery, complete the return-of-service section on the form if it has one. If it doesn’t, write a brief statement recording who delivered the notice, when, where, and how the person responded. Keep this with your copy of the notice.
Filing a Copy With Police
Delivering the notice to the person is the legally important step. Filing a copy with your local police department is what makes enforcement fast. Bring the original signed notice and your proof of delivery (the return-of-service form, the certified mail receipt, or a written witness statement) to the records division or front desk. Most departments keep these documents on file at no charge and enter the information into their dispatch system, so officers responding to a future call at your address can see immediately that a trespass notice exists.
Keep your own copy of everything. If the department asks for the original, make a photocopy or scan before handing it over. Having your own records matters if you later need to prove in court that the notice was properly issued and delivered.
How Long the Notice Lasts
There’s no single national rule. Some jurisdictions treat a trespass notice as permanent unless the property owner rescinds it. Others set a default expiration; one year is common among departments that impose a time limit, though some use shorter or longer periods. A few departments ask you to specify the duration on the form itself, giving you control over whether the notice expires in six months, a year, or stays in effect indefinitely.
If your department keeps the notice on file for a set period, refile when it expires if you want continued coverage. Mark the expiration on your calendar. A notice that has lapsed in the police system won’t trigger the same immediate response from officers, even if the underlying notice is still technically valid between you and the excluded person.
Rescinding the Notice
If circumstances change and you want to allow the person back, put the withdrawal in writing. A short letter stating that you’re rescinding the trespass notice, identifying the original notice by date and the person’s name, is enough. Deliver a copy to the person and file a copy with the police department that has the original on file. Until police update their records, officers may still treat the person as trespassing if they show up on the property, so don’t skip the filing step.
Who You Cannot Trespass
A trespass notice cannot be used against someone who has a legal right to be on the property. A landlord cannot trespass a tenant who is behind on rent; that requires a formal eviction through the courts. The same goes for co-owners, people with valid easements, and anyone else whose access comes from a lease, deed, or court order rather than your permission.
Property open to the public — stores, restaurants, apartment complexes, medical offices — cannot use trespass notices to exclude people based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability. For housing-related properties, the Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to deny access to or make a dwelling unavailable to someone based on any of those protected characteristics.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 3604 – Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing and Other Prohibited Practices Businesses that receive federal funding face additional restrictions under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin.2Department of Justice. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 State and local civil rights laws often extend these protections further. Document the specific behavior that prompted each notice, and apply your policy consistently.