Domestic Violence Help in St. Louis: Hotlines, Shelters & Safety
Revised July 16, 2026
Where can I get help for domestic violence in St. Louis?
If you’re facing domestic violence in St. Louis, help is free and available 24/7. Call 911 if you’re in immediate danger. For support, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (or text START to 88788), or Safe Connections’ local crisis line at 314-531-2003. For emergency shelter, ALIVE (314-993-2777), The Women’s Safe House (314-772-4535), and Saint Martha’s (314-533-1313) take survivors and their children. A legal advocate at the Crime Victim Center (314-664-6699) can help you get an order of protection for free. Help is available to people of all genders.
Keep reading ↓In immediate danger? Call 911.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: call 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788 — free, confidential, 24/7, for all genders. In St. Louis, Safe Connections runs a 24/7 crisis line you can call or text at 314-531-2003.
Internet safety: an abuser may be able to see your devices. If you think you’re being watched, use a safer phone or computer (a trusted friend’s, a library’s), and close this page quickly if you need to.
Leaving is the most dangerous time, and the most confusing. There’s the fear, the money worry, the kids, the voice that says maybe it wasn’t that bad — and often nowhere that feels safe to turn. It happens to people in a South City apartment, a house in North County, a place out in Jefferson County, a home across the river in the Metro East. Abuse crosses every neighborhood, income, and background, and none of it is ever the survivor’s fault.
Here’s what we want every person in that situation to know: St. Louis has a strong network of people whose entire job is to help you get safe — free, confidential, and available any hour of the day or night. There are 24-hour hotlines, emergency shelters that take you and your children tonight, advocates who help you get a protective order, and counselors who understand exactly what you’re facing. You do not have to have a plan figured out to make the call. You just have to make it.
This guide lays out the hotlines, the shelters, how to get an order of protection, and how to stay safe — for you or for someone you love. If you’re worried about a friend, it’s written for you too.
If you’re facing domestic violence in St. Louis, help is free and available 24/7. Call 911 if you’re in immediate danger. For support any time, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (or text START to 88788), or Safe Connections’ local crisis line at 314-531-2003. For emergency shelter, ALIVE (314-993-2777), The Women’s Safe House (314-772-4535), and Saint Martha’s (314-533-1313) take survivors and their children. To get an order of protection, a legal advocate at the Crime Victim Center (314-664-6699) can walk you through it — there’s no filing fee. Help is available to people of all genders. Dial 2-1-1 to be connected.
📌 Someone you love might need this someday. Keep it — and share it carefully.
Save this page and share it with anyone who could use it — a friend, a family member, or a nurse, teacher, counselor, or faith leader who may be the first to notice. Share it privately and gently; you never know who’s waiting for a door to open.
Every quiet share could be the lifeline that helps one person get safe. That’s exactly why we made it.
24-Hour Hotlines: Someone Is Always There
You can call any of these any time, day or night, whether you’re ready to leave or just need to talk to someone who understands:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline — call 1-800-799-7233 (1-800-799-SAFE) or text START to 88788. Free, confidential, 24/7, with interpreters in many languages. They can connect you to local St. Louis services.
- Safe Connections — a St. Louis 24-hour crisis line you can call or text at 314-531-2003, plus free counseling and referrals (intake 314-646-7500).
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 if you’re in emotional crisis.
- 911 — if you or your children are in immediate danger, don’t wait.
Emergency Shelter Tonight
If you need a safe place to go, these St. Louis-area organizations run emergency shelters and can help you and your children right away. Call their 24-hour lines:
- ALIVE (Alternatives to Living in Violent Environments) — 314-993-2777 (Franklin County: 636-583-5700). Emergency shelter, counseling, and court advocacy.
- The Women’s Safe House — 314-772-4535. Emergency shelter for survivors and their children, and one of the few that accepts male children ages 12–18.
- Saint Martha’s (formerly St. Martha’s Hall) — 314-533-1313. Emergency shelter for women and children.
- Kathy J. Weinman Shelter (St. Louis County) — 314-615-4430. A 39-bed domestic-violence shelter.
- YWCA Women’s Crisis and Housing Services — 314-531-7273.
For longer-term safety, Lydia’s House (314-771-4411) offers transitional housing for up to two years, by referral from an advocate. In St. Charles and Lincoln counties, Bridgeway Behavioral Health (636-224-1011) provides domestic-violence shelter and services. For a broader directory of women’s shelters and support services across the metro, see our guide to St. Louis women’s shelters and resources.
Getting an Order of Protection in Missouri
An order of protection (sometimes called a restraining order) is a court order telling an abuser to stay away and stop the abuse. In Missouri, here’s the shape of it: you file a Petition for Order of Protection at the Circuit Clerk’s office in the county where you live, where the abuse happened, or where the abuser lives. There are no filing fees. A judge can issue a temporary ex parte order right away, followed by a full order after a hearing. Court clerks can help you fill out the forms but can’t give legal advice — so the best move is to work with a legal advocate, who does this every day and can guide you step by step. The Crime Victim Center’s legal helpline (314-664-6699) offers exactly that, and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (314-534-4200) provides free legal aid. You do not have to face the courthouse alone.
Help for Everyone
Abuse doesn’t only happen to one kind of person, and help isn’t only for one kind of person either. The hotlines and organizations above serve survivors of all genders and sexual orientations — women, men, and LGBTQ+ survivors — and immigrants regardless of status. If you need services in another language, Safe Connections and the National Hotline offer interpretation in many languages, and the National Hotline can match you to a local program that fits your specific situation, including LGBTQ-affirming and gender-specific services. Whoever you are, what’s happening to you counts, and you deserve help.
Staying Safe — Including Online
Getting to safety often takes planning, and advocates on any of the hotlines above will help you build a plan, free. A few essentials:
- Make a safety plan — where you’d go, what to grab quickly (IDs, medications, some cash, important papers), a code word with someone you trust, and how you’ll get out.
- Protect your privacy online. An abuser may monitor your phone, computer, accounts, or even a car’s GPS. Use a device the abuser can’t access — a trusted friend’s phone, or a computer at a library or workplace — when you look for help, and know how to quickly close a page and clear your browsing history.
- Trust your instincts. You know your situation better than anyone. If leaving feels dangerous, an advocate can help you time and plan it as safely as possible.
Rebuilding After
Getting safe is the first step; rebuilding is the next, and there’s help for that too. Many survivors need to line up housing, income, and support all at once — our St. Louis guides can help with emergency rent assistance, SNAP food benefits, and free and low-cost counseling. Advocates can connect you to all of it, and to help with childcare, jobs, and legal needs. Healing takes time, and you don’t have to do it alone.
Recognizing Abuse — It’s Not Only Physical
Domestic violence isn’t always a black eye. It’s a pattern of power and control, and it can look like a partner who isolates you from family and friends, monitors your phone and your whereabouts, or controls the money so you can’t leave. It can be constant put-downs, threats, and blame that make you doubt yourself, or coercion, intimidation, and using the children against you. Physical and sexual violence are part of it for many people, but emotional, financial, and digital abuse are just as real and just as valid a reason to reach out. If you’re walking on eggshells in your own home, that counts — and the hotlines above are for you, whether or not there’s ever been a mark.
If You’re Worried About Someone
Watching a friend or family member in an abusive relationship is painful, and it’s easy to say the wrong thing. A few things that help: listen without judging, and believe them. Say plainly, “This isn’t your fault, and I’m here.” Don’t pressure them to leave on your timeline — leaving is the most dangerous moment and has to be their decision, made when it’s safe. Quietly share a hotline number (1-800-799-7233) and this page. Keep showing up even if they’re not ready yet; being a steady, safe person in their life can matter more than any single conversation. And if you believe someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
You Deserve to Be Safe
However you got here, and whatever you decide to do next, hear this clearly: the abuse is not your fault, you are not alone, and you deserve to be safe. Reaching out doesn’t commit you to anything — you can call a hotline just to talk, ask questions, and understand your options with no pressure at all. The advocates on these lines do this every day, with compassion and without judgment, and everything you share is confidential. When you’re ready, in your own time and on your own terms, help is here — and so is a life on the other side of this.
Need help now? Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, Safe Connections at 314-531-2003, or dial 2-1-1 to be connected to local shelter and support. In immediate danger, call 911. See all St. Louis help resources.
Run a shelter, counseling service, or nonprofit that helps survivors? List it on St Louis Near Me Directory so the people who need you can find you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the national domestic violence hotline number?
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233 (1-800-799-SAFE). You can also text START to 88788 or chat online at thehotline.org. It’s free, confidential, and available 24/7, with interpreters in many languages, and it serves survivors of all genders. The advocates can talk through your situation, help you make a safety plan, and connect you to local St. Louis shelters and services — you don’t need to have decided anything to call.
Where can I find a domestic violence shelter in St. Louis?
Several St. Louis-area organizations run emergency shelters and answer 24-hour crisis lines: ALIVE (314-993-2777), The Women’s Safe House (314-772-4535, which also takes male children 12–18), Saint Martha’s (314-533-1313), and the St. Louis County Kathy J. Weinman Shelter (314-615-4430). They can take you and your children right away. If you’re not sure which to call, dial 2-1-1 or the National Hotline (1-800-799-7233) and they’ll help you find a bed.
How do I get an order of protection in Missouri?
You file a Petition for Order of Protection at the Circuit Clerk’s office in the county where you live, where the abuse happened, or where the abuser lives — and there are no filing fees. A judge can grant a temporary ex parte order right away, with a full order to follow after a hearing. Court clerks help with forms but can’t give legal advice, so working with a legal advocate is best: the Crime Victim Center legal helpline (314-664-6699) walks survivors through it step by step.
Where can men or LGBTQ survivors get domestic violence help in St. Louis?
Domestic violence affects people of every gender and orientation, and St. Louis help is for everyone. The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) and local providers like Safe Connections serve men, women, and LGBTQ+ survivors, and can connect you to affirming or gender-specific services. Immigrants can get help regardless of status. If a particular shelter isn’t the right fit, an advocate will help find one that is — no one is turned away for who they are.
How can I stay safe online if my abuser is monitoring my phone?
Assume an abuser may be able to see your phone, computer, accounts, or location. When you look for help, use a device they can’t access — a trusted friend’s phone, or a computer at a library or workplace — and know how to quickly close a page and clear your browsing history. Avoid searching from a shared device or account. If you feel monitored, call a hotline from a phone the abuser doesn’t control; an advocate can help you protect your privacy as you plan.
Written by a dedicated team of St. Louis locals who live, work, and play right here in the St. Louis metro. Founder Lane Forman and team are committed to building the region’s most trusted directory by verifying listings and connecting local businesses with loyal customers across Missouri and Illinois.