Should I send a cease and desist letter or go to the police?

If the behavior involves threats, following you, damage to your property, or anything that makes you fear for your safety, contact law enforcement first — a letter is not protection, and safety comes before paperwork. The letter is the right tool for persistent unwanted contact that is upsetting but not dangerous, and it creates the written record police and courts will later ask for.

How is a cease and desist letter different from a restraining order?

A restraining or protective order is issued by a court after you file a petition, and violating it can get the person arrested. A cease and desist letter is your own formal demand — it carries no court power. In practice the two work in sequence: the letter puts the person on notice, and if the conduct continues, the ignored letter becomes strong evidence in your petition for an order.

Could sending a cease and desist letter make the harassment worse?

It can, which is why judgment matters. For most disputes — a persistent ex-acquaintance, a neighbor conflict, unwanted messages — a formal letter sobers people up, because it shows the conduct is being documented. But if the person has shown obsessive or volatile behavior, talk to law enforcement or a victim advocacy organization before sending anything, since direct contact of any kind can provoke escalation in stalking situations.

Is this legal advice? Do I need a lawyer to send this letter?

No — this page is general information, not legal advice, and DulyDrafted is not a law firm. Most people send harassment cease and desist letters themselves, and no lawyer is required. For serious situations — threats, stalking, workplace harassment, or anything heading toward court — consult a lawyer or a local victim services organization before you act.

Guide · Updated August 2026

Cease and Desist Letter for Harassment: Free Sample & Guide (2026)

A cease and desist letter for harassment is a formal written demand that someone stop unwanted contact or intimidating behavior. It describes the conduct factually with dates, states that it is unwelcome, demands that it stop immediately, and warns that continued contact will lead to lawful action — a police report, a court petition, or a lawsuit.

Harassment rarely announces itself all at once. It builds — repeated calls and messages after you asked for silence, a neighbor's escalating confrontations, someone showing up where you are a little too often. A cease and desist letter draws the line in writing. It strips away any claim that the person did not know the contact was unwelcome, and it starts a dated paper trail that police and courts take far more seriously than a verbal complaint.

One point before anything else: a letter is documentation, not protection. If anyone has threatened you, followed you, or made you fear for your safety, contact law enforcement first — a piece of paper does not stop a dangerous person, and in stalking situations a letter can sometimes provoke escalation. The letter is the right tool for persistent, unwelcome, but non-threatening conduct that you want formally on the record.

Skip the template — generate a measured, firm cease and desist letter

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Before you send: documentation and safety

✓Keep an incident log before you write: date, time, what happened, and any witnesses, for every call, message, visit, or confrontation. The letter should be able to cite at least three specific dated incidents.
✓Preserve the evidence itself — screenshots of texts and social media messages, voicemails, photos, doorbell-camera footage — stored somewhere the other person cannot reach.
✓Safety first: if the conduct includes threats, following you, or anything that makes you fear for your safety, go to law enforcement before (or instead of) sending a letter. A letter is not protection, and it is not the tool for dangerous situations.
✓A cease and desist letter is not a restraining order. A restraining or protective order is issued by a court and is enforceable by police; the letter is your own formal demand. Many people send the letter first, then use the ignored letter as evidence when petitioning for an order.
✓Keep the tone cold and factual. An angry letter becomes the other side's evidence; a measured one becomes yours. Assume a judge or police officer will eventually read it.

Free sample letter (copy & paste)

Replace every [bracketed placeholder] with your details and delete anything that doesn't apply.

Sample: demanding a former acquaintance stop repeated unwanted contact

[Your Full Name]
[Your Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]

[Date]

VIA CERTIFIED MAIL — RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

[Recipient's Full Name]
[Recipient's Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]

Subject: Cease and Desist — Unwanted Contact and Harassment

Dear [Recipient's Name],

This letter is a formal demand that you immediately cease and desist all contact with me and stop the harassing behavior described below.

Since [approximate start date], you have contacted me repeatedly despite my clear requests that you stop. On [date], you sent me [number] text messages after I told you in writing not to contact me again. On [date], you telephoned me [number] times between [time] and [time]. On [date], you appeared uninvited at my home at [address] and remained outside for approximately [duration] after I asked you to leave. On [date], you sent messages to my [social media platform] account from a new profile after I blocked your original account.

I have told you directly, on [date] and again on [date], that I do not want any contact with you. This letter repeats that demand formally: you are to stop all contact with me immediately upon receipt. This includes telephone calls, text messages, emails, social media messages from any account, appearing at my home or workplace, and contacting me through third parties.

Please be advised that I am keeping a dated log of every incident and preserving all messages and voicemails. If you contact me again in any form after receiving this letter, I will report the conduct to law enforcement and will pursue every legal remedy available to me, including seeking a court order of protection.

This letter is formal notice of my demand. I expressly reserve all rights and remedies.

[Your Full Name]