(1) Every restraining order or injunction shall be specific in terms and shall describe in reasonable detail, and not by reference to the complaint or other document, the act restrained or enjoined.
Rule 65.02.Requisites of restraining order or injunction -- Parties bound.
Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceEvery Kentucky restraining order or injunction must describe the restrained or enjoined act in reasonable detail, in the order itself rather than by reference to the complaint or other document, and it binds the parties, their officers, agents, and attorneys, plus anyone else acting in concert with them who has actual notice of it.
Full Text of Rule 65.02
(2) Every restraining order or injunction shall be binding upon the parties to the action, their officers, agents, and attorneys; and upon other persons in active concert or participation with them who receive actual notice of the restraining order or injunction by personal service or otherwise.
Amendment History
(Amended effective June 1, 1960.)
Plain-English Summary
An order that just says "comply with the complaint" isn't good enough. Rule 65.02 requires every restraining order or injunction to describe the restrained or enjoined act in reasonable detail, spelled out in the order itself rather than by pointing to the complaint or some other document. Anyone reading the order should be able to tell what conduct is off-limits without cross-referencing other filings.
The order's reach extends beyond the named parties. It binds the parties themselves, along with their officers, agents, and attorneys. It also reaches anyone else who acts in active concert or participation with those bound parties, so long as that person receives actual notice of the order -- whether through personal service or some other means.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Kentucky injunction just refer to the complaint instead of describing the restrained act?
No. The order must describe the restrained or enjoined act in reasonable detail within the order itself, not by reference to the complaint or another document.
Who is bound by a Kentucky restraining order besides the named defendant?
The order binds the parties, their officers, agents, and attorneys, and also anyone else acting in active concert or participation with them who receives actual notice of the order.
Does someone have to be personally served to be bound by an injunction?
Not necessarily. Someone acting in active concert or participation with a bound party is bound once that person has actual notice of the order, whether by personal service or otherwise.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (Ky. R. Civ. P. 65.02). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Kentucky (Ky. Const. § 116). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
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