A harassment cease and desist letter is a written demand that tells someone to stop unwanted contact or activity toward you. You describe what happened, say what you want to end, and give a date to respond. Use our free template to answer a few questions, then sign the finished document, and send it with proof of delivery.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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A harassment cease and desist letter is a document issued by the victim to the harassing party stating that legal action will be taken against them if they do not stop their offending acts or continue to harass the victim. A cease and desist letter is issued to a party that is in violation of the law.
Harassment happens when one person intentionally takes unwanted or uninvited actions to cause distress or alarm to another. The letter may be sent to any individual or business entity that is causing harassment.
It is a written letter that can also be issued when a person is suffering from harassment caused by the actions of another party, including:
This template is one way to protect yourself from the person causing the harassment. It can help you respond in different situations, including harassment at work and on social media.
Through this cease and desist letter template, the sender should formally request the offending party to stop the harassing behavior. If the offender does not respond to the letter and continues to harass the sender, they may seek stronger remedies like filing a civil suit.
The court may decide to issue a cease and desist order against the offender and the same shall be legally binding and enforceable against offender. While dealing with the issue of damages, the court may rely upon the evidence provided by the parties. In this case, a cease and desist letter can be a crucial piece of evidence.
A cease and desist letter can be issued to a party as a final warning before filing a lawsuit. It is an effective way of dealing with harassment cases without involving the court. Some cases in which a cease and desist letter can be used are listed below:
Harassment in the workplace is common and affects the life of many people. As per the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), over 7,500 sexual harassment claims were filed with the EEOC in FY 2018. A cease and desist letter can be issued if a person has suffered from harassment at the workplace. If the harassment is taking place within a company, business, or organization, the letter should be sent to the person causing the harassment and to the manager as well.
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act requires debt collectors to stop contacting the debtor on a formal request made by them. However, the same order must be made in writing. The collectors are required by law to stop harassing the debtor. In such cases, the debtor can pursue legal action if the collector continues to contact them.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, roughly 40% of adults in the United States have personally experienced online trolling.
If a person has suffered online harassment on a social media website, for instance trolling, intimidating tactics or comments, or stalking, they can send a cease and desist letter to the inbox of the harasser and also notify the social networking company about the harasser’s illegal behavior.
Other and more serious forms of harassment may include:
The following information should be included in cease and desist letters for harassment. Keep the tone calm and factual, and state your main request near the top so the recipient understands what you want to end.
The cease and desist letter should include the relevant details of the parties including their full names and addresses. Check each spelling against an ID or a recent bill.
The cease and desist letter should tell the other party about the harassment they caused. This may include:
It should also include where and when each incident occurred. Be specific about the date, the place and what was said or done. The document should further specify the harm caused to the sender, including the physical, monetary, mental, or emotional trauma.
The cease and desist letter should issue a warning to the recipient to stop harassing the sender, else legal repercussions might follow. The sender may file a civil action through a lawyer against the recipient if he or she fails to respond or act upon the letter. The sender may take legal action by filing a defamation suit through a law firm. An attorney can provide legal advice on all possible remedies available to the victim.
Finally, it should provide a deadline or a fixed date to the recipient by which the sender’s demands should be complied with. This will serve as a final notice to the recipient. If the sender does not receive a response from the recipient by this time, he or she may initiate the above-mentioned legal action against the recipient.
The letter should be sent by certified mail with a return receipt. This way, the sender will have evidence that the letter was received by the recipient.
FormsPal’s easy to use and understand harassment cease and desist template can be filled out by following these simple steps. Before you start, have the contact details of both people ready, along with a short list of the incidents and their dates.
Here is a completed sample of the template. Use it to see how the parts fit together, then replace the sample details with your own. Describe only what actually happened.
From: Ms. Jenna Goldberg
[Street Address]
[City][State][Zip]
Date: June 20, 2022
By: ☐ Certified Mail ☐ Email ☐ Other
To: Mr. John Phillip
[Street Address]
[City][State][Zip]
RE: CEASE AND DESIST FOR HARASSMENT
Dear Mr. Phillip,
This letter serves as a formal notice to you to immediately cease and desist from engaging in the following unwanted, unwelcome, and uninvited behavior(s):
The harassment(s) not only annoys, but also threatens or intimidates me, and it has become unbearable. Accordingly, I am prepared to file a civil lawsuit against you, seeking:
However, I will allow you time to make amends for your wrongdoing. You now have 7 (seven) days to acknowledge receipt of this letter and agree to stop all forms of harassment toward me.
This is my final notice to you before I take further steps against you. It is in your best interest to give your utmost attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Ms. Jenna Goldberg
Send it to the person causing the harassment. If the harassment happens at work, also send a copy to the manager. Check the mailing details first, so the document reaches the right person.
Send it by certified mail with a return receipt, and keep the receipt with your copy. If you also send it by email, save the sent message.
Gather the contact details of both people, the dates and places of each incident, and any messages, screenshots or call records that show what happened.
Write down each new incident with its date and keep your proof. Then talk with an attorney about your options.
You answer a few questions and the document is ready in minutes. You can save your progress and finish on any device, then download it.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
