A purge order is a court order issued in a contempt proceeding that specifies what the contemner must do to avoid the imposed sanction or to be released from any incarceration imposed for civil contempt.

A civil contempt sanction without a purge condition is constitutionally problematic. The purpose of civil contempt is to compel compliance not to punish. A purge condition must give the contemner a realistic opportunity to comply and avoid the sanction.

Common purge conditions in family law include paying a specified amount of support arrears, transferring specific property, or completing a specific act that the contemner has been ordered to perform.