Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg on Tuesday relaxed a restraining order against Brown in his 2009 felony assault case.
He can now be in the same proximity as Rihanna, 23, and can even speak to her. But Brown is forbidden from annoying, harassing, or stalking her.
The old order required Brown to stay 50 yards away from Rihanna, but the restriction was reduced to 10 yards if they were at a music-industry event.
Brown's attorney, Mark Geragos, requested the change and Rihanna's lawyer, Donald Etra, told the judge his client is not against letting the two contact each other.
The judge said she never would have considered relaxing the order without Rihanna's consent and until Brown completed domestic violence counseling. Prosecutors did not object to the change.
However, Brown is still on probation. The new order remains in effect until August 2014 when Brown's probation is scheduled to end.
Brown, 21, was charged with felony assault for the February 2009 fight in which he repeatedly struck Rihanna in a rented car after they left a pre-Grammy Awards party.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
