Extreme Risk Protection Order Laws

In many instances of gun violence, there are clear warning signs that the shooter posed a serious threat before the shooting. Extreme Risk laws (also called Extreme Risk Protection Order or Red Flag laws) give key community members a way to intervene before warning signs become tragedies. These laws allow family members, law enforcement, and other designated parties to petition a court for an order to temporarily remove guns from dangerous situations. If a court finds that a person poses a serious risk of harm to self or others with a firearm, that person can be temporarily prohibited from having guns.

Effective implementation of extreme risk laws requires substantial coordination among a wide variety of stakeholders at the state and local level, development of shared protocol to ensure fair and efficient operation of the judicial process, and targeted training, outreach, and public education.