ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Order)
Definition
A US civil-law mechanism (enacted in 21 states as of 2025) allowing courts to temporarily remove firearms from persons assessed as an imminent risk; provides a pre-attack legal intervention tool in jurisdictions that have adopted it.
- Type
- US civil-law mechanism
- Adoption
- Enacted in 21 states as of 2025
- Function
- Temporary firearm removal from an assessed high-risk person
- Common nickname
- Red flag law
Common questions
How does an ERPO differ from a criminal firearms prohibition?+
An ERPO is a civil, typically time-limited order obtained through a petition process based on an imminent risk assessment, rather than a prohibition that follows a criminal conviction.
Why is ERPO availability relevant to threat assessment practice?+
In states that have enacted it, an ERPO gives a threat assessment team a legal pathway to intervene before an attack by removing firearm access from a person of concern, an option not available in states without such a statute.
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