Sponsor’s Perspective: Extreme Risk Protection Orders and Building the Evidence Base for Risk-Based Firearm Violence Prevention

Firearm violence persists as a critical public health crisis in the US, and takes many diverse forms—suicide, community gun violence, interpersonal violence, mass shootings, among others, underscoring the urgent need for evidence-based interventions. Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) have emerged as a promising policy tool designed to temporarily disrupt access to firearms by individuals exhibiting dangerous behaviors. ERPOs are defined as civil court orders that authorize the temporary removal of firearms from individuals at elevated risk of harming themselves or others, and prohibit firearm purchases during the order’s duration. As of 2025, 22 states, Washington, DC, and the US Virgin Islands have enacted an ERPO law. ¹ Law enforcement officers can petition for ERPOs in all states, while 17 states plus DC also allow family or household members to file petitions. Additionally, some jurisdictions have expanded eligibility to healthcare professionals, school officials, and other designated parties.

The research base examining ERPO implementation and effectiveness has grown as more states have enacted these laws. Existing literature primarily comprises descriptive studies characterizing the use of ERPOs, documenting petition volumes and success rates, precipitating threats, petitioner types, and respondent demographics. ² Several studies have also examined associations between ERPO laws and firearm suicide rates, with research in Connecticut and Indiana suggesting meaningful prevention effects, and estimates of ERPOs needed to prevent 1 suicide ranging from approximately 10 to 22.^2,3,4 However, significant knowledge gaps persist. Most evidence stems from research conducted in a handful of states, the comparative analyses of different implementation models are scarce, and research examining ERPO impacts specifically on interpersonal violence and mass shootings remains limited. Questions regarding equity in ERPO utilization—particularly its potential underutilization in communities disproportionately affected by firearm violence—require rigorous investigation. Understanding variation in utilization, and barriers to effective usage represents critical areas, both for continued scholarship and for effective policy implementation.

This special collection addresses many of these research gaps through diverse methodological approaches examining ERPO implementation, variation in use, and system-level outcomes. As the largest firearm violence prevention organization in the US, Everytown for Gun Safety has long championed ERPOs as a critical violence prevention tool, supporting state adoption efforts and investing in implementation resources. Everytown sponsored this special collection as part of its mission to advance evidence-based firearm violence prevention through rigorous research, policy development, and community action. Everytown Research is committed to supporting independent, methodologically sound studies that strengthen the evidence base for effective policies and programs. This collection—expertly edited by Professor Joshua Horwitz and Dr. Shannon Frattaroli—represents an important opportunity to advance understanding of ERPO implementation and effectiveness. By convening this body of research, Everytown aims to provide practitioners, policymakers, and communities with the evidence needed to optimize ERPO utilization and ensure equitable, effective application of this risk-based prevention strategy.

The studies featured in this collection present a thorough examination of the current state of ERPO research. The collection spans qualitative investigations of implementation barriers, quantitative analyses of geographic and demographic variation, case studies of local implementation contexts, examinations of arrests among ERPO respondents, and conceptual frameworks for understanding ERPO utilization. Across these studies, researchers confront the mixed and limited evidence base by exploring sources of variation in implementation outcomes, and surfacing common challenges faced by practitioners. This new body of research illuminates both the promise of ERPOs as a violence prevention tool and the implementation challenges that must be addressed to realize its full potential.

Several themes emerge in this special collection with important implications for policy and practice. First, the featured articles examine implementation barriers and facilitators from practitioners’ perspectives, offering insights into the resources, training, and support systems needed for effective utilization. Second, they identify geographic and contextual variation in ERPO use, demonstrating that implementation is highly localized and influenced by factors including local champions, political context, and complementary policies. Third, awareness is identified to be a consistent and fundamental barrier, necessitating sustained education efforts targeting both professionals and the public. Fourth, researchers point out opportunities to enhance procedural elements—from petition filing processes to compliance mechanisms to service connections—that can improve both safety and effectiveness. Finally, they center systems-level considerations, emphasizing the importance of understanding ERPOs within broader criminal justice and public health frameworks, including their potential roles in crisis intervention and deflection from traditional law enforcement responses. In doing so, this special collection marks significant progress in the field and lays the groundwork for a rigorous, transparent, and equity-focused ERPO research agenda. For these reasons, Everytown is honored to support this mission-critical work and eager to see its integration into future research and practice.

As we approach the 10th year of ERPO implementation in the US, this special collection provides critical, new empirical evidence to guide the next decade of policy development and practice. Future research must continue examining implementation determinants, equity implications, and population-level impacts while evaluating promising practices that emerge from high-utilizing jurisdictions. By building this evidence base, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners can work collectively to strengthen risk-based firearm violence prevention and save lives.