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Extreme Risk Protection Order

The Extreme Risk Protection Order is Oregon’s “red flag order.” The Extreme Risk Protection Order is also called an ERPO.

  1. You have "good reasons" to think someone is going to attempt suicide or hurt someone else. “Good reasons” include:  
    • Recent suicide attempts or threats to attempt suicide; 
    • A history of suicide attempts; 
    • Threatening to hurt other people with guns; 
    • Recently trying to get a gun or ammunition; 
    • A history of violence towards people or animals; 
    • Unaddressed mental health concerns; 
    • Substance abuse issues; or 
    • Other concerning or threatening behaviors. 
  2. The person you are worried about is your family member, romantic partner, or roommate.  
  3. The other person lives in Oregon or did something in Oregon that made you afraid they would attempt suicide or hurt someone.  

This restraining order can make the other person:  

  • Get rid of their guns and ammunition; 
  • Give up their concealed weapon permit; and 
  • Not get new guns or ammunition while the restraining order is in effect. 

If the other person does not follow the ERPO, you can call the police for help. 

This restraining order does not stop the other person from contacting you. It only makes the other person get rid of their guns. If you are worried about your own safety, you may consider applying for another restraining order 

Maybe. You don’t have to see the other person to get an ERPO unless the other person files papers saying they disagree with the ERPO. If they do this, the court will schedule a contested hearing. A contested hearing is a court date where you and the other person will talk to a judge and show evidence about what happened. The hearing could be at the courthouse or by video or phone. At the end of the hearing, a judge will decide if an ERPO is needed to prevent the other person from attempting suicide or hurting others.  

For more information on contested hearings, visit the contested hearings page.   

In general, ERPOs last one year. But the other person has two opportunities to ask a judge to end the ERPO before the year is over:  

  • First challenge: The other person has 30 days from the date they are handed an ERPO to ask for a court date with a judge (called a contested hearing) to try to show that the order isn’t needed. 
  • Second challenge: If a judge keeps the ERPO in place after the contested hearing, the other person can request another hearing later to try to show the ERPO isn’t needed.  

You can ask the court to extend an ERPO for another year. This is called renewing your order.  

To renew your ERPO, you must turn in an application with the court. You can find the ERPO renewal application on Oregon's state court website. A judge can renew an ERPO for one more year if they believe the other person is still at risk of attempting suicide or hurting others. 

If you want to extend the ERPO, you must turn in an application with the court before the ERPO ends. The other person can disagree by asking for another court hearing with a judge. 

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