Individuals subject to extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), or “red flag” laws, were significantly less likely to be arrested — including for violent and firearm-related offenses — while the orders were in effect compared to the six months prior.

Strikingly, the drop in arrests did not end when the orders expired and continued for months afterward.

Those are the results of a new study published in PNAS Nexus.

“These findings suggest ERPOs may interrupt acute-risk behavior while also contributing to longer-term reductions in criminal activity,” said Veronica Pear, first author of the paper. Pear is an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the UC Davis Centers for Violence Prevention (CVP).

ERPOs aim to reduce firearm violence in U.S.

America’s ongoing firearm violence epidemic resulted in 43,593 deaths in 2024. About 40,000 people were shot in 2025, excluding suicides — more than 110 people a day nationwide

ERPOs are designed to address gun violence by temporarily restricting firearm access for individuals deemed by a court to pose a significant danger of harming themselves or others.

Currently, 22 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia have some form of ERPO law. In California, ERPOs are called Gun Violence Restraining Orders and have been in effect since January 1, 2016.