Restraining Orders

The respondent can file a written request to end (terminate) the extreme risk protection order once every 12 months. The date for a termination hearing will be scheduled between 14 and 30 days after the petitioner has been served with the respondent’s request. In order to succeed, the respondent must show that s/he no longer poses any danger to him/herself or anyone else as a result of having a firearm.¹

If an extreme risk protection order is terminated by the court, or if it expires without being renewed, law enforcement will return any surrendered firearms to the respondent only after doing a background check to confirm that the respondent is eligible to own or possess firearms under both state and federal law.² As an intimate partner or family or household member of the respondent, you can ask the law enforcement agency to give you notice prior to the return of any firearms.³ This notification can be done by telephone, email, text message, or another method that allows notification without unnecessary delay, and law enforcement must wait at least five business days after you are notified before returning the firearms.⁴

¹ R.C.W. § 7.105.505
² R.C.W. § 7.105.345(1)
³ R.C.W. § 7.105.345(2)
⁴ R.C.W. §§ 9.41.340(1)(b); 9.41.345(3)