Study: Gun owners overwhelmingly support red flag laws

 

We are proud to announce the release of our latest research, which explores the level of gun owner support for Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), commonly known as red flag laws. The study reveals several compelling findings, most notably that there is broad support for ERPOs among gun owners in every state and across party lines. It also reinforces our earlier findings that gun owners are not monolithic in their views and will support targeted gun safety measures.    ERPOs are part of 97Percent’s policy roadmap, given the research demonstrating they can prevent gun suicides, mass shootings, domestic violence, and other homicides involving firearms.   WHAT’S AN ERPO? ERPOs temporarily prevent access to guns for individuals who show signs that they might be dangerous to themselves or others. These laws generally allow family members, not just law enforcement, to request intervention by a court. This allows the people who know us best, our friends and family, to make sure that we and our communities stay safe and that our Second Amendment rights are used for good.    Based on this, it’s no surprise that these laws enjoy broad support by gun owners from all states and political beliefs.    THE ERPO SUPPORT MODEL The ERPO model, shown below, visualizes gun owners’ views of ERPO policies in the United States by county. It is based on data from a 97Percent survey answered by 5,100 gun-owning registered voters across the country at the end of 2024, scaled up to create a nationwide picture of similar gun owners.   Click here for an interactive version of this map that allows you to easily obtain the data for specific counties.   In addition to ERPO support among gun owners standing at 72% nationally, the model indicates that in every state, over 50% of gun-owning voters support ERPO policies. This suggests a broad coalition of backing for these laws.

AT THE STATE LEVEL  A novel finding by the study is that regional differences in ERPO support contradict traditional red vs. blue state assumptions. Swing state North Carolina and red state West Virginia exhibit strong ERPO support despite their conservative political and cultural leanings. Blue state California, while generally supportive, still contains pockets of variation.   AT THE LOCAL LEVEL Also intriguing is that ERPO support is not limited to urban areas, but extends into suburban and even some rural communities where we might expect greater resistance to gun safety measures. Further, states with prominent “Second Amendment Sanctuary” counties, like Colorado and Michigan, still show notable levels of ERPO support. This suggests that messaging needs to be granular rather than assuming blanket opposition. KEY TAKEAWAYS First, broad support for ERPO policies presents a very real policy opportunity. Legislators and civil society can frame these policies as the common-sense safety measures they are to mobilize the wide range of people who already support them. ERPO policies do not have to be a divisive partisan issue.    To this end, nuanced, localized messaging seems the best method of building and harnessing public support. For the greatest impact, this should be tailored to key regions and demographics.   Knowing this, we’re taking action. Policies are only as effective as their application, so we're delivering comprehensive training on ERPO implementation to law enforcement officers in regions where these policies have been signed into law.   Want to learn more about the study? An Executive Summary is available here.    All the best, The 97Percent Team   97Percent 10573 W Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90064 United States