Fill out the forms to ask for an order
Answer the questions below. Your answers go onto Maryland’s official court forms, ready to print and take to District Court. You can write as much as you need.
Some words on the forms: the respondent is the person you are worried about. The petitioner is you. Not sure you want to file yourself? You can ask the police or a clinician.
Court
File in any District Court location. If the clerk's office is closed, file with a District Court commissioner, who can issue an interim order around the clock.
You, the petitioner
The respondent receives a copy of this petition. You do not need to give an address if doing so risks further harm; a work address is acceptable.
The respondent
Identifying details help law enforcement find and serve the respondent quickly.
Description of respondent (Addendum DC-ERPO-001A) 0 of 22 fields
“Failure to provide information on this Addendum may prevent law enforcement from processing the court’s Extreme Risk Protective Order.” Provide as much as you can.
Firearms (item 3)
Identify the type, number and location of each firearm you know of, including firearms in vehicles or held by others for the respondent.
| Type | Number | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Handgun | ||
| Shotgun | ||
| Rifle | ||
| Assault weapon | ||
| Other |
Facts supporting the petition (items 2 to 8)
Write as yourself (“I saw”, “he told me”). Use the person’s exact words when you can, give the date of each event, and say how you know: you saw or heard it yourself, or a named person told you. Describe what happened, not a diagnosis. There is no length limit: whatever does not fit on the form continues on an attachment page.
Mental health addendum (DC-ERPO-001B)
Optional. Include it when mental health history is relevant. If a judge or commissioner finds probable cause from the petition and this addendum, the respondent can be referred for emergency evaluation.
Sign and generate
You sign under penalty of perjury. Print, sign by hand, and file in person; take copies for yourself.
Prefer blank forms? DC-ERPO-001 · 001A · 001B · ERPO brochure (official Maryland Judiciary PDFs).
- Court location selected
- Petitioner name and relationship
- Respondent name
- Item 2 describes specific behavior and statements
- Item 2 includes dates
- Firearms described (type, number, location)
- Description of respondent (001A) helps law enforcement serve the order
- Signature date entered
Generated on this device with the official fillable PDFs. Nothing is uploaded. Drafts are kept in this browser tab only, until you close it.
How to describe what happened
Item 2 is the most important part of the form. It asks what the person has done or said that makes you believe they are a danger with a gun [9]. The judge was not there, so help them see what you saw.
- Use their exact words. “He said, ‘I’ll use the shotgun’” tells the judge more than “he is suicidal.”
- Give dates. The judge has to consider how long ago things happened [4][5]. Say what happened most recently.
- Say how you know. Did you see or hear it yourself? Did someone tell you? Who?
- Describe the guns. What kind, how many, where they are kept, and whether they are locked up.
- Describe what happened, not a diagnosis. You do not need medical words.
- Say what you have tried. For example, if you asked to store the guns somewhere else and the person said no.
- Be fair and accurate. Do not guess or stretch the facts. If you are not sure about something, say so.
“On 10/22/2026 my husband told me, ‘I’ve thought about using the shotgun. Nobody would miss me.’ He was sitting next to the gun cabinet in our basement, which was unlocked. He lost his job on 10/5/2026 and has been drinking every night since. He owns two shotguns and a handgun. On 10/23/2026 I asked him to let his brother keep the guns for a while and he said no.”
“My son is 27 and lives with me. On 10/20/2026 he told me, ‘If the neighbor comes on our yard again I will put him down,’ and said the neighbor’s name. On 10/21/2026 he punched a hole in the kitchen wall during an argument with me. He keeps a loaded handgun in a drawer in his bedroom. I saw it there on 10/21/2026.”
“My father is 84 and has dementia. On 10/12/2026 he pointed a loaded revolver at his home health aide because he thought she was a burglar. I was in the room and saw it. On 10/14/2026 he did not know who I was. He keeps the revolver loaded in his nightstand. I asked to store it at my house and he refused.”
“My husband is depressed and suicidal and has guns. He is dangerous and should not have them.”
No dates, no exact words, no detail about the guns, and nothing about how the writer knows.“On 10/22/2026 my husband told me, ‘I’m going to use the shotgun.’ He owns two shotguns, kept unlocked in our basement with the shells. I asked him that night to let his brother hold them and he refused.”
A date, his exact words, the guns and where they are, and what was tried.These examples are made up. Yours should describe only what really happened.