One idea, many names
Almost every random testing program works the same way: you check a phone line or website every day, and if your color, number, or group comes up, you test that day. What changes from place to place is who runs the line and what it is called. You might hear color code, color line, call-in line, UA line, or drug screen hotline. If you want the basics first, start with our guide on what color code drug testing is.
Alabama: color code is the standard
Alabama is one of the states most identified with color code testing. Court Referral Officers, who work under the state court system, monitor people ordered into testing and report results to judges. The state parole board also runs a program called ACES that includes a daily hotline call, which it describes as a color code. The pattern is the classic one: call daily, and if your color comes up, report for a screen that same day.
Texas: it depends on your county
Texas has no statewide line. Each county probation department (CSCD) sets up its own testing, usually through a private provider. Montgomery County, for example, lists Recovery Monitoring Solutions (RMS) as its provider, with a daily testing call line. Neighboring counties may use different companies with different numbers and rules. We cover the Montgomery County setup in detail in our RMS check-in line guide.
Indiana: MyCallIn is common
Many Indiana county probation departments and court services offices use MyCallIn, a system with both a phone hotline and a website at mycallin.com. You get an ID number from your county, then check daily by phone or online. Shelby County publishes its rules and is a good example of how Indiana counties run it. See our MyCallIn in Indiana guide for the details.
Michigan: MyCallIn and others
Some Michigan district courts use MyCallIn too. Cheboygan County's 89th District Court, for example, publishes instructions for its daily notification line and the mycallin.com backup. Other Michigan courts use their own lines or different vendors. Our MyCallIn in Michigan guide walks through how the calls work.
Federal supervision: color code in many districts
If you are on federal probation or supervised release, many U.S. Probation offices run their own color code programs. The schedules vary by district. Some have you call every day, others on certain nights for the next day. The instructions come from your district office, and they control.
Everywhere else: check your paperwork
Beyond these, a handful of private vendors run testing programs across many states. Averhealth, for example, says it works with courts and supervision programs nationwide. Other regions use local labs or county-run lines. The names change. The routine does not: check daily, test when called.
To find out what applies to you, look at three things:
- Your court order. It usually names the testing condition.
- Your instruction sheet. The page your officer gave you with the number, your ID or color, and the daily window.
- Your officer. When in doubt, ask. Guessing wrong on a testing rule is never worth it.
Common questions
Is there one national system?
No. Each state, county, and court picks its own system and vendor. The daily routine is similar everywhere, but the names and numbers change.
What does Alabama use?
Color code testing through Court Referral Officers, plus the parole board's ACES program with its daily hotline call.
What does Texas use?
It depends on the county. County probation departments contract with private providers, like RMS in Montgomery County.
Where is MyCallIn used?
Many Indiana counties and some Michigan courts. It has a phone hotline and a website at mycallin.com.
Do federal courts do this too?
Yes. Many U.S. Probation offices run color code programs, each with its own schedule and line.
Whatever your state calls it, the daily check is the same grind. CallForMe calls your check-in line for you every day and tells you what it said by text, email, and phone call. See how it works.
We set up new check-in lines when people ask. If your line is not in our list yet, tell us and we will get it working for you. The first person to join from a new line gets 6 months free.
CallForMe is a private service. We are not affiliated with any court, probation department, parole board, drug court, or drug-testing provider named on this page. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Systems, vendors, and rules change as contracts change. Always follow the paperwork from your court and the instructions from your officer.