How often do I have to call the color code line?

Most programs require you to check every day the program runs. Many run every day of the week, including weekends and holidays. A few programs skip certain days. Your court paperwork and your officer's instructions tell you the exact rule for your program.

What happens if I forget to call the line?

In most programs, a missed call or a missed test is treated like a failed test. It can count as a violation of your supervision. If you miss a day, contact your officer right away and follow their instructions.

Is color code testing really random?

Yes. Colors are picked at random, so you cannot predict your test days. You might test several times in one week, then not at all for a few weeks. That unpredictability is the point of the system.

What Is Color Code Drug Testing? Plain-Language Guide

Q: What is color code drug testing?

Color code is a random drug testing system used by many courts and probation departments. You are assigned a color or group. Each day you call a phone line or check a website. If your color comes up, you have to go give a sample that day.

Q: What happens if my color is called?

You report to your testing site that same day, during the hours your program sets, and give a sample. You usually get no advance warning beyond that day's announcement.

The basic idea

Color code is a way for courts to run random drug tests. When you start the program, you get assigned a color. It could be red, blue, green, or any other color. Some programs use numbers or group names instead of colors, but the idea is the same.

Every day, a phone line or website announces which colors have to test that day. You check it. If your color comes up, you go to your testing site that same day and give a sample. If your color does not come up, you are done until tomorrow.

Why courts use it

The whole point is that you cannot predict your test days. Colors are picked at random. You might get called twice in one week, then not at all for a few weeks. Because any day could be a test day, the program checks whether you are staying clean all the time, not just on planned test days.

The rules most programs share

Check every day the program runs. Many programs run every day of the week, including weekends and holidays. A few skip certain days. Your paperwork tells you which days apply to you.
Call during the window. Most lines only give the answer during a set window each day, often in the morning. Call too early or too late and you may not get the message.
Test the same day. If your color is called, you report that day, during the hours your testing site is open. There are no makeup days unless your officer says so.
Missing counts against you. In most programs, a missed call or a missed test is treated like a failed test.

What happens if you miss

Programs differ, but a missed check-in or a missed test is usually reported to your officer as a violation. What happens next is up to your officer and the court. It can range from a warning to more testing to something more serious.

If you realize you missed a day, do not wait and hope nobody noticed. Contact your officer right away, explain what happened, and follow their instructions. We cannot promise any outcome, but officers generally take it better when you speak up first.

Different names, same system

Depending on where you live, you might hear it called the color line, the call-in line, the UA line, the drug testing hotline, or the check-in system. Some places use a website instead of a phone line, or both. The daily routine is the same: check every day, test when you are told.

How people keep up with it

The hard part is not the test. It is remembering to check every single day, through work shifts, family stuff, and dead phone batteries. Some people set alarms. Some ask a family member to remind them. Some use a service like CallForMe that calls the line for them each day and then tells them what it said by text, email, and phone call.

Common questions

What is color code drug testing?

It is a random drug testing system used by many courts and probation departments. You get a color. Each day a line or website announces the day's colors. If yours comes up, you test that day.

How often do I have to call?

Usually every day the program runs, which often includes weekends and holidays. Your court paperwork has the exact rule for your program.

What happens if my color is called?

You go to your testing site that same day, during the hours your program sets, and give a sample.

What if I forget to call?

Most programs treat a missed call like a missed test, and a missed test like a failed test. Contact your officer right away if it happens.

Is it really random?

Yes. You cannot predict your test days. That is the point of the system.

Checking a line every single day is a lot to carry. CallForMe calls your check-in line for you each day and tells you what it said by text, email, and phone call. See how it works.

CallForMe is a private service. We are not affiliated with any court, probation department, parole board, drug court, or drug-testing provider. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Program rules vary by court and county. Always follow the instructions from your court and your officer.