Calling for an Overdose
C.R.S. 18-1-711 — report, stay, identify and cooperate, and possession charges from the same events are barred
- Reports an emergency drug or alcohol overdose in good faith to law enforcement, to 911 or to a medical provider, or aids or seeks aid for the person.
- Stays at the scene until an officer or emergency medical responder arrives, or at the medical provider until an officer arrives.
- Identifies themselves to, and cooperates with, the officer, responder or provider.
Who handles this in Colorado: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Colorado directory.
A person who does all three is immune from arrest and prosecution in Colorado for the listed offenses, among them unlawful possession of a controlled substance, arising from the same course of events. The immunity extends to the person who overdosed.
Sources for this section (1)
- C.R.S. 18-1-711 — Immunity for persons who suffer or report an emergency drug or alcohol overdose event - definitions
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Colorado attorney.