Taken in for an Evaluation
C.R.S. 27-65-106 — an emergency hold of no more than seventy-two hours, never in a jail
A certified Colorado peace officer with probable cause to believe a person has a mental health disorder and, as a result, is an imminent danger to themselves or others, or is gravely disabled, may take the person into custody for an emergency mental health hold. An intervening professional may do the same on a reasonable belief.
Who handles this in Colorado: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Colorado directory.
Not a jail, and not more than seventy-two hours. A person taken into custody this way is not detained in a jail or lockup. A facility may hold the person for evaluation for no more than seventy-two hours from when the hold was placed.
Among the person's rights, within twenty-four hours of asking, is to see a patient representative with no clinical, administrative or financial responsibility for them.
Sources for this section (1)
- C.R.S. 27-65-106 — Emergency mental health hold - screening - court-ordered evaluation - discharge instructions - respondent's rights
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Colorado attorney.