2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 42 - VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC (§§ 42-1-101 — 42-21-106) › REGULATION OF VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC (§§ 42-4-101 — 42-4-2501) › Article 4 - REGULATION OF VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC (§§ 42-4-101 — 42-4-2501) › Part 13 - ALCOHOL AND DRUG OFFENSES (§§ 42-4-1300.3 — 42-4-1308) › Section 42-4-1301.1 - Expressed consent for the taking of blood, breath, urine, or saliva sample - testing - fund - rules - repeal

(1)
Any person who drives any motor vehicle upon the streets and highways and elsewhere throughout this state shall be deemed to have expressed such person's consent to the provisions of this section.
(2)
(a)
(I)
A person who drives a motor vehicle upon the streets and highways and elsewhere throughout this state shall be required to take and complete, and to cooperate in the taking and completing of, any test or tests of the person's breath or blood for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of the person's blood or breath when so requested and directed by a law enforcement officer having probable cause to believe that the person was driving a motor vehicle in violation of the prohibitions against DUI, DUI per se, DWAI, or UDD. Except as otherwise provided in this section, if a person who is twenty-one years of age or older requests that the test be a blood test, then the test shall be of his or her blood; but, if the person requests that a specimen of his or her blood not be drawn, then a specimen of the person's breath shall be obtained and tested. A person who is under twenty-one years of age shall be entitled to request a blood test unless the alleged violation is UDD, in which case a specimen of the person's breath shall be obtained and tested, except as provided in subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (a).
(II)
Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (a.5) of this subsection (2), if a person elects either a blood test or a breath test, the person shall not be permitted to change the election, and, if the person fails to take and complete, and to cooperate in the completing of, the test elected, the failure shall be deemed to be a refusal to submit to testing. If the person is unable to take, or to complete, or to cooperate in the completing of a breath test because of injuries, illness, disease, physical infirmity, or physical incapacity, or if the person is receiving medical treatment at a location at which a breath testing instrument certified by the department of public health and environment is not available, the test shall be of the person's blood.
(III)
If a law enforcement officer requests a test under this paragraph (a), the person must cooperate with the request such that the sample of blood or breath can be obtained within two hours of the person's driving.
(a.5)
(I)
If a law enforcement officer who requests a person to take a breath or blood test under paragraph (a) of this subsection (2) determines there are extraordinary circumstances that prevent the completion of the test elected by the person within the two-hour time period required by subparagraph (III) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (2), the officer shall inform the person of the extraordinary circumstances and request and direct the person to take and complete the other test described in paragraph (a) of this subsection (2). The person shall then be required to take and complete, and to cooperate in the completing of, the other test.
(II)
A person who initially requests and elects to take a blood or breath test, but who is requested and directed by the law enforcement officer to take the other test because of the extraordinary circumstances described in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a.5), may change his or her election for the purpose of complying with the officer's request. The change in the election of which test to take shall not be deemed to be a refusal to submit to testing.
(III)
If the person fails to take and complete, and to cooperate in the completing of, the other test requested by the law enforcement officer pursuant to subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a.5), the failure shall be deemed to be a refusal to submit to testing.
(IV)
(A)
As used in this paragraph (a.5), "extraordinary circumstances" means circumstances beyond the control of, and not created by, the law enforcement officer who requests and directs a person to take a blood or breath test in accordance with this subsection (2) or the law enforcement authority with whom the officer is employed.
(B)
"Extraordinary circumstances" includes, but shall not be limited to, weather-related delays, high call volume affecting medical personnel, power outages, malfunctioning breath test equipment, and other circumstances that preclude the timely collection and testing of a blood or breath sample by a qualified person in accordance with law.
(C)
"Extraordinary circumstances" does not include inconvenience, a busy workload on the part of the law enforcement officer or law enforcement authority, minor delay that does not compromise the two-hour test period specified in subparagraph (III) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (2), or routine circumstances that are subject to the control of the law enforcement officer or law enforcement authority.
(b)
(I)
Any person who drives any motor vehicle upon the streets and highways and elsewhere throughout this state shall be required to submit to and to complete, and to cooperate in the completing of, a test or tests of such person's blood, saliva, and urine for the purpose of determining the drug content within the person's system when so requested and directed by a law enforcement officer having probable cause to believe that the person was driving a motor vehicle in violation of the prohibitions against DUI or DWAI and when it is reasonable to require such testing of blood, saliva, and urine to determine whether such person was under the influence of, or impaired by, one or more drugs, or one or more controlled substances, or a combination of both alcohol and one or more drugs, or a combination of both alcohol and one or more controlled substances.
(II)
If a law enforcement officer requests a test under this paragraph (b), the person must cooperate with the request such that the sample of blood, saliva, or urine can be obtained within two hours of the person's driving.
(3)
Any person who is required to take and to complete, and to cooperate in the completing of, any test or tests shall cooperate with the person authorized to obtain specimens of such person's blood, breath, saliva, or urine, including the signing of any release or consent forms required by any person, hospital, clinic, or association authorized to obtain such specimens. If such person does not cooperate with the person, hospital, clinic, or association authorized to obtain such specimens, including the signing of any release or consent forms, such noncooperation shall be considered a refusal to submit to testing. No law enforcement officer shall physically restrain any person for the purpose of obtaining a specimen of such person's blood, breath, saliva, or urine for testing except when the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed criminally negligent homicide pursuant to section
18-3-105
, C.R.S., vehicular homicide pursuant to section
18-3-106(1)(b)
, C.R.S., assault in the third degree pursuant to section
18-3-204
, C.R.S., or vehicular assault pursuant to section
18-3-205(1)(b)
, C.R.S., and the person is refusing to take or to complete, or to cooperate in the completing of, any test or tests, then, in such event, the law enforcement officer may require a blood test.
(4)
Any driver of a commercial motor vehicle requested to submit to a test as provided in paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (2) of this section shall be warned by the law enforcement officer requesting the test that a refusal to submit to the test shall result in an out-of-service order as defined under section
42-2-402(8)
for a period of twenty-four hours and a revocation of the privilege to operate a commercial motor vehicle for one year as provided under section
42-2-126
.
(5)
The tests shall be administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer having probable cause to believe that the person had been driving a motor vehicle in violation of section
42-4-1301
and in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the department of public health and environment concerning the health of the person being tested and the accuracy of such testing.
(6)
(a)
No person except a physician, a registered nurse, an emergency medical service provider certified or licensed under part 2 of article
3.5
of title
25
who is authorized within his or her scope of practice to draw blood, or a person whose normal duties include withdrawing blood samples under the supervision of a physician or registered nurse shall withdraw blood to determine the alcohol or drug content of the blood for purposes of this section.
(b)
No civil liability shall attach to any person authorized to obtain blood, breath, saliva, or urine specimens or to any hospital, clinic, or association in or for which such specimens are obtained as provided in this section as a result of the act of obtaining such specimens from any person submitting thereto if such specimens were obtained according to the rules and regulations prescribed by the department of public health and environment; except that this provision shall not relieve any such person from liability for negligence in the obtaining of any specimen sample.
(7)
A preliminary screening test conducted by a law enforcement officer pursuant to section
42-4-1301(6)(i)
shall not substitute for or qualify as the test or tests required by subsection (2) of this section.
(8)
Any person who is dead or unconscious shall be tested to determine the alcohol or drug content of the person's blood or any drug content within such person's system as provided in this section. If a test cannot be administered to a person who is unconscious, hospitalized, or undergoing medical treatment because the test would endanger the person's life or health, the law enforcement agency shall be allowed to test any blood, urine, or saliva that was obtained and not utilized by a health-care provider and shall have access to that portion of the analysis and results of any tests administered by such provider that shows the alcohol or drug content of the person's blood, urine, or saliva or any drug content within the person's system. Such test results shall not be considered privileged communications, and the provisions of section
13-90-107
, C.R.S., relating to the physician-patient privilege shall not apply. Any person who is dead, in addition to the tests prescribed, shall also have the person's blood checked for carbon monoxide content and for the presence of drugs, as prescribed by the department of public health and environment. Such information obtained shall be made a part of the accident report.
(9)
(a)
There is created in the state treasury the evidential breath-testing cash fund, referred to in this section as the "fund", for the collection of moneys to purchase breath-testing devices for law enforcement agencies. The fund includes any moneys appropriated to the fund by the general assembly and any moneys credited to the fund pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection (9). The moneys in the fund are subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly to the department of public health and environment created in section
25-1-102
, C.R.S., for the purposes described in this subsection (9).
(b)
All interest derived from the deposit and investment of moneys in the fund must remain in the fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered moneys remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year must remain in the fund and not be transferred or credited to the general fund or another fund; except that any such unexpended and unencumbered moneys in excess of two million dollars must be credited to the general fund.
(c)
The department of public health and environment is authorized to accept any gifts, grants, or donations from any private or public source on behalf of the state for the purposes described in this section. The department of public health and environment shall transmit all such gifts, grants, and donations to the state treasurer, who shall credit the same to the fund.
(d)
The state board of health created in section
25-1-103
, C.R.S., may promulgate rules for the administration of the fund for the purposes described in this subsection (9).
(e)
This subsection (9) is repealed, effective September 1, 2024. Before repeal, the department of regulatory agencies, pursuant to
24-34-104
, shall review the use of the fund by the department of public health and environment for the purposes described in this subsection (9).
Amended by 2019 Ch. 396,§ 26, eff. 5/31/2019.
Amended by 2014 Ch. 294,§ 1, eff. 8/6/2014.
Amended by 2013 Ch. 331,§ 14, eff. 5/28/2013.
L. 2002: Entire section added with relocations, p. 1907, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2007: (2)(a) amended and (2)(a.5) added, p. 1022, § 1, effective July 1. L. 2012: (6)(a) amended, (HB 12-1059), ch. 1439, p. 1439, § 25, effective July 1. L. 2013: (2)(a)(I) and (2)(b)(I) amended, (HB 13-1325), ch. 1884, p. 1884, § 14, effective May 28. L. 2014: (9) added, (HB 14-1310), ch. 1199, p. 1199, § 1, effective August 6. L. 2019: (6)(a) amended, (SB 19-242), ch. 3532, p. 3532, § 26, effective May 31.
This section is similar to former § 42-4-1301 (6), (7)(a), (7)(b), and (7)(c) and § 42-2-126 (2)(a)(II) as they existed prior to 2002.