What Call Your Mother Fort Collins Actually Is
Call Your Mother Fort Collins is a harm-reduction program run by the City of Fort Collins that lets you call a designated number instead of driving after drinking. You call, give your location, and a volunteer driver arrives to take you and your car home. You pay a small fee—typically $15 to $25 depending on distance—and you avoid the arrest, the criminal record, the license suspension, and the thousands in legal costs that follow a DUI conviction.
The program exists because Fort Collins recognizes that people sometimes drink and realize they shouldn't drive. Call Your Mother removes the barrier between that realization and safe action. You don't have to know the driver. You don't have to be a regular at a particular bar. You just call the number, and someone comes.
This matters in the context of DUI defense because the best defense is never needing one. If you use Call Your Mother, you go home safely and there is no arrest, no blood test, no field sobriety test, and no case to defend. The program is prevention, not a legal strategy—but prevention is always cheaper and safer than the best lawyer.
Key Takeaways
- Call Your Mother Fort Collins sends a volunteer driver to pick you up and drive you home in your own car, with you following in a separate vehicle.
- The service costs between $15 and $25 depending on how far you need to go, and you pay the driver directly when they arrive.
- You can call the program from a bar, a party, a restaurant, or anywhere else in Fort Collins where you realize you should not drive.
- Using the service means no arrest, no criminal record, no license suspension, and no DUI case—which is far simpler than any legal defense.
- The program operates on a volunteer basis, so response times vary and the service may not be available every night or in every situation.
How to Use Call Your Mother When You Need It
When you decide you should not drive, call the Call Your Mother Fort Collins number. You will need to tell the dispatcher your location—the bar name, the address, or a nearby landmark—and how many people need a ride. Be honest about your condition; the volunteers are there to help, not to judge.
A volunteer will arrive in a separate vehicle. You get in with them, and they drive you home in your own car. You follow in theirs, or they follow you in yours—the exact arrangement depends on the volunteer and the situation. When you arrive home, you pay the driver the fee in cash. That is the entire transaction.
The program works best when you call before you are too impaired to communicate clearly. If you are at a bar or restaurant, ask staff to help you make the call if you need it. If you are at a private party, call from there. The sooner you call, the sooner you get home safely.
What the Fee Covers and What It Does Not
The $15 to $25 fee covers the volunteer's time and the cost of running the program. It is not a taxi service with a meter; the price is fixed based on distance, not on how long the drive takes or what time of night it is. You pay cash to the driver when they drop you off.
The fee does not include food, drinks, or anything beyond the ride itself. It also does not cover situations where you are so impaired that you cannot safely sit in a vehicle or communicate your address. In those cases, the volunteer may call emergency services instead, which means an ambulance and a hospital bill—and possibly a police response that leads to an arrest anyway.
Why Response Times Vary and When the Service May Not Be Available
Call Your Mother Fort Collins runs on volunteer drivers, not a paid fleet. This means response times depend on how many volunteers are working that night and where you are in the city. On a busy Friday or Saturday night, you might wait 20 to 45 minutes. On a quiet weeknight, you might wait longer or the service might not be available at all.
The program does not operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Availability varies by season and by volunteer availability. Before you go out, check the current hours and the phone number on the City of Fort Collins website or call ahead to confirm the service is running that night. Do not assume it will be available when you need it.
If you call and the service is not available, or if the wait is too long, you have other options: call a taxi or rideshare service like Uber or Lyft, ask a friend to pick you up, or stay where you are until you are sober enough to drive. Any of these is better than driving impaired.
The Difference Between Using Call Your Mother and Facing a DUI Charge
If you use Call Your Mother, you pay $15 to $25 and go home. If you drive impaired and are stopped, you face arrest, a blood or breath test, a criminal charge, a license suspension that begins when ready, court costs, fines that range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, mandatory alcohol education programs, possible jail time, and a permanent criminal record that affects employment, housing, and professional licensing.
A DUI conviction in Colorado carries a minimum fine of $600 for a first offense, plus court costs, plus the cost of an ignition interlock device if you want to drive at all during the suspension period. Your car insurance will spike or drop you entirely. You will need a lawyer, which costs $1,500 to $5,000 or more depending on the complexity of your case. The total financial and personal cost of a DUI is measured in tens of thousands of dollars and years of consequences.
Call Your Mother costs $25. The math is not close.
What to Do If You Cannot Reach Call Your Mother
If Call Your Mother is not available, not answering, or has too long a wait, use a rideshare app. Uber and Lyft operate in Fort Collins and can pick you up from almost anywhere—a bar, a parking lot, a street corner. The cost is usually $10 to $20 for a short ride, sometimes more depending on demand. You can request the ride from your phone while sitting safely in one place.
If you do not have a smartphone or a way to pay for a rideshare, call a local taxi company. Fort Collins has several, and they will send a car to your location. Ask the bartender or a friend to help you make the call if you need it.
If you are at a friend's house or a party, ask someone who has not been drinking to drive you, or stay where you are until morning. Sleeping on a couch is uncomfortable. A DUI arrest is far worse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to give my name or ID to use Call Your Mother?
You need to give your location so the driver can find you. You do not need to provide ID or a full legal name. The program is designed to be accessible and non-judgmental. The volunteer's job is to get you home safely, not to report you to police or take down information for any other purpose.
What if I am too drunk to remember my address?
Tell the dispatcher what you do remember—a street name, a neighborhood, a landmark near your home. If you have your phone, the dispatcher may be able to help you find your address in your contacts or recent messages. If you are too impaired to communicate at all, the volunteer may call 911 instead, which means an ambulance and a hospital visit, but at least you get medical help and do not drive.
Can I use Call Your Mother if I am not in a car yet?
Yes. You can call from a bar, a restaurant, a party, or anywhere else. The program is designed for people who realize they should not drive before they get behind the wheel. That is exactly when you should call.
Will using Call Your Mother show up on my record or affect my insurance?
No. Using the service is not a crime and is not reported to police or your insurance company. It is a private transaction between you and a volunteer. There is no record, no report, and no consequence beyond the $15 to $25 fee.
What if I call Call Your Mother but then decide to drive anyway?
That is your choice, but it is a dangerous one. If you call the service, it means you recognized that you should not drive. Ignoring that judgment and driving anyway puts you and others at serious risk of injury or death, and it puts you at serious risk of arrest. Use the service you called for.