Map Options
North Dakota
364
New Mexico
90
Utah
72
Louisiana
60
South Carolina
60
Texas
60
South Dakota
59
Kansas
45
Missouri
45
Maine
31
Arkansas
30
Connecticut
30
Idaho
30
Illinois
30
Indiana
30
Iowa
30
Montana
30
Nebraska
30
Nevada
30
New Jersey
30
New York
30
Oregon
30
Rhode Island
30
Vermont
30
West Virginia
30
Kentucky
29
Ohio
29
Pennsylvania
28
Alaska
21
Delaware
14
Tennessee
14
Virginia
14
Wyoming
14
Maryland
10
Florida
7
Georgia
7
Massachusetts
7
Minnesota
7
New Hampshire
7
Oklahoma
7
North Carolina
6
Alabama
3
Arizona
3
California
3
Colorado
3
Hawaii
3
Michigan
3
Mississippi
3
Washington
3
Wisconsin
3
Safe Haven Laws by State 2023
State | Max Age (days) | Details | Who Can Relinquish | Locations to Relinquish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 364 | Under 1 year | Parent or their designated person | Any hospital |
| New Mexico | 90 | 90 days or younger | Anyone | Hospital staff |
| Utah | 72 | 72 hours or younger | Parent or their designated person | A 24/7 hospital |
| Louisiana | 60 | 60 days or younger | Parent | 1.) Hospital 2.) Public health unit 3.) EMS provider 4.) Medical clinic 5.) Police station 6.) Fire station 7.) Crisis pregnancy center 8.) Child advocacy center 9.) Call 911 and relinquish to EMS responder at a location of choice |
| South Carolina | 60 | 60 days or younger | Anyone | 1.) Hospital 2.) Hospital out-patient facility 3.) Law enforcement agency 4.) Fire station 5.) EMS station 6.) Staffed house of worship |
| Texas | 60 | 60 days old or younger | Parent | 1.) Hospital 2.) Fire station 3.) Emergency medical services (EMS) station |
| South Dakota | 59 | Less than 60 days | Parent | 1.) Hospitals or clinics 2.) Emergency medical services provider (EMT) 3.) Licensed child placement agency 4.) Law enforcement officers 5.) Any department of social services office 6.) A firefighter |
| Kansas | 45 | 45 days or younger | Parent or a person with lawful custody | An on-duty employee at: 1.) Police station 2.) Sheriff’s office 3.) Law enforcement center 4.) Fire station 5.) City or county health department 6.) Medical care facility |
| Missouri | 45 | 45 days or younger | Parent | Any staff member or volunteer at: 1.) Any hospital 2.) Maternity home 3.) Pregnancy resource center 4.) Firefighter 5.) EMT 6.) Law enforcement officer |
| Maine | 31 | 31 days or younger | Anyone | 1.) A law enforcement officer 2.) Staff at a medical emergency room 3.) A medical services provider, including, but not limited to, a physician, nurse, podiatrist, optometrist, chiropractor, physical therapist, dentist, psychologist, physician’s assistant, emergency medical services person 4.) A hospital staff member |
| Arkansas | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent or person with parental permission | 1.) Emergency room 2.) Sheriff or police locations 3.) Manned fire stations 4.) Baby boxes (8 locations) |
| Connecticut | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent or “lawful agent” of the parent | Nursing staff at a hospital emergency room |
| Idaho | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent | 1.) Licensed hospitals 2.) Licensed physicians and staff working at offices and clinics 3.) Advanced practice professional nurses 4.) Licensed physician’s assistants 5.) First responders, EMTs, and paramedics |
| Illinois | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent | 1.) Hospital 2.) Police stations (including campus police) 3.) Fire station 4.) Emergency medical facility |
| Indiana | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent or parentally designated person | 1.) Emergency medical services providers 2.) Baby Boxes (71 locations) |
| Iowa | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent or parentally designated person | An “institutional health facility” meaning a hospital, ER, or health care facility that is open 24/7, or a first responder responding to a 911 call |
| Montana | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent | 1.) Fire station 2.) Hospital 3.) Law enforcement agency 4.) Prison or jail |
| Nebraska | 30 | 30 days or younger | Anyone | An on-duty employee at a licensed hospital |
| Nevada | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent | 1.) A hospital, an obstetric center, or an independent center for emergency medical care 2.) A fire department 3.) A law enforcement agency |
| New Jersey | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent or their designated person | 1.) Police station 2.) 24/7 staffed fire station or volunteer fire station 3.) Public or private “ambulance, first aid, or rescue squad” that is staffed 24/7 4.) ER at licensed hospital |
| New York | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent | “The child may be left with an appropriate person at a suitable location.” Examples of suitable locations include a hospital, fire station, or police department. |
| Oregon | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent | 1.) Hospital 2.) Birthing clinics 3.) Physician’s office 4.) Sheriff’s office 5.) Police station 6.) Fire station |
| Rhode Island | 30 | 30 days or younger | Parent | 1.) Hospital 2.) Open medical emergency facility 3.) Police station 4.) Fire station |
| Vermont | 30 | Up to 30 days | Parent or their designated person | 1.) A health care facility 2.) Fire station 3.) Police station 4.) Place of worship 5.) An adoption agency licensed in Vermont 6.) “A 911 emergency responder at a location where the responder and the person have agreed to transfer the child” |
| West Virginia | 30 | Not older than 30 days | Parent | 1.) Hospital 2.) Health care facility |
| Kentucky | 29 | Younger than 30 days | Anyone | 1.) Hospitals 2.) EMS providers 3.) Staffed police stations 4.) Staffed fire stations 5.) Participating places of worship 6.) Baby Boxes (4 locations) |
| Ohio | 29 | Younger than 30 days | Parent | 1.) A medical worker in a hospital 2.) A medical worker at a fire department or another emergency service location 3.) A peace officer at a law enforcement agency 4.) Baby Boxes ( 4 locations) |
| Pennsylvania | 28 | Up to 28 days | Parent | 1.) A hospital 2.) A police officer at a police station 3.) An emergency services provider at an EMS station |
| Alaska | 21 | Younger than 21 days | Parent | 1.) Peace officers 2.) Firefighters 3.) Emergency medical service providers 4.) Doctors, nurses, and health aides 5.) Any person the parent reasonably believes would keep the infant safe and provide appropriate care. |
| Delaware | 14 | 14 days or younger | Parent | Directly to a staff member or volunteer inside a Delaware hospital ER |
| Tennessee | 14 | Within 2 weeks of birth | Mother only | 1.) Hospital 2.) Birthing center 3.) Community health department 4.) Outpatient walk-in clinic 5.) 24/7 staffed fire department 6.) 24/7 staffed police department 7.) 24/7 staffed EMS facility |
| Virginia | 14 | 14 days or younger | Parent | 1.) Hospital with 24/7 emergency services 2.) An Emergency medical services agency that is staffed |
| Wyoming | 14 | Not older than 14 days | Parent or their designated person | 24/7 staffed, full-time: 1.) Hospital 2.) Fire station 3.) Police department 4.) Sheriff’s office 5.) “Any other place of shelter and safety identified by the Department of Family Services |
| Maryland | 10 | 10 days or younger | Mother or her designated person | 1.) A responsible adult 2.) Hospital 3.) Facility designated by regulation |
| Florida | 7 | 7 days or younger | Parent | 1.) A staffed hospital 2.) EMS station 3.) Fire station |
| Georgia | 7 | 7 days or younger | Mother only | Physical relinquishment to an on-duty staff member or volunteer of a medical facility (*excludes dentist’s and doctor’s offices) |
| Massachusetts | 7 | 7 days or younger | Parent | 1.) Hospital 2.) Police department 3.) Staffed fire station |
| Minnesota | 7 | 7 days or younger | Mother or her designated person | 1.) Licensed hospital 2.) Urgent care 3.) A licensed ambulance service reached at 911 by the mother or a person designated by the mother |
| New Hampshire | 7 | 7 days or younger | Parent | 1.) Hospital 2.) Church with staff present 3.) Police station with staff present 4.) Fire station with staff present 5.) A 911 responder at agreed transfer location |
| Oklahoma | 7 | 7 days or younger | Parent | 1.) A medical provider An employee at: 2.) Police station 3.) Fire station 4.) Child protective services agency 5.) Another medical facility |
| North Carolina | 6 | Younger than 7 days | Parent | 1.) A health care provider at a hospital 2.) A law enforcement officer who is on duty or at a police station or sheriff’s department 3.) A social services worker who is on duty or at a local department of social services 4.) A certified emergency medical service worker who is on duty or at a fire or emergency medical services station |
| Alabama | 3 | 72 hours or younger | Parent | A hospital with an ER |
| Arizona | 3 | 72 hours or younger | Parent or their designated "agent" | 1.) On-duty firefighter 2.) On-duty EMT 3.) Medical staff member at rural general or general hospital on duty 4.) A staff member or volunteer at an organization including a licensed private child welfare agency, a licensed adoption agency, or a church, that publicly posts notice that it accepts infants under Safe Haven laws 5.) Baby drawers (6 locations) |
| California | 3 | 72 hours or younger | Parent or person with lawful custody | 1.) All hospitals, public or private 2.) Designated fire stations 3.) Organizations and agencies with approval |
| Colorado | 3 | 72 hours or younger | Parent | 1.) A firefighter at a fire station 2.) A hospital staff member who is at a hospital, and works in admission, care, or treatment of patients |
| Hawaii | 3 | 72 hours or younger | Anyone | 1.) Hospital 2.) Police station 3.) Fire station 4.) Emergency services provider |
| Michigan | 3 | 72 hours or younger | Parent | A uniformed employee at: 1.) Police station 2.) Fire department 3.) Hospital 4.) A paramedic or EMT responding to a 911 call |
| Mississippi | 3 | 72 hours or younger | Parent | 1.) A licensed hospital with an ER 2.) A licensed adoption agency |
| Washington | 3 | Up to 72 hours | Parent | 1.) A hospital emergency room 2.) A fire station during hours of operation 3.) A federally designated rural health clinic during hours of operation |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 72 hours or younger | Parent | 1.) Hospital 2.) Police station 3.) Fire station 4.) Sheriff’s office 5.) “Any other place where a law enforcement officer, EMT, or hospital staff member is located.” |
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