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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

Safe Haven Laws by State 2023

Safe Haven Laws by State 2023

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State
Max Age (days)
Details
Who Can Relinquish
Locations to Relinquish
North Dakota364Under 1 yearParent or their designated personAny hospital
New Mexico9090 days or youngerAnyoneHospital staff
Utah7272 hours or youngerParent or their designated personA 24/7 hospital
Louisiana6060 days or youngerParent1.) 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 Carolina6060 days or youngerAnyone1.) Hospital 2.) Hospital out-patient facility 3.) Law enforcement agency 4.) Fire station 5.) EMS station 6.) Staffed house of worship
Texas6060 days old or youngerParent1.) Hospital 2.) Fire station 3.) Emergency medical services (EMS) station
South Dakota59Less than 60 daysParent1.) 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
Kansas4545 days or youngerParent or a person with lawful custodyAn 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
Missouri4545 days or youngerParentAny staff member or volunteer at: 1.) Any hospital 2.) Maternity home 3.) Pregnancy resource center 4.) Firefighter 5.) EMT 6.) Law enforcement officer
Maine3131 days or youngerAnyone1.) 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
Arkansas3030 days or youngerParent or person with parental permission1.) Emergency room 2.) Sheriff or police locations 3.) Manned fire stations 4.) Baby boxes (8 locations)
Connecticut3030 days or youngerParent or “lawful agent” of the parentNursing staff at a hospital emergency room
Idaho3030 days or youngerParent1.) 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
Illinois3030 days or youngerParent1.) Hospital 2.) Police stations (including campus police) 3.) Fire station 4.) Emergency medical facility
Indiana3030 days or youngerParent or parentally designated person1.) Emergency medical services providers 2.) Baby Boxes (71 locations)
Iowa3030 days or youngerParent or parentally designated personAn “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
Montana3030 days or youngerParent1.) Fire station 2.) Hospital 3.) Law enforcement agency 4.) Prison or jail
Nebraska3030 days or youngerAnyoneAn on-duty employee at a licensed hospital
Nevada3030 days or youngerParent1.) A hospital, an obstetric center, or an independent center for emergency medical care 2.) A fire department 3.) A law enforcement agency
New Jersey3030 days or youngerParent or their designated person1.) 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 York3030 days or youngerParent“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.
Oregon3030 days or youngerParent1.) Hospital 2.) Birthing clinics 3.) Physician’s office 4.) Sheriff’s office 5.) Police station 6.) Fire station
Rhode Island3030 days or youngerParent1.) Hospital 2.) Open medical emergency facility 3.) Police station 4.) Fire station
Vermont30Up to 30 daysParent or their designated person1.) 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 Virginia30Not older than 30 daysParent1.) Hospital 2.) Health care facility
Kentucky29Younger than 30 daysAnyone1.) Hospitals 2.) EMS providers 3.) Staffed police stations 4.) Staffed fire stations 5.) Participating places of worship 6.) Baby Boxes (4 locations)
Ohio29Younger than 30 daysParent1.) 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)
Pennsylvania28Up to 28 daysParent1.) A hospital 2.) A police officer at a police station 3.) An emergency services provider at an EMS station
Alaska21Younger than 21 daysParent1.) 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.
Delaware1414 days or youngerParentDirectly to a staff member or volunteer inside a Delaware hospital ER
Tennessee14Within 2 weeks of birthMother only1.) 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
Virginia1414 days or youngerParent1.) Hospital with 24/7 emergency services 2.) An Emergency medical services agency that is staffed
Wyoming14Not older than 14 daysParent or their designated person24/7 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
Maryland1010 days or youngerMother or her designated person1.) A responsible adult 2.) Hospital 3.) Facility designated by regulation
Florida77 days or youngerParent1.) A staffed hospital 2.) EMS station 3.) Fire station
Georgia77 days or youngerMother onlyPhysical relinquishment to an on-duty staff member or volunteer of a medical facility (*excludes dentist’s and doctor’s offices)
Massachusetts77 days or youngerParent1.) Hospital 2.) Police department 3.) Staffed fire station
Minnesota77 days or youngerMother or her designated person1.) Licensed hospital 2.) Urgent care 3.) A licensed ambulance service reached at 911 by the mother or a person designated by the mother
New Hampshire77 days or youngerParent1.) 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
Oklahoma77 days or youngerParent1.) A medical provider An employee at: 2.) Police station 3.) Fire station 4.) Child protective services agency 5.) Another medical facility
North Carolina6Younger than 7 daysParent1.) 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
Alabama372 hours or youngerParentA hospital with an ER
Arizona372 hours or youngerParent 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)
California372 hours or youngerParent or person with lawful custody1.) All hospitals, public or private 2.) Designated fire stations 3.) Organizations and agencies with approval
Colorado372 hours or youngerParent1.) 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
Hawaii372 hours or youngerAnyone1.) Hospital 2.) Police station 3.) Fire station 4.) Emergency services provider
Michigan372 hours or youngerParentA uniformed employee at: 1.) Police station 2.) Fire department 3.) Hospital 4.) A paramedic or EMT responding to a 911 call
Mississippi372 hours or youngerParent1.) A licensed hospital with an ER 2.) A licensed adoption agency
Washington3Up to 72 hoursParent1.) A hospital emergency room 2.) A fire station during hours of operation 3.) A federally designated rural health clinic during hours of operation
Wisconsin372 hours or youngerParent1.) 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.”
showing: 50 rows

Safe Haven Laws by State 2023

Sources