Safe Haven Laws by State 2024

Safe Haven laws, also known as Baby Safe Haven laws or Safe Surrender laws, were first introduced in Texas in 1999. These laws enable a person, usually a parent, to anonymously and legally surrender their newborn baby at designated locations, typically within a specified time frame after birth, without fear of prosecution for abandonment. The goal of Safe Haven laws is to prevent infant deaths by providing a safe and confidential alternative for parents who are unable or unwilling to care for their newborns.

Each state in the U.S. has its own variation of Safe Haven laws, specifying the age limit of the infant, the allowable surrender locations, and other relevant details. The table below provides an overview of Safe Haven laws by state, including the maximum age of the infant allowed for surrender and the designated surrender locations.

Among the states with notable Safe Haven laws is South Dakota, which allows infants to be surrendered up to 59 days old. Similarly, Kansas permits surrenders of infants up to 45 days old, while California, Arizona, and Hawaii have a 72-hour time frame for surrender after birth.

It's important to note that Safe Haven laws aim to protect both the infant and the parent or guardian, offering a solution that prioritizes the welfare of the child above all else. By understanding the provisions of Safe Haven laws in their respective states, individuals can help ensure that newborns have the opportunity for a safe and healthy start in life.

State	Max Age of Infant (Days)	Who Can Relinquish	Locations to Relinquish	# of Baby Box Locations
North Dakota	365	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	0
Iowa	90	Parent	1) 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 2) Baby Boxes	1
New Mexico	90	Parent	1) Hospital 2) Police Station 3) Fire Station 4) Baby Boxes	6
Kansas	60	Parent	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	0
Louisiana	60	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	0
South Carolina	60	Anyone	1) Hospital 2) Hospital out-patient facility 3) Law enforcement agency 4) Fire station 5) EMS station 6) Staffed house of worship	0
South Dakota	60	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	0
Texas	60	Parent	1) Hospital 2) Fire station 3) Emergency medical services (EMS) station 4) Baby Boxes	1
Alabama	45	Parent	1) A hospital with an ER 2) Baby Boxes	5
Mississippi	45	Parent	1) A licensed hospital with an ER 2) A licensed adoption agency 3) Fire Station 4) Police Station 5) Baby Boxes	3
Missouri	45	Parent or their designated "agent"	Any staff member or volunteer at: 1) Any hospital 2) Maternity home 3) Pregnancy resource center 4) Firefighter 5) EMT 6) Law enforcement officer 7) Baby Boxes	1
Maine	31	Parent	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	0
Arizona	30	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	0
Arkansas	30	Parent or person with parental permission	1) Emergency room 2) Sheriff or police locations 3) Manned fire stations 4) Baby boxes	24
Connecticut	30	Parent or “lawful agent” of the parent	Nursing staff at a hospital emergency room	0
Georgia	30	Parent	1) Hospital 3) Fire station 4) Emergency services provider	0
Idaho	30	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	0
Illinois	30	Parent	1) Hospital 2) Police stations (including campus police) 3) Fire station 4) Emergency medical facility	0
Indiana	30	Parent	1) Emergency medical services providers 2) Fire station 3) Police stations (including campus police) 4) Baby Boxes (123 locations)	126
Kentucky	30	Parent	1) Hospitals 2) EMS providers 3) Staffed police stations 4) Staffed fire stations 5) Participating places of worship 6) Baby Boxes	31
Montana	30	Parent	1) Fire station 2) Hospital 3) Law enforcement agency/officer	0
Nebraska	30	Parent	An on-duty employee at a licensed hospital	0
Nevada	30	Parent	1) A hospital, an obstetric center, or an independent center for emergency medical care 2) A fire department 3) A law enforcement agency	0
New Hampshire	30	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	0
New Jersey	30	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	0
New York	30	Parent	1) Hospital 2) Police Station 3) Fire Station	0
Ohio	30	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	11
Oklahoma	30	Parent	1) A medical provider An employee at: 2) Police station 3) Fire station 4) Child protective services agency 5) Another medical facility 6) Baby Boxes	2
Oregon	30	Parent	1) Hospital 2) Birthing clinics 3) Physician’s office 4) Sheriff’s office 5) Police station 6) Fire station	0
Rhode Island	30	Parent	1) Hospital 2) Open medical emergency facility 3) Police station 4) Fire station	0
Utah	30	Parent or their designated person	A 24/7 hospital	0
Vermont	30	Parent	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”	0
Virginia	30	Parent	1) Hospital with 24/7 emergency services 2) An Emergency medical services agency that is staffed	0
West Virginia	30	Parent	1) Hospital 2) Health care facility 3) Baby Boxes	3
Pennsylvania	28	Parent	1) A hospital 2) A police officer at a police station 3) An emergency services provider at an EMS station 4) Baby Boxes	1
Alaska	21	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	0
Delaware	14	Parent	Directly to a staff member or volunteer inside a Delaware hospital ER	0
Tennessee	14	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 8) Baby Boxes	6
Wyoming	14	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	0
Maryland	10	Mother or her designated person	1) Hospital 2) Facility designated by regulation	0
Florida	7	Parent	1) A staffed hospital 2) EMS station 3) Fire station 4) Baby Boxes	2
Massachusetts	7	Parent	1) Hospital 2) Police department 3) Staffed fire station	0
Minnesota	7	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	0
North Carolina	7	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 5) Baby Boxes	2
California	3	Parent or person with lawful custody	1) All hospitals, public or private 2) Designated fire stations 3) Organizations and agencies with approval	0
Colorado	3	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	0
Hawaii	3	Parent	1) Hospital 2) Police station 3) Fire station 4) Emergency services provider	0
Michigan	3	Parent	A uniformed employee at: 1) Police station 2) Fire department 3) Hospital 4) A paramedic or EMT responding to a 911 call	0
Washington	3	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	0
Wisconsin	3	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”	0

State

Max Age of Infant (Days)

Who Can Relinquish

Locations to Relinquish

# of Baby Box Locations

North Dakota

365

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

Iowa

Parent

1) 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 2) Baby Boxes

New Mexico

Parent

1) Hospital
2) Police Station
3) Fire Station
4) Baby Boxes

Kansas

Parent

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

Louisiana

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

Anyone

1) Hospital
2) Hospital out-patient facility
3) Law enforcement agency
4) Fire station
5) EMS station
6) Staffed house of worship

South Dakota

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

Texas

Parent

1) Hospital
2) Fire station
3) Emergency medical services (EMS) station
4) Baby Boxes

Alabama

Parent

1) A hospital with an ER
2) Baby Boxes

Mississippi

Parent

1) A licensed hospital with an ER
2) A licensed adoption agency
3) Fire Station
4) Police Station
5) Baby Boxes

Missouri

Parent or their designated "agent"

Any staff member or volunteer at:
1) Any hospital
2) Maternity home
3) Pregnancy resource center
4) Firefighter
5) EMT
6) Law enforcement officer
7) Baby Boxes

Maine

Parent

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

Arizona

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

Arkansas

Parent or person with parental permission

1) Emergency room
2) Sheriff or police locations
3) Manned fire stations
4) Baby boxes

Connecticut

Parent or “lawful agent” of the parent

Nursing staff at a hospital emergency room

Georgia

Parent

1) Hospital
3) Fire station
4) Emergency services provider

Idaho

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

Parent

1) Hospital
2) Police stations (including campus police)
3) Fire station
4) Emergency medical facility

Indiana

Parent

1) Emergency medical services providers
2) Fire station
3) Police stations (including campus police)
4) Baby Boxes (123 locations)

126

Kentucky

Parent

1) Hospitals
2) EMS providers
3) Staffed police stations
4) Staffed fire stations
5) Participating places of worship
6) Baby Boxes

Montana

Parent

1) Fire station
2) Hospital
3) Law enforcement agency/officer

Nebraska

Parent

An on-duty employee at a licensed hospital

Nevada

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 Hampshire

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

New Jersey

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

Parent

1) Hospital
2) Police Station
3) Fire Station

Ohio

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

Oklahoma

Parent

1) A medical provider
An employee at:
2) Police station
3) Fire station
4) Child protective services agency
5) Another medical facility
6) Baby Boxes

Oregon

Parent

1) Hospital
2) Birthing clinics
3) Physician’s office
4) Sheriff’s office
5) Police station
6) Fire station

Rhode Island

Parent

1) Hospital
2) Open medical emergency facility
3) Police station
4) Fire station

Utah

Parent or their designated person

A 24/7 hospital

Vermont

Parent

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”

Virginia

Parent

1) Hospital with 24/7 emergency services
2) An Emergency medical services agency that is staffed

West Virginia

Parent

1) Hospital
2) Health care facility
3) Baby Boxes

Pennsylvania

Parent

1) A hospital
2) A police officer at a police station
3) An emergency services provider at an EMS station
4) Baby Boxes

Alaska

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

Parent

Directly to a staff member or volunteer inside a Delaware hospital ER

Tennessee

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
8) Baby Boxes

Wyoming

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

Mother or her designated person

1) Hospital
2) Facility designated by regulation

Florida

Parent

1) A staffed hospital
2) EMS station
3) Fire station
4) Baby Boxes

Massachusetts

Parent

1) Hospital
2) Police department
3) Staffed fire station

Minnesota

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

North Carolina

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
5) Baby Boxes

California

Parent or person with lawful custody

1) All hospitals, public or private
2) Designated fire stations
3) Organizations and agencies with approval

Colorado

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

Parent

1) Hospital
2) Police station
3) Fire station
4) Emergency services provider

Michigan

Parent

A uniformed employee at: 1) Police station
2) Fire department
3) Hospital
4) A paramedic or EMT responding to a 911 call

Washington

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

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”