Arizona Safe Baby Haven Law Frequently Asked Questions

If you are scared, overwhelmed, or unsure what to do, you are not alone. Arizona Safe Baby Haven provides information, support, and a safe, legal option for parents who feel they cannot care for their newborn.

This FAQ page answers common questions about the Arizona Safe Baby Haven law, including how safe surrender works, where a baby can be safely surrendered in Arizona, what happens after a newborn is surrendered, and how someone can get help without judgment. The goal is to make the process easier to understand while helping protect both the baby and the parent during a difficult moment.

If this is an emergency or someone is in immediate danger, please call 911.

Arizona’s Safe Baby Haven Law saves babies from unsafe abandonment. The law states that parents who do not harm their infant will not be prosecuted for abandonment if they hand their newborn to a responsible adult at a Safe Haven location or utilize an infant safety device if one is available within 30 days of birth. It gives a desperate parent a responsible alternative. 

Once you get to one of the Arizona designated locations (Hospitals, Fire stations, Adoption Agencies), you will need to relinquish your baby utilizing an infant safety device or to one of the staff members at the location. Please explain that you are relinquishing your infant under the Safe Haven Law. You may be asked to complete paperwork requesting medical information and other important details about your newborn, yourself, and the father. Completing this information is optional and will be used to share important facts with the infant’s adopted family and the child. You are free to leave without answering questions. After the infant is relinquished, the staff will provide a medical evaluation for the baby.

NO. Businesses and community buildings such as fire stations, gas stations, and libraries are designated as “Safe Place” sites. Any youth in crisis can walk into one of the nearly 20,000 Safe Places across the country and ask an employee for help. These locations display the yellow, diamond-shaped Safe Place sign.

NO. A newborn may NOT be dropped off at a QuikTrip Gas Station, other gas stations, or any location that participates in Safe Place.

An individual or family interested in adopting a Safe Haven infant is directed to contact adoption agencies in Arizona and ask whether they accept and place Safe Haven babies in loving homes. In Arizona, all babies that have been surrendered using the Safe Haven law are placed directly with loving adoptive families.

*AZSBH does not place a newborn for adoption or work with specific adoption agencies for placement. AZSBH leaders work with adoption agencies across the state to respond to a crisis situation for a parent in need of all available options.

Arizona’s Safe Baby Haven law provides an anonymous and confidential safe place for a newborn when a mother or parent is unable or unwilling to care for the baby. The intent is that a parent would not return for the newborn. If a situation arises in which a parent wishes to reclaim the baby, the parent would contact the Department of Child Safety to initiate the process and consider seeking legal assistance to regain custody of the child.

For a father who believes his newborn may be relinquished using the Safe Haven law, contact the state putative fathers registry to register for notification and instructions.