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Safely Surrendered Baby Law
The Safely Surrendered Baby Law responds to the increasing number of newborn infant deaths due to abandonment in unsafe locations. First created in January 2001, the Safely Surrendered Baby Law was signed permanently into state law in January 2006. The law’s intent is to save lives of newborn infants at risk of abandonment by encouraging parents or persons with lawful custody to safely surrender the infant within 72 hours of birth, with no questions asked. 
Fact Sheets
Safely Surrendered Baby Law Fast Facts | Fast Facts in Spanish
THERE IS AN OPTION. DON’T ABANDON YOUR BABY.
Safe surrender sites are hospitals or other locations, typically fire stations, that are approved by the board of supervisors or fire agency in each county.
Safe surrender sites are required to display the blue and white logo to the right.
The toll-free telephone hotline numbers listed below provide the locations of safe surrender sites.
If you are looking for a safe surrender site in the following counties:
| Alpine | Glenn | Madera | Placer | Sierra | Yolo |
| Amador | Humboldt | Mariposa | Plumas | Siskiyou | Yuba |
| Butte | Imperial | Mendocino | San Benito | Sutter | |
| Calaveras | Inyo | Merced | San Joaquin | Tehama | |
| Colusa | Kings | Modoc | San Mateo | Trinity | |
| Del Norte | Lake | Mono | Santa Cruz | Tulare | |
| El Dorado | Lassen | Nevada | Shasta | Tuolumne |
Dial 1.877.BABY.SAF (1-877-222-9723)
If you are looking for a safe surrender site in the following counties:
| Alameda | Napa | San Luis Obispo |
| Contra Costa | Orange | Santa Barbara |
| Fresno | Riverside | Santa Clara |
| Kern | Sacramento | Solano |
| Los Angeles | San Bernardino | Sonoma |
| Marin | San Diego | Stanislaus |
| Monterey | San Francisco | Ventura |
Dial 211
Optional Medical Questionnaire
Although a person surrendering a baby under the Safely Surrendered Baby Law will be asked to complete a medical questionnaire, the form is optional and is intended solely for the purpose of collecting medical information critical to the health and survival of the child. Any information that may identify the person surrendering the baby will be removed in order to maintain that person’s confidentiality.
Safely Surrendered Baby Medical Questionnaire | Questionnaire in Spanish | Questionnaire in Chinese | Questionnaire in Russian
Contacts
For information on ordering posters and brochures, please call the Office of Child Abuse Prevention at (916) 651-6960.
For media inquiries, please call the Office of Public Affairs at (916) 657-2268.
