North Carolina’s Safe Surrender Law allows a parent to surrender a newborn up to 30 days old to a designated safe person* without the parent providing his or her name. Safe Surrender is legal and aims to prevent newborns from being hurt or abandoned.

Your options for a legal Safe Surrender / Designated Safe Persons are:

• A health care provider, as defined under G.S. 90-21.11, who is on duty or at a hospital or at a local or district health department or at a nonprofit community health center.

• A first responder, including a law enforcement officer, a certified emergency medical services worker, or a firefighter.

• A social services worker who is on duty or at a local department of social services.

IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL 911.