§ 19-10A-8.Installation of newborn safety device
Chapter 10A. Eliza Jane Warner Act · Last amended 2026 · Last verified October 9, 2026
Full Text of § 19-10A-8
Plain-English Summary
This section governs newborn safety devices — the locked, monitored receptacles, often called baby boxes, where a mother can leave a newborn without handing the baby to anyone. A medical facility, fire station, police station or ambulance service is authorized to install one, but only if two conditions are met. The device must be in an area that is conspicuous and visible to the facility’s employees, agents or staff members. And the facility must be staffed by an emergency medical services provider 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Every device must have a security camera capable of recording video of anyone who accesses it, and a dual alarm system that meets or exceeds two specifications. One alarm connects the device to the facility and must be tested at least once a month; the second monitors the device’s interior and must be checked at least twice a day to confirm the system works. The alarm system must also be able to dispatch the nearest ambulance service to retrieve the baby if every employee, agent and staff member has been dispatched to an emergency or is otherwise off site.
No state funds may be spent to acquire or operate these devices. Installing one is optional; the section authorizes it but requires no facility to do so. A mother who places her newborn — no more than 45 days old — in a device that meets these rules is protected under § 19-10A-4(a)(2). The section was enacted in 2018 and last amended in 2026, effective July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Georgia allow baby boxes?
Yes. This section authorizes a medical facility, fire station, police station or ambulance service to install a newborn safety device, an enclosed, locked and monitored receptacle where a newborn can be safely placed. The device must be in an area conspicuous and visible to staff, and the facility must be staffed by an emergency medical services provider 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Do Georgia newborn safety devices have cameras?
Yes. A device installed under this section must include a security camera capable of recording video of any individual who accesses it. A mother using a device should know that, even though § 19-10A-4 lets her decline to show identification or give her name and address when she hands a baby to staff.
How are Georgia newborn safety devices monitored?
By a dual alarm system. One alarm connects the device to the facility or station and must be tested at least once per month. The second monitors the device’s interior and must be checked at least twice per day. The system must also be able to dispatch the nearest ambulance service if all staff have been dispatched to an emergency or are otherwise off site.
Does the state pay for newborn safety devices in Georgia?
No. The section says no state funds shall be expended in the acquisition or operation of newborn safety devices. A facility that chooses to install one must pay for it some other way. Installing a device is optional; the section authorizes facilities to install them but doesn’t require it.
Can any fire station in Georgia install a baby box?
Only one that meets the conditions. The device must be located in an area conspicuous and visible to the station’s employees, agents or staff members, and the station must be staffed by an emergency medical services provider 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The device also needs a recording security camera and a dual alarm system that meets the section’s specifications.
Amendment History
Laws 2018, Act 317, § 1, eff. July 1, 2018; Laws 2026, Act 639, § 1, eff. July 1, 2026.