DonateLifeAZ Registry
What is the DonateLifeAZ Registry?
Arizona law established a donor registry operated by the state’s organ procurement organization (OPO), Donor Network of Arizona (DNA).
The Goals
1. To make it easy for people to register as donors.
2. To make it easy to check someone’s registry status once donation becomes a possibility.
People can document their decision to donate in other ways—such as a living will or advanced directive, but the DonateLifeAZ Registry is the most common and trusted way since April 2003.
How Do I Register
as an Organ &
Tissue Donor?
Most people register at the MVD.
When you visit an Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division office, or an authorized third-party, you can register during the process of getting a driver’s license or state ID.
- With a customer service representative
- At a self-service kiosk
More than 95% of new registrations in our state happen this way.
A person might also register:
- Online at DonateLifeAZ.org
- At a community event by paper form or our team’s Swipe to Donate Life app (with help from designated users)
It’s a legal decision because it’s your life.
Just like the decisions you might document in a will, only you can change your organ and tissue donation registry status.
Registering as an organ and tissue donor is first-person authorization (FPA) for donation and is a legally binding decision to save and heal lives.
FPA is backed by the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA), a law adopted by all 50 states. When and if donation becomes possible, our team at DNA honors your choice and works to make the most of life with the gift you offer.
The DONOR ♥ on a driver’s license or state ID simply shows you registered during an ADOT MVD transaction. It’s only a sign of your support, not a foolproof confirmation of your registration. Because people can update their status in other ways, DNA has to check the registry no matter what someone’s ID shows.
In an emergency, a DONOR ♥ on a person’s ID doesn’t confirm your registration because you might have removed yourself. So, not even doctors would know if you’re registered, even if the heart shows. (And, no, it won’t change the type of care they offer you to save your life.) Hospitals are required to contact DNA to confirm someone’s registration status once donation becomes a possibility.
Yes!
If it’s your first time registering in Arizona, you’ll get:
- A mailed confirmation letter
- Or a confirmation email, depending on how you registered
This communication explains in depth what registering means and offers instructions on how to:
- View
- Modify
- Or remove your registry completely
No matter your final choice, we encourage you to talk with your family about your decision, so everyone knows what to expect.
No. If you’re 18 or older, your donor registration is a legally binding decision at the time donation becomes a possibility. Only you can change your mind. DNA is legally required to honor your decision.
Arizonans can register as donors as young as 15½. So, if a donor is younger than 18, typically a parent (or other legal next-of-kin) would have to say yes for donation to continue.
How can I document that I don’t want to donate organs and tissue?
There are multiple ways for people to document a refusal to donate organs and tissue. They can add a refusal to donate in:
- Wills
- Advanced directives
- Or other legal instructions related to end-of-life decisions
If you want to make any changes to your registration, including removing it, you can:
- Visit DonateLifeAZ.org/profile
- Email Contact.Us@dnaz.org
- Or call 602-241-5550
Register
FAQs
