Facts on Donation

In simple terms: It’s the process of gifting organs and tissues after passing away to save and heal other people.  

• Want more specifics? See How it Works

There are a few ways to register:

• At an ADOT MVD office when you get a driver’s license or state ID (the most common way) 
• Online at DonateLifeAZ.org  
• By paper form or through our Swipe to Donate Life app at events that we attend, like a baseball game, a back-to-school fair, or at college campuses

The donor heart insignia on a driver’s license or state ID means that you checked “Yes” when asked to register (or reaffirm) your decision to be a donor during a transaction at the MVD.  

Fun Fact: The donor heart is a symbol of your generosity. But because people can remove themselves at any time, the donor heart on your ID cannot be used to confirm your registry status. Only certain people at DNA have access to check the registry to confirm someone’s status. No one else. 

DNA is the state’s federally designated organ procurement organization—also called an OPO. That means we: 

• Honor a registered donor’s decision to save lives, or for those who are not registered, speak with families about the possibility of their loved one saving and healing lives
  
• Care for donors and their families
• Work with hospitals and other health care providers to coordinate organ and tissue recovery following death
• Educate the public and health care professionals
• Administer the state’s donor registry 
• Encourage everyone to register as donors

This is a common misconception. Doctors will always do everything they can to save your life. They even take an oath on it. Organ donation is only possible because of the medical interventions, like using a ventilator or certain medications, to save that patient’s life—not with donation in mind. 

Plus, the medical team in an emergency is completely independent from any transplant professionals who would get involved once it’s determined that the patient has died.  

Learn more by reading our blog post “Why doctors WILL NOT let you die if you’re a registered organ donor”

The simple answer is no, they cannot. Registering as a donor: 

• Is a legally binding decision
• Can only be changed by you

That’s why we encourage people to share their donation decision with their loved ones just like any other end-of-life decision, so there are no surprises. 

Keep in mind: Anyone can register at 15½ or older in Arizona. If a potential donor hasn’t turned 18 yet, the family would still have to give final approval.  

No major religion is against organ and tissue donation. In fact, they see it as a final act of love and generosity.  

Learn more about faith and cultural perspectives here.

Not at all! You do not have to live in Arizona to register as a donor here. We encourage anyone who visits Arizona with any frequency—even from other countries— to register at DonateLifeAZ.org.  

Citizenship status doesn’t change who can be a donor or not. The same is true when it comes to matching a donated organ with recipients. It is not factored into who may receive a transplant.  

NEVER! There are no age limits or health requirements to register. Donors are sometimes in their late 90s.  

People rule themselves out all the time because of this misconception. Even with diagnoses or complex medical histories, let the transplant professionals make the final call. For example, it’s now possible to donate even if a donor has: 

• Diabetes 
• HIV 
• Hepatitis A, B or C 
• Parkinson’s disease  
• A history of substance use disorders 
• History of certain cancers 
• Heart disease 
• Other health conditions 

Health care improves year after year. Who knows what will be possible tomorrow? We say: Register anyway!  

There are many organs and tissues a single donor can offer. But what you’re truly offering as a registered donor is hope for the thousands of people on the waiting list who need a second chance.  

For more specifics, check out the Understand Donation main page. 

No. Never. DNA covers all costs associated with the recovery of donated organs and tissue. 

Occasionally, the family of a donor may get a donation-related bill by mistake. They can email Donor.Families@dnaz.org or call 800-943-6667 to correct that error.  

All OPOs follow federal guidelines to place organs. A computerized system identifies the best matching patients based on a few factors: 

• How urgently the recipient needs it 
• Blood type 
• Size of the organ 
• Time on the waiting list 
• Where they are in the U.S. in relation to the donor’s hospital 

The system is designed to place organs efficiently while making sure it’s fair and saves the most lives possible.