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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who can become a donor?

Q: Are there age limits for donors?

Q: How do I express my wishes to become an organ and tissue donor?

Q: If I sign a donor card, or indicate my donation preferences on my driver’s license, will my wishes be carried out?

Q: What organs and tissues can I donate?

Q: If I sign a donor card, will it affect the quality of medical care I receive at the hospital?

Q: Will donation disfigure my body? Can there be an open casket funeral?

Q: Why should minorities be particularly concerned about organ donation?

Q: Are there any costs to my family for donation?

Q: Can I sell my organs?

Q: How are organs distributed?

Q: How many people are currently wait listed for each organ so they can have a transplant?

Q: Can I be an organ and tissue donor and also donate my body to medical science?

Q: Can non-resident aliens donate and receive organs?

Q: If I have a previous medical condition, can I still donate?


Who can become a donor?
All individuals can indicate their intent to donate (persons under 18 years of age must have parent's or guardian's consent). Medical suitability for donation is determined at the time of death.

Are there age limits for donors?
There are no age limitations on who can donate. The deciding factor on whether a person can donate is the person’s physical condition, not the person’s age. Newborns as well as senior citizens have been organ donors. Persons younger than 18 years of age must have a parent's or guardian's consent.

How do I express my wishes to become an organ and tissue donor?

  1. Indicate your intent to be an organ and tissue donor on your driver’s license. 
  2. Carry an organ donor card.
  3. Most important, discuss your decision with family members and loved ones.

If I sign a donor card or indicate my donation preferences on my driver’s license, will my wishes be carried out?
Even if you sign a donor card it is essential that your family know your wishes. Your family may be asked to sign a consent form in order for your donation to occur.

If you wish to learn how organ donation preferences are documented and honored where you live, contact your local organ procurement organization (OPO).  The OPO can advise you of specific local procedures, such as joining donor registries, that are available to residents in your area.

What can be donated?

If I sign a donor card, will it affect the quality of medical care I receive at the hospital?
No! Every effort is made to save your life before donation is considered.

Will donation disfigure my body? Can there be an open casket funeral?
Donation does not disfigure the body and does not interfere with having a funeral, including open casket services.

Why should minorities be particularly concerned about organ donation?
Some diseases of the kidney, heart, lung, pancreas and liver are found more frequently in racial and ethnic minority populations than in the general population. For example, African Americans, Asian and Pacific Islanders and Hispanics are three times more likely to suffer from end-stage renal disease than Whites. Native Americans are four times more likely than Whites to suffer from diabetes. Some of these diseases are best treated through transplantation; others can only be treated through transplantation.
Successful transplantation often is enhanced by the matching of organs between members of the same ethnic and racial group.  For example, any patient is less likely to reject a kidney if it is donated by an individual who is genetically similar.  Generally, people are genetically more similar to people of their own ethnicity or race than to people of other races.  Therefore, a shortage of organs donated by minorities can contribute to death and longer waiting periods for transplants for minorities.
More information on Minorities and Organ Donation and Transplantation:

Are there any costs to my family for donation?
The donor’s family does not pay for the cost of the organ donation. All costs related to donation of organs and tissues are paid by the recipient, usually through insurance, Medicare or Medicaid.

Can I sell my organs?
No! The National Organ Transplant Act (Public Law 98-507) makes it ILLEGAL to sell human organs and tissues. Violators are subject to fines and imprisonment. Among the reasons for this rule is the concern of Congress that buying and selling of organs might lead to inequitable access to donor organs with the wealthy having an unfair advantage.

How are organs distributed?
Patients are matched to organs based on a number of factors including blood and tissue typing, medical urgency, time on the waiting list, and geographical location.

How many people are currently waiting for each organ to become available so they can have a transplant?
The number of people requiring a life-saving transplant continues to rise faster than the number of available donors. Approximately 300 new transplant candidates are added to the waiting list each month. For the number of patients now on the waiting list and other data, please go to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Web site.

Can I be an organ and tissue donor and also donate my body to medical science?
Total body donation is an option, but not if you choose to be an organ and tissue donor. If you wish to donate your entire body, you should directly contact the facility of your choice to make arrangements. Medical schools, research facilities and other agencies need to study bodies to gain greater understanding of disease mechanisms in humans. This research is vital to saving and improving lives.

Can non-resident aliens donate and receive organs?
Non-resident aliens can both donate and receive organs in the United States. In 2001, 334 (2.7%) of the 12,375 organ donors were non-resident aliens. In this same year, 259 (1%) of the 23,998 transplants performed were on non-resident aliens.
Organs are allocated according to medical need and not according to citizenship of the patient. Organ allocation is based on the principles of equity and medical utility with the concept of justice applied to both access (consideration), as well as allocation (distribution).
Policies developed by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) allow up to 5% of recipients at a transplant center to be from other countries.
From 1988 2002, 278,504 transplants were performed in the U.S. Of that total, only 2,728 were performed on non resident aliens, which represent less than 1% of the total transplants performed.

If I have a previous medical condition, can I still donate?
Regardless of any pre-existing medical circumstances or conditions, determination of suitability to donate organs or tissue may be based on a combination of factors that take into account the donor's general health and the urgency of need of the recipient. This determination is usually done by the medical staff that recovers the organs or by the transplant team that reviews all of the data about the organ(s) or tissue that have been recovered from the donor.

We recommend that all individuals consider themselves potential organ and tissue donors, indicate their intent to donate by signing a donor card, and discuss their decision with family members. Transplant professionals will evaluate potential donors and determine suitability for donation of particular organs or tissue when the time for donation arises.

If you desire additional information on organ donation and transplantation, please contact the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the current contractor for the nation's Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), at 1-888-TXINFO-1 or visit their Web site at: www.unos.org. The OPTN Web site also provides transplant and donor information at: www.optn.org . If you would like to learn more about any type of disease condition or illness, you may visit the National Institutes for Health web site at: www.nih.gov.