Organ Donation in West Virginia

Organ Donations in West Virginia

Donate Life oversees the registration of organ donors in West Virginia.

Did you know there are millions of people waiting for tissue and corneal transplants nationwide, and a new person is added to the organ donor list every 10 minutes?

In the United States, between 10,000 to 12,000 people who would be considered suitable organ or tissue donors die every year, and only a fraction of those people are organ donors.

Sign up as an organ donor to give the gift of life to someone in need when you pass.

Register as an Organ Donor in WV

There are NO age limitations to register as an organ donation in West Virginia. However, parents can override a decision to donate your organs if you are a minor. Organ donor agreements made by people who are more than 18 years old are considered legally binding.

Please discuss your decision to become an organ donor with your family. Assure your family there is no difference in the lifesaving efforts made for organ donors or your ability to have an open-casket funeral.

NOTE: To register as an organ donor, you must have a WV driver's license or ID card.

Online

Anyone who wants to become a West Virginia organ donor can register online by:

  • Visiting the Donate Life website.
  • Signing up through ORGANIZE.org—this registers you in WV as well as a central donor information database.

NOTE: If applying online, your name and ID number information must match your current ID card or driver's license.

In Person

You can register to be an organ donor in person while applying for or renewing your WV driver's license or ID card.

You can download the Application for a Driver's License or Photo ID Card (Form DMV-DS-23P) before your visit. Be sure to check the box to become an organ donor.

Update Your WV Organ Donation Status

You can change or update your organ donor profile online at the Donate Life West Virginia website.

You Could Saves Lives!

A single organ donor can save up to 8 people, while tissue donors can improve the lives for as many as 75 people.

How You Can Help With Organ Donation

There are a number of ways to help besides organ donation after death. You can:

  • Purchase a "Donate Life" West Virginia license plate to help raise organ donor awareness.
  • Make a monetary donation to CORE, which would help fund education and expand the reach of the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE).
  • Volunteer with CORE through their Volunteers for Life program.
    • CORE's Community Outreach Team offers trained volunteers and speakers, educational materials, and other resources to help educate the community on organ donation. You can reach CORE at (800) 366-6777.
  • Become a living donor by joining the registry.
    • While many living donors choose to donate to a family member, others become altruistic donors who are in no way related to the organ recipient.
    • Living donation is possible for kidney transplants. Otherwise, doctors can only transplant a portion of the liver, lungs, or other organs.
  • Talk to your friends and family about the need for donor organs and how easy it is to register to be a donor. Visit our Organ Donation Myths page to help dispel common myths about organ donation.

Forms

DMV-DS-23P
Application for a Drivers License or Photo ID Card
West Virginia DMV application for an original, duplicate, OR renewed learner's permit, driver's license, motorcycle license, OR state identification card.
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