Organ Donation in Texas
Organ Donation in Texas
How to become an organ donor in Texas:
- Go online to Donate Life Texas and register.
- Visit the TX DPS and mark the box on your initial driver's license application or renewal.
OR - Mail or fax in a Donor Registration form.
There are not enough organ and tissue donors to meet the demand for organ transplants in the United States. Regrettably, an average of 17 people die every day while waiting on the organ donor list.
The Donate Life Texas Registry makes the registration process very simple to do. Continue reading this page to find out exactly how to register as a donor or update your organ donor preferences.
Join the millions of people who are registered organ donors in Texas!
Who Can Register as an Organ Donor?
Anyone can be an organ donor in Texas. There are NO age limits for organ or tissue donation.
Blood type and organ size of a patient are a couple factors that influence who will receive a particular organ. Once an organ donor passes, his or her medical professionals will determine which organs are viable.
How to Register as an Organ Donor
The Donate Life Texas Registry is the official state site for registering to be an organ, tissue, or eye donor. You can register in person, online, by mail or by fax.
NOTE: Be sure to share your decision to be an organ donor with your family. This is an incredibly important decision to make, and leaving it to those you love after you have passed can be impossibly difficult. By making your wishes clear to your friends, family, and loved ones, you'll take away the stress of having to make this major decision during their time of loss.
In Person
You can sign up to be a registered organ donor in person at your local Texas DPS office when you apply for or renew your driver's license or ID.
The DPS will issue you a driver's license or ID card with a red “donor heart" symbol in the lower corner and redirect your information to the Donate Life Texas Registry.
If you take care of your donor registration at the DPS, you'll receive a confirmation letter and registration card in the mail. By this time, you'll have been officially entered into the registry.
If you don't want to make the trip to the offices of the Department of Public Safety (DPS), you can register online, by mail, or by fax (see below).
Online
You can register to be an organ donor online by visiting:
- The Donate Life Texas registration portal on their website.
- The ORGANIZE.org central registry database. This registers you in Texas, as well as records your information to follow you from state to state if you move.
By Mail or Fax
To register as an organ donor by mail or by fax, you must first complete the Donor Registration Form (also available in Spanish) and mail to the address or fax number on the form
If you have any questions, please call (800) 633 6562
Change/Update Your Organ Donor Registration
Changing your organ donor profile online is an easy process on the Donate Life Texas website. You can also update using ORGANIZE.org.
Other Ways to Help
In addition to becoming an organ donor, there are several ways to make a big difference in the lives of those in need of an organ transplant. You can:
- Tell your friends about organ donation!
- Volunteer with LifeGift, a not-for-profit group dedicated to spreading the message about donation, recovering organs for recipients in need, helping support donor families in their time of loss, and connecting recipients with their donor families if they choose.
- Read up on the facts of organ donation and transplants, and share the info with friends and family: