Donors leave an incredible legacy – there are many, many North Carolinians who are alive today because someone like you said “yes.” We want everyone to understand what that “yes” means, so we’ve provided this overview of the registration process.

· When you say “Yes” to donation at the DMV, a red heart is added to your license. This heart is legally binding consent to be an organ and eye donor.

· Deciding to be an organ and eye donor at the DMV means that you have chosen to make all of your organs available for transplant at the time of your death. It does NOT mean that you agree to whole body donation.

· The recovery process is only begun when the possibility of transplantation exists. If an organ cannot be used for transplantation or therapy then it may be used for medical research and education, unless you specify otherwise. The donor’s body is then available for whatever funeral and burial arrangements the family wishes to make, including an open casket funeral if they so desire.

· You can create a separate, online registration that will allow you to specify your donation options through this website. This registry allows you to decide which organs and tissues you want to donate - and which ones you do not wish to donate. You can also decide what you want to happen if the organs, tissues & eyes cannot be used for transplant. Since an online registration is more specific it will supersede a person’s DMV registration.

· We encourage all individuals to tell their families about their decision to give life through donation. If you register online, you’ll be invited to email your family and friends directly from the website. If you visit the DMV, we hope you’ll take the rack cards we provide in these offices and use them as a reminder to have this important conversation.

Transplantation is one of the most remarkable success stories in the history of medicine. But despite continuing advances in medicine and technology, the need for organs and tissue is vastly greater than the number available for transplantation. Over 3,000 people in North Carolina are on the waiting list for an organ transplant.

Transplantation gives hope to thousands of people with organ failure and provides many others with active and renewed lives. To learn more, please click on the links below:

FAQs
Myths and Misconceptions