Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation

Organ, eye and tissue donation is a way of giving an organ (or a part of an organ), eye or tissue at the time of your death so that another person can use them.

• If you make the decision to register as a donor, it eliminates the need for your relatives  to make the decision after your death.
• Signing up on the Donor Registry ensures your decision to be a donor is honored after your death.
• If you are not registered as a donor, the decision must be made by your relatives at the time of your death.

• To join the Kentucky Donor Registry immediately, you can go to www.RegisterMeKY.org.  This is also the website you access to change your decision or remove your name from the Kentucky Donor Registry.
• During normal business hours, you can call the Donate Life Kentucky/Trust For Life office and have someone assist you over the phone to join or remove your name from the Donor Registry.  The office number is 1-866-945-5433.
• You can also join the national Donate Life America Registry by going to www.RegisterMe.org.  

Yes. If you renew your driver's license on-line, click “yes” to organ donation when you obtain or renew your Kentucky driver’s license or state identification card.  This adds your name to the Kentucky Donor Registry the month after renewal.

Registering as a donor can also be done in person at the Driver’s License Regional Offices when you get or renew your driver’s license or state ID card.

With the REAL  ID, your driver’s license or state ID should have a symbol on it that says “organ donor.”

No.  There is no upper age limit to being a donor or to signing up. People under the age of 18 may have some restrictions and consent from legal guardian is required.

Yes.  Registering as an organ, eye, tissue donor is legally the same as making a will.  It is similar to an Advance Directive; however, it only becomes active upon death and therefore cannot be overruled.

After you sign up to be an organ donor, be sure to tell your family and friends. It’s important to let them know your wishes so they can honor your decision at the time of your death.  It is helpful to keep your information, such as a current mailing address, up to date in your state’s donor registry.

You should go to www.registermeky.org for the State Registry or www.registerme.org for the National Registry.  You’ll need self-identifying information to log-in, and then you can update your information. 

Yes.  To remove your name from the donor registry database, you should go to www.registermeky.org for the State Registry or www.registerme.org for the National Registry.  You’ll need self-identifying information to log-in.  Then you can click to remove your name. 

If you need help to remove your name, call the Donate Life Kentucky/Trust For Life office during normal business hours.  You can call them at 1-866-945-5433.

If you remove your name online, but still have symbol on your driver’s license or ID, you are not a donor. The donor registry database, not the driver’s license, has legal authorization. 

No.   Your family is not financially responsible for any costs related to the donation process.  Insurance or the people who receive the organ donation pay those costs.