Organ and Tissue Donation Program

• What does it mean to register?
  Registration to the Wisconsin Donor Registry legally authorizes the gift of your organs, tissues, and eyes upon your death. Your gift can save and improve the lives of others through transplantation, therapy, research, or education.
• Who can register?
  You can register if you are at least 15 years old and have a Wisconsin driver's license or state ID.
• Where can I register?
  You can register to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor at a Wisconsin DMV, by checking the "yes" box on your driver's license or State I.D. application when you obtain a new, or renew, your driver's license or State I.D. Card. You can also register by visiting the Wisconsin Donor Registry and entering your last name and driver's license or State I.D. number. Then click the green "Add my name to the Wisconsin Donor Registry" link. You can also click the "Register now" button above. Lastly, you can indicate your wish to be an organ, tissue, and eye donor when applying for a hunting, fishing, and/or trapping license through the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
• Are there age limits or health conditions that would prevent me from registering?
  If you're over the age of 15 and have a Wisconsin driver's license or state ID, you can register. Health conditions do not prevent you from registering.
• What if I already have an orange dot on my license?
  You are registered if you received the donor dot on or after March 29, 2010.
• How does my decision to become a donor help other people?
  Nearly 104,000 people in the United States are waiting for organ transplants, including more than than 1,400 people from Wisconsin. Unfortunately, many are never matched with a donor. An average of 17 people die each day waiting for a transplant. Your decision to register as an organ donor could save someone's life. Additionally, tissue donations are used to treat patients who've experienced burns or serious abrasions, or those who need reconstructive surgeries. Donor tendons are used to repair torn ligaments, veins are used in surgeries, and bone is used to help heal fractures or to prevent amputation. Donor corneas can restore sight to people who are blind.
• Can I limit my donation?
  You may amend or restrict your gift through your will, advanced directive, power of attorney for health care, or on the back of your driver's license. Let your family know about your wishes.
• Where can I learn more about donation?
  Visit Donate Life Wisconsin or the Donate Life America to learn more. Done Vida also has information in Spanish about organ, tissue, and eye donation.

• Percent of Registered Donors by County Map, P-02300 (PDF) - March 2024
• Donor Intent Query Web Application: Generate PDF and Excel reports of donor intent data using our web application.

Organ recovery organizations

• Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network
• University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics: serves 59 Wisconsin counties in Wisconsin.
• Versiti Organ and Tissue Donation: serves 10 southeastern Wisconsin counties.
• LifeSource: serves Douglas, Pierce, and St. Croix counties.

Tissue recovery services

• Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin
• American Tissue Services Foundation

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services organdonor.gov

United Network for Organ Sharing

• Release of EMS Reports to Organ and Tissue Recovery Organizations (PDF)
• Wisconsin Donor Registry User Access Request, F-43026 (PDF)
• Document of Anatomical Gift: Authorization for Organ and Tissue Donation, F-43025
• Wisconsin Organ Recovery Assessment Form, F-43023 (PDF)
• Wisconsin Tissue Recovery Assessment Form, F-43024 (PDF)