Signing Up at the DMV

How do I make changes to my registration if I signed up at the DMV?

At any time, you can update your registration here. You access your record with your driver’s license or ID number and birthdate. You will then be able to add a password, change some personal information, specify donations or remove your name from the Virginia Donor Registry. It is, however, always important to share with your family and friends your decision about organ donation. If anything does happen to you, your family members will be told about your decision and will be asked to help answer questions about your medical history.

Can I specify at the DMV which organs and tissues I have decided to donate?

The Virginia DMV is the main point of registering with the Virginia Donor Registry for most Virginians, and there is only enough time for DMV customers to say “yes” to donation. There is not enough time to make any additional decisions. If you want to specify your donations, go here and enter your log-in information and make the changes you wish.

What if I have already said “yes” to donation at the DMV, do I need to register again online?

No. All donor designations from the Virginia DMV are securely uploaded into the Virginia Donor Registry. The only time you need to go to DonateLifeVirginia.org is to make changes in your registration.

Must I register to be a donor again when it is time to renew my driver’s license or ID?

No. Once you register your decision to be a donor, it will remain unless you remove yourself from the registry.

If I sign up as an organ, tissue and eye donor at DonateLifeVirginia.org, will the DMV receive the donor information?

No. Donor designation stays in the Virginia Donor Registry only and is not transferred to the DMV. If you ever wish to have the donor heart symbol put on your driver’s license/ID you must request to have that done by the DMV either at their office or on its website, but it is not a requirement for being a designated donor.

I signed up to be a donor at the DMV, but I did not get a heart on my license/ID — what should I do?

Mistakes sometimes happen. If you do not have a donor heart symbol on your driver’s license/ID you should go here to check your designation. It is most likely not going to be there. You can register anytime online for free, or you can go back to the Virginia DMV and, for a small fee, ask for a replacement license/ID.

If something should happen to me while I am traveling, what role does my donor designation on my driver’s license/ID play?

All matters concerning organ, eye and tissue donation are under the jurisdiction of each state’s or country’s respective laws. While your Donate Life Virginia registration might not serve as legally binding consent for donation outside Virginia, it will serve as a clear indication of your wish to donate and will be shared with your family when they are approached by the local organ recovery agency in the state where you die.