State DMV asking New Yorkers to register as organ donors

WATERTOWN, N.Y. (WWTI) – The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles its drive to help state residents to sign up as potential organ donors.

 The month of April is Donate Life Month, and the DMV is urging those who have not yet registered to do so.

Last autumn, New Yorkers hit a significant milestone as Governor Kathy Hochul announced that, for the first time, more than 50-percent of eligible state residents had registered to become organ and tissue donors through New York’s Organ Donor Registry.

That number has continued to grow with more than 8 million people, or 51.2 percent, of the eligible population now registered. More than 80 percent of the people who enroll in the registry do so through the DMV.

We are proud to be the number-one way New Yorkers join the registry, and we worked alongside our friends and colleagues at Donate Life New York State and the state Department of Health to increase the number of registered donors. Still, there is much room to improve even further. Imagine if someone you loved needed a new heart, liver, kidney or other vital organ to live. You would be so grateful to anyone who made saving their life possible. So why not join the registry today? And if you already have, thank you for your kindness.

NYS DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder

According to a press release from the DMV, here are now 7,917 New Yorkers awaiting an organ transplant, according to Donate Life New York State. Each year, thousands of people die – including almost 500 New Yorkers – while awaiting a transplant because a suitable donor could not be found. New Yorkers make up 10 percent of the national organ transplant waiting list, according to the NYS Department of Health.

One organ donor can save eight lives and heal 75 more through eye and tissue donation.

Any New Yorker aged 16 and older is eligible to enroll in the registry. Donors can specify which organs and tissues they want to give, and they can identify whether the donation is for transplant, research or both.

New Yorkers can enroll directly through the NYS Donate Life Registry or through:

• The NYS Department of Motor Vehicles or by completing the donation section on a driver’s license or non-driver ID application or when they renew their license or non-driver ID.
• A voter registration form or online voter registration. The  donation section on the application for an ID in New York City through the IDNYC program.
• Various license or certification applications from the Department of State, as well as the Department of Health. Those seeking sporting licenses (hunting, fishing, and trapping) through the Department of Environmental Conservation online portal can join the Registry as part of that process. People can also sign up through the Marketplace when they renew with NY State of Health.

The registry database is confidential, and individuals can access their registration at any time to make changes. People can find the answers to frequently asked questions about organ donation and the registry online.

DMV also offers a Donate Life custom license plate to raise awareness and support critical research. A total of $20 of the annual fee is directed to the “Life Pass It On Trust Fund,” used for organ donation and transplant research and educational programs promoting organ and tissue donation. In addition, since 2020, New Yorkers have had the opportunity to contribute to the Fund when filing their income taxes.

To learn more about organ donation, visit the Donate Life New York website.