What it Means to be a Registered Donor
When Indiana Donor Network receives a referral from a hospital about a potential organ or tissue donor, one of our first steps is to initiate a state donor registry check. The Indiana donor registry is a secure, legal record of a person’s decision about organ, tissue and eye donation, maintained by Donate Life Indiana.
When someone says “yes” to being a donor at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, through another agency, or online, they are considered to have made a “first-person authorization” end-of-life decision regarding organ donation. This decision aligns with the principles of Indiana gift law, meaning that they are willing to provide the gift of their donated organs if donation is possible after their death has been declared by a physician or coroner.
Most Indiana residents sign up to be an organ donor when they obtain or renew a credential (drivers’ license or identification card) at the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Other methods include:
- When applying for a hunting, fishing or trapping license through the Department of Natural Resources.
- When renewing public licensure through the Indiana Public Licensing Agency.
- Online at DonateLifeIndiana.org.
- Via the national donor registry maintained by Donate Life America.
- Via a health system’s electronic records system.
- Via the iPhone Health app.
Organ Donation
If someone is registered as a donor:
If the Indiana state registry or the national donor registry maintained by Donate Life America confirms that a person chose to be a donor, that decision is legally binding under Indiana law, and Indiana Donor Network is obligated to follow this end-of-life decision if organ donation is clinically possible. Our team works closely with the donor’s family to follow their loved one’s legally binding donation decision with care, respect and compassion.
If someone is not registered:
If no donation decision has been made by the potential donor through the Indiana donor registry, the national donor registry or another state’s donor registry, as applicable (see below), we speak with the potential donor’s decision-maker with respect to donation, as directed by the Indiana Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, about the opportunity to make a decision on their loved one’s behalf to save lives through organ and tissue donation. (Note that, at this time, the potential donor is hospitalized with an unsurvivable injury and is thus unable to make the decision for themselves). The legally-authorized donation decision maker may either choose to authorize or decline donation. Indiana Donor Network staff who speak with families in this situation are trained to educate compassionately and respect the legally-authorized donation decision maker’s decisions.
If someone recently lived in another state or is traveling:
If information is available that the potential donor may live or be registered in another state (for example, from the potential donor’s electronic medical record or via conversations with the potential donor’s family), we contact that state’s donor registry to verify whether a donation decision was recorded there. If a registration is found in another state, we obtain official written confirmation so we can honor the most recent documented decision.
Registered decisions in multiple places:
Some individuals are asked the donation question in multiple places. This is why multiple registries are consulted at the time of potential donation. The most recent decision is the decision honored.
Tissue Donation
Tissue donation is different from organ donation and may be possible even if death occurs outside of a hospital setting. Tissue includes corneas, bone, tendons, skin and veins and can help many people who have debilitating injuries. While complying with first-person authorization is legally mandated for organ donation, whether to move forward with tissue donation is up to the deceased donor’s legal authorized donation decision-maker, as directed by the Indiana Uniform Anatomical Gift Act regardless of whether the donor was registered to donate organs. When discussing tissue donation with a potential donor’s next-of-kin, their organ donation registry status is retrieved and shared to help inform the conversation.
Our Commitment
For every potential donor, we:
- Carefully verify Indiana donor registry information.
- Check the national donation registry for additional registry decisions.
- Check for registration in other states when appropriate.
- Work with families to review any other documentation, such as wills, funeral plans, etc., that may contain donor intent.
- Confirm identifying demographic details for accuracy.
- Follow all Indiana Code legal requirements.
- Support families with donation education, clarity and compassion.
Our role is always to honor each individual’s end-of-life decision and guide families through the process with dignity and respect.
For further information about Indiana state statutes and code related to donation registry and decisions, please visit Indiana Code §§ 29-2-16.1. et seq.
To learn more about the Indiana Donor Registry and how donor decisions are recorded, visit the Donate Life Indiana Website.
