HARRISBURG – April is “National Donate Life Month,” and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reminds driver’s license or identification card holders they can register online to become organ donors via its driver and vehicle services Web site.
“In the past, most citizens waited until their driver’s license or identification card was due for renewal, which is every four years, before they considered adding the organ donor designation,” said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E. “With the online service, in a mere 90 seconds, individuals can say ‘yes’ to organ donation and have the potential to save or enhance many lives.”
To add the organ donor designation to a driver’s license or identification card online, visit www.dmv.state.pa.us and select the Online Services link, which provides the option to add the organ donor designation. Once the organ donor designation is added, individuals will receive a confirmation card, which must be carried with them until the time of their driver’s license or identification card renewal.
Currently, 44 percent of driver’s license and identification card holders are registered organ donors – more than 4 million Pennsylvanians. More than 1,400 individuals have used the online service to add the organ donor designation since its inception in 2006.
Driver’s license and identification card holders, as well as registered vehicle owners, can also support organ donation programs by donating $1 to the Robert P. Casey Memorial Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Trust Fund at the time of application and/or renewal. Proceeds from the fund are used to educate the public about organ donation programs and processes through non-profit organizations like the Center for Organ Recovery and Education and Gift of Life. Since 1995, Pennsylvanians have generously donated more than $6 million to the fund.
For more information on organ donation in Pennsylvania, visit here.