What This Statute Says
Section 36-858 establishes the Arizona donor registry and its core operating rules.
A. An organ procurement organization shall establish a donor registry in this state.
B. The motor vehicle division of the department of transportation shall cooperate with the organ procurement organization that administers a donor registry to transfer to the donor registry all relevant information regarding a donor's making of an anatomical gift.
C. A donor registry must:
1. Allow a donor or other person authorized pursuant to section 36-843 to include on the donor registry a statement or symbol that the anatomical gift was made by the donor.
2. Be accessible to a procurement organization to allow it to obtain relevant information on the donor registry to determine, at or near death of the donor or a prospective donor, whether the donor or prospective donor has made an anatomical gift.
3. Be accessible seven days a week on a twenty-four hour basis for purposes of paragraphs 1 and 2.
D. Personally identifiable information on a donor registry about a donor or prospective donor may not be used or disclosed without the express consent of the donor, prospective donor or person who made the anatomical gift for any purpose other than to determine, at or near death of the donor or prospective donor, if the donor or prospective donor has made, amended or revoked an anatomical gift.
Subsection E preserves the ability of any other person to maintain a separate donor registry not run by the state, provided it follows the same access and confidentiality standards.
When This Statute Comes Into Play
The donor registry is the central place where donor designations live. When you check the donor box at the MVD, the information flows through this statute's transfer mechanism into the registry. When a procurement organization needs to know your status, they search the registry. Privacy rules prevent the registry from being used for marketing, research, or any other purpose without consent.
What This Means for Arizona Families
The registry is the single most reliable record of your donation wishes. It is searchable 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is the first thing a procurement organization checks when a potential donor is identified. And it is privacy-protected, so your status cannot be disclosed for any purpose other than evaluating donation.
If you want to make sure your wishes are honored, registry registration is the most accessible step. You can register at the MVD when getting or renewing a license, or directly through the registry's website (DonateLifeAZ.org). Our FAQ on making organ-donation wishes legally binding covers the registry mechanics. The registry record is independent of your healthcare directive, but the two together provide layered certainty.