Donor registries legally document an individual’s decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. The Donate Life Colorado and Donate Life Wyoming Donor Registries are centralized, confidential databases listing every Colorado and Wyoming resident who has made the decision to donate eligible organs and/or tissues at the time of his or her death. They are maintained by Donor Alliance per state statutes.

Donor registries in Colorado and Wyoming, and in all 50 states, are:

• Opt-in: Individuals declare explicit designation and take a concrete action to declare they want to join the donor registry.
• Advanced directives establishing first-person authorization, much like a will:
  • Adult individuals have the right to make a legally-binding anatomical gift prior to death
  • Next-of-kin authorization is not required if the individual designated his or her choice to be a donor ahead of time
• Confidential: Information may only be utilized to determine an individual’s donor designation status and may not be sold or shared with any organization not directly involved in the donation process
• Applicable regardless of the type of death declaration

The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA) is a proposed state law drafted by the Uniform Law Commission (ULC) and approved by its sponsor, the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) providing legal authority for organ, eye and tissue donation. The most recent version of the UAGA (2006) was signed into law in Colorado in 2007 and Wyoming in 2009. The UAGA defines a gift as a voluntary and legally binding uncompensated transfer and allows individuals to make an anatomical gift to be effective after death by use of a document of gift. The UAGA establishes donor registries as a valid document of gift.

Residents can register their decision to be organ, eye and tissue donors at the time of their deaths by saying ‘Yes’ when they obtain or renew a driver license or state ID, or at www.DonateLifeColorado.org or www.DonateLifeWyoming.org anytime. When Colorado residents register as organ, eye and tissue donors, their registration remains in effect until they revoke it.