The State of Ohio & Organ Donation
Top 3 Donation Takeaways
- Only 1% of all deaths in the United States happen in a manner that provides an opportunity for donation to take place.
- Anyone can register to be an organ donor. At the age of 18, this decision is legally binding.
- More than 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant – approximately 3,000 of those waiting are Ohioans.
Pictured: Kelli McQuesten holds a picture of her husband, Matthew, who died while waiting for a lifesaving heart transplant in 2023.
A new way to register in 2025 - thanks to our State Legislature!
In August 2025, anyone registering for their hunting and fishing license in the State of Ohio can now register to become an organ donor!
Gov. Mike DeWine signed HB 256 into law in December of 2024. Thanks to the work of Rep. Kevin D. Miller and Rep. Rodney Creech as well as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, this will open access to the Ohio Donor Registry to a whole new group of people.
Abbi's Story
Abbi Carey became a hero of donation at age 15 and not only saved others, but was also a defining story in the passing of HB256.
Honoring Donation in 2024
While the need for registered donors is great, we do want to pause to thank the heroic donors who saved and healed lives last year in Lifeline of Ohio's service area.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Encourages Ohioans to Register
Donor parents Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine share this very special message encouraging all Ohioans to register their decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. Their daughter, Becky, was a tissue and cornea donor who healed many through her gifts of donation.
Items of Note About Donation
Donor Registration Rate by County
| ADAMS | 52.2% |
| ALLEN | 62.3% |
| ASHLAND | 67.1% |
| ASHTABULA | 60.9% |
| ATHENS | 62.0% |
| AUGLAIZE | 69.4% |
| BELMONT | 57.4% |
| BROWN | 58.9% |
| BUTLER | 61.0% |
| CARROLL | 57.6% |
| CHAMPAIGN | 67.0% |
| CLARK | 56.2% |
| CLERMONT | 67.3% |
| CLINTON | 61.2% |
| COLUMBIANA | 60.2% |
| COSHOCTON | 62.1% |
| CRAWFORD | 66.1% |
| CUYAHOGA | 50.8% |
| DARKE | 62.9% |
| DEFIANCE | 65.8% |
| DELAWARE | 69.2% |
| ERIE | 63.3% |
| FAIRFIELD | 63.8% |
| FAYETTE | 59.6% |
| FRANKLIN | 55.1% |
| FULTON | 67.0% |
| GALLIA | 54.4% |
| GEAUGA | 63.5% |
| GREENE | 65.1% |
| GUERNSEY | 60.5% |
| HAMILTON | 58.7% |
| HANCOCK | 66.7% |
| HARDIN | 64.3% |
| HARRISON | 54.5% |
| HENRY | 66.1% |
| HIGHLAND | 58.3% |
| HOCKING | 61.8% |
| HOLMES | 47.2% |
| HURON | 66.2% |
| JACKSON | 54.5% |
| JEFFERSON | 53.5% |
| KNOX | 67.9% |
| LAKE | 63.3% |
| LAWRENCE | 52.7% |
| LICKING | 67.8% |
| LOGAN | 68.5% |
| LORAIN | 61.5% |
| LUCAS | 57.3% |
| MADISON | 67.5% |
| MAHONING | 53.8% |
| MARION | 65.2% |
| MEDINA | 65.7% |
| MEIGS | 60.2% |
| MERCER | 71.3% |
| MIAMI | 66.6% |
| MONROE | 57.0% |
| MONTGOMERY | 58.4% |
| MORGAN | 60.9% |
| MORROW | 68.9% |
| MUSKINGUM | 67.0% |
| NOBLE | 59.2% |
| OTTAWA | 66.7% |
| PAULDING | 63.4% |
| PERRY | 63.5% |
| PICKAWAY | 65.4% |
| PIKE | 56.6% |
| PORTAGE | 62.3% |
| PREBLE | 64.6% |
| PUTNAM | 71.8% |
| RICHLAND | 63.4% |
| ROSS | 62.1% |
| SANDUSKY | 65.8% |
| SCIOTO | 52.8% |
| SENECA | 67.7% |
| SHELBY | 65.1% |
| STARK | 61.1% |
| SUMMIT | 58.4% |
| TRUMBULL | 54.4% |
| TUSCARAWAS | 60.1% |
| UNION | 69.9% |
| VAN WERT | 67.1% |
| VINTON | 55.8% |
| WARREN | 65.7% |
| WASHINGTON | 62.5% |
| WAYNE | 61.2% |
| WILLIAMS | 67.1% |
| WOOD | 68.7% |
| WYANDOT | 65.7% |
Fact Sheet, Stats and Service Area
- Lifeline of Ohio service area map
- The national transplant waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant is rising at an alarming rate, with more than 100,000 people currently on the list.
- In Ohio, approximately 3,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, and hundreds more await tissue and corneal transplants.
- Approximately 17 times each day, an individual dies for lack of an available organ. Once every 48 hours, an Ohioan dies waiting.
- Last year, 48,137 organ transplants were performed in the United States. And more than 2.5 million tissue transplants were performed.
How Does An Ohioan Register As A Donor?
Ohioans may declare their decision to become a donor by registering at the BMV or online.
The Ohio Donor Registry is an individual’s first-person authorization to donate the gift of life at the time of their death, if possible, through organ, eye and tissue donation.
Lifeline of Ohio encourages everyone to talk to their loved ones about their donation decision. When the next-of-kin knows their loved one’s decision at the time of death, it is one of the most helpful steps a grieving family can take to deal with its loss.
Who is Lifeline of Ohio?
Founded in 1984, Lifeline of Ohio is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes and coordinates the donation of human organs and tissue for transplantation. Lifeline of Ohio serves 97 hospitals and facilities in 38 counties in Ohio and two in West Virginia and is designated as an organ procurement organization through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.