DMV News Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
April is Organ Donor Awareness Month
Donate Life Virginia Designs New License Plate
RICHMOND - In recognition of Organ Donation Awareness Month, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles reminds Virginians about the ways they can support Donate Life Virginia, the organization that works to increase the number of registered donors in the Commonwealth, maintains the Virginia Donor Registry, and promotes organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation.
Display special plates
A newly-designed license plate will be available for customers to purchase and display on their vehicles in June. The plates cost $10 annually in addition to the regular vehicle registration fee.
Become a donor
For 33 years, customers who visit DMV for a driver's license or ID card are asked if they wish to become organ donors. If the answer is yes, a heart appears on the face of their driver's license or identification card, which is the organ donor indicator. "What better way to tell the world about your organ donor status than on the credential you carry around with you at all times?" asked DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb. "Our customer service center employees take great pride in asking if customers would like to be organ donors because they know the results are so meaningful." Almost 60 percent of all driver's license and ID card holders in Virginia have designated their willingness to be a donor. The total number of Virginians who have said yes to organ donation tops 3.4 million.
Make a contribution
Customers conducting transactions through www.dmvNOW.com or DMV's automated phone service (1-888-337-4782) may make a voluntary contribution to Donate Life Virginia to help fund programs aimed at increasing organ, eye and tissue donations. Almost $340,000 was donated to Donate Life Virginia through DMV transactions in 2010.
