Refusal to make anatomical gift; effect of refusal · California
California: how to refuse organ donation
If you came here to get off the registry
Is removing the donor designation enough in California?
Taking your name off the organ donor registry is a revocation. So is removing the designation from your driver’s license. Under Cal. Health & Safety Code § 7150.35, California law treats a revocation and a refusal as two different things, and only the refusal settles it.
A revocation withdraws the gift you made. It does not stop anyone else from making the gift for you. Only a refusal does that, and Cal. Health & Safety Code § 7150.30 is the section that says so. It has to be signed.
Both provisions are quoted in full below, from California’s own code.
What California asks
What you need to make a refusal in California
- Act
- 2006 revision
- Enforcement
- An unrevoked refusal bars all other persons from making the gift.
- Signing it yourself
- No witnesses required by the statute.
- If someone signs at your direction
- Two adults. At least one of the two must be a disinterested witness; the other may be anyone, including a family member.
- Notary
- Not required.
- California law
- Cal. Health & Safety Code §§ 7150.30, 7150.35
- Statute read
- 2026-09-02
Refusal to make anatomical gift; effect of refusal · Preclusive effect of anatomical gift, amendment, or revocation
The statute itself
Quoted from California’s enacted code, in full and unedited.
How a refusal is made (a)
An individual may refuse to make an anatomical gift of the individual's body or part by any of the following: (1) A record signed by either of the following: (A) The individual. (B) Subject to subdivision (b), another individual acting at the direction of the individual if the individual is physically unable to sign. (2) The individual's will, whether or not the will is admitted to probate or invalidated after the individual's death. (3) Any form of communication made by the individual during the individual's terminal illness or injury addressed to at least two adults, at least one of whom is a disinterested witness. The witnesses shall memorialize this communication in a writing and sign and date the writing.
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 7150.30
How it must be witnessed (b)
A record signed pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) shall comply with both of the following: (1) It shall be witnessed by at least two adults, at least one of whom is a disinterested witness, who have signed at the request of the individual. (2) It shall state that it has been signed and witnessed as provided in paragraph (1).
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 7150.30
What an unrevoked refusal does (d)
Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (h) of Section 7150.35, in the absence of an express, contrary indication by the individual set forth in the refusal, an individual's unrevoked refusal to make an anatomical gift of the individual's body or part bars all other persons from making an anatomical gift of the individual's body or part.
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 7150.30
A revocation is not a refusal (b)
A donor's revocation of an anatomical gift of the donor's body or part under Section 7150.25 is not a refusal and does not bar another person specified in Section 7150.15 or 7150.40 from making an anatomical gift of the donor's body or part under Section 7150.20 or 7150.45.
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 7150.35