Persons who may make — manner of making — amending or revoking — refusal to make anatomical gift before donor's death — preclusive effect (subsection 4, "Refusal to make") · Iowa
Iowa: how to refuse organ donation
If you came here to get off the registry
Is removing the donor designation enough in Iowa?
Taking your name off the organ donor registry is a revocation. So is removing the designation from your driver’s license. Under Iowa Code § 142C.3(5), Iowa 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 Iowa Code § 142C.3(4) is the section that says so. It has to be signed.
Both provisions are quoted in full below, from Iowa’s own code.
What Iowa asks
What you need to make a refusal in Iowa
- 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.
- Iowa law
- Iowa Code § 142C.3(4), (5)
- Statute read
- 2026-09-02
Persons who may make — manner of making — amending or revoking — refusal to make anatomical gift before donor's death — preclusive effect (subsection 4, "Refusal to make") · Preclusive effect (subsection 5)
The statute itself
Quoted from Iowa’s enacted code, in full and unedited.
How a refusal is made (4.a)
An individual may refuse to make an anatomical gift of the individual's body or part by any of the following means: (1) A record signed by any of the following: (a) The individual. (b) Subject to paragraph "b", another individual acting at the direction of the individual if the individual is physically unable to sign the record. (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.
Iowa Code § 142C.3(4)
How it must be witnessed (b)
A record signed pursuant to paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (b), shall comply with all of the following: (1) 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) State that the record has been signed and witnessed as provided in subparagraph (1).
Iowa Code § 142C.3(4)
What an unrevoked refusal does (4.d)
Except as otherwise provided in subsection 5, paragraph "h", 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 prohibits all other persons from making an anatomical gift of the individual's body or part.
Iowa Code § 142C.3(4)
A revocation is not a refusal (5.b)
Donor revocation not a refusal. A donor's revocation of an anatomical gift of the donor's body or part under subsection 3 is not a refusal and does not prohibit another person specified in subsection 1 or section 142C.4 from making an anatomical gift of the donor's body or part under subsection 2 or section 142C.4.
Iowa Code § 142C.3(5)