To remove the organ donor designation from your Texas driver’s license, you have to do two things: withdraw from the Donate Life Texas registry, and then order a replacement license printed without the heart symbol. The registry is the legally binding record, so updating only your card is not enough. A replacement license costs $11 and arrives by mail in about two to three weeks.
The Registry Is What Actually Controls
This is the part most people get wrong. Texas treats the Donate Life Texas registry and the heart symbol on your license as two separate records. When you answer “no” to the donor question at DPS, your new card prints without the heart. That alone does not change your status in the donor registry. Donate Life Texas is explicit that the heart symbol is not confirmation of registration status, and the most recent action on your registry record is what takes precedence.
The practical consequence: if you skip the registry step, you can walk around with a clean-looking license while still being legally registered as a donor. Handle both steps and your intent is clear in every record that matters.
Withdraw From the Donate Life Texas Registry
The Donate Life Texas registry is the official database that records donor status under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 692A. For anyone 18 or older, the registry entry is what gives legal authorization for donation, so this is the step with real weight.
Go to the Donate Life Texas website and open the withdrawal page. Log in to your profile with the credentials you set up when you registered, or that were created for you when you said “yes” at a DPS office. Once you’re in, you can remove your name from the registry entirely or adjust your donation preferences. If you can’t find your login or would rather not use the website, Donate Life Texas directs you to contact the organ procurement organization in your area during business hours for help.
Removing your name withdraws the legal authorization for donation. Nothing else you do afterward matters as much as this step.
Order a Replacement License Without the Heart
Once the registry is updated, request a replacement card so your license matches your decision.
What You Need
To apply online you’ll need your driver’s license number, date of birth, the last four digits of your Social Security number, and the audit number from your most recently issued card. The audit number is the long string of digits printed near the bottom or side of the license. If you go in person, bring your current license for verification.
Online or In Person
You can use the DPS online portal if your current license is not expired. Expired cards cannot be replaced online, so an expired license means a trip to a DPS driver license office. Appointments are strongly recommended; walk-in waits can be long.
Whichever route you take, answer “no” to the organ donor question during the transaction. That tells DPS to print the replacement without the heart symbol.
Fee and Delivery
The replacement fee is $11, which includes a $1 administrative fee. Your current expiration date carries over to the new card. You’ll receive a temporary paper license immediately, and the permanent card arrives by mail in about two to three weeks.
Doing It at Renewal Instead
If your license is close to expiring, wait and handle the card change at renewal. DPS asks about the donor registry during every renewal, and answering “no” prints your new card without the heart symbol at no extra cost. The registry step is still on you. Answering “no” at renewal does not automatically remove you from Donate Life Texas, so log in and withdraw separately.
Your Legal Right to Revoke
Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 692A, which adopted the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, lets donors amend or revoke an anatomical gift at any time before death. Section 692A.006 governs this right, and your most recent documented decision controls.
One detail worth knowing: once you’re 18 or older and registered, your donor decision cannot be changed by another person. While you’re alive, no one can sign you up or take you off without your consent. After death, family members cannot override a valid registration. That is precisely why the registry step matters. If you tell your family you’ve changed your mind but leave the registry intact, the registry wins.