§ 46.2-342. What license to contain; organ donor information; Uniform Donor Document
A. Every license issued under this chapter shall bear:
1. For licenses issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2003, a license number which shall be assigned by the Department to the licensee and shall not be the same as the licensee's social security number;
2. A color photograph of the licensee;
3. The licensee's full name, year, month, and date of birth;
4. The licensee's address, subject to the provisions of subsection A1 of this section;
5. A brief description of the licensee for the purpose of identification;
6. A space for the signature of the licensee; and
7. Any other information deemed necessary by the Commissioner for the administration of this title.
No abbreviated names or nicknames shall be shown on any license.
A1. At the option of the licensee, the address shown on the license may be either the post office box, business, or residence address of the licensee, provided such address is located in Virginia. However, regardless of which address is shown on the license, the licensee shall supply the Department with his residence address, which shall be an address in Virginia. This residence address shall be maintained in the Department's records. Whenever the licensee's address shown either on his license or in the Department's records changes, he shall notify the Department of such change as required by § 46.2-324.
B. The license shall be made of a material and in a form to be determined by the Commissioner.
C. Licenses issued to persons less than 21 years old shall be immediately and readily distinguishable from those issued to persons 21 years old or older. Distinguishing characteristics shall include unique design elements of the document and descriptors within the photograph area to identify persons who are at least 15 years old but less than 21 years old. These descriptors shall include the month, day, and year when the person will become 21 years old.
D. The Department shall establish a method by which an applicant for a driver's license or an identification card may designate his willingness to be an organ donor as provided in Article 2 (§ 32.1-289.2 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 32.1 and shall cooperate with the Virginia Transplant Council to ensure that such method is designed to encourage organ donation with a minimum of effort on the part of the donor and the Department.
E. If an applicant designates his willingness to be a donor pursuant to subsection D, the Department may make a notation of this designation on his license or card and shall make a notation of this designation in his driver record.
F. The donor designation authorized in subsection E shall be sufficient legal authority for the removal, following death, of the subject's organs or tissues without additional authority from the donor, or his family or estate. No family member, guardian, agent named pursuant to an advance directive or person responsible for the decedent's estate shall refuse to honor the donor designation or, in any way, seek to avoid honoring the donor designation.
G. The donor designation provided pursuant to subsection D may be rescinded by notifying the Department.
H. With the written consent of his parent or legal guardian, a minor may make a donor designation as authorized by the Revised Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (§ 32.1-291.1 et seq.).
I. When requested by the applicant, and upon presentation of a signed statement by a licensed physician confirming the applicant's condition, the Department shall indicate on the applicant's driver's license that the applicant is (i) an insulin-dependent diabetic, or (ii) hearing or speech impaired.
J. In the absence of gross negligence or willful misconduct, the Department and its employees shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability in connection with the making of or failure to make a notation of donor designation on any license or card or in any person's driver record.
K. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the Department shall continue to use the uniform donor document, as formerly set forth in subsection D above, for organ donation designation until such time as a new method is fully implemented, which shall be no later than July 1, 1994. Any such uniform donor document shall, when properly executed, remain valid and shall continue to be subject to all conditions for execution, delivery, amendment, and revocation as set out in Article 2 (§ 32.1-289.2 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 32.1.
L. The Department shall, in coordination with the Virginia Transplant Council, prepare an organ donor information brochure describing the organ donor program and providing instructions for completion of the uniform donor document information describing the bone marrow donation program and instructions for registration in the National Bone Marrow Registry. The Department shall include a copy of such brochure with every driver's license renewal notice or application mailed to licensed drivers in Virginia.
(Code 1950, § 46-370; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-375; 1962, c. 368; 1968, c. 642; 1972, c. 538; 1976, c. 57; 1979, c. 124; 1982, c. 180; 1983, c. 608; 1984, c. 780; 1989, cc. 139, 705, 727; 1990, c. 159; 1993, cc. 118, 986; 1995, cc. 350, 372; 1997, c. 486; 1998, c. 322; 1999, c. 330; 2000, c. 810; 2001, cc. 148, 157; 2002, cc. 135, 767, 834; 2003, cc. 306, 335; 2005, cc. 259, 828; 2007, cc. 92, 907; 2008, c. 82.)
Sections: Previous 46.2-341.28 46.2-341.29 46.2-341.30 46.2-341.31 46.2-341.32 46.2-341.33 46.2-341.34 46.2-342 46.2-343 46.2-344 46.2-345 46.2-346 46.2-347 46.2-348 46.2-349 NextLast modified: April 16, 2009