There is no age limit for organ donation. People of all ages, from newborns to those in their 90s, can be organ donors. No major transplant network in the United States sets a maximum age cutoff. What matters is the condition of your organs at the time of death, not how old you are.
Why Age Doesn’t Disqualify You
The decision about whether your organs are suitable for transplant happens after death, when doctors evaluate the actual health and function of each organ individually. A 75-year-old with healthy kidneys is a better candidate than a 40-year-old whose kidneys have been damaged by disease. This case-by-case approach means that registering as a donor is always worthwhile regardless of your age.
The oldest organ donor in U.S. history was Cecil, a 95-year-old West Virginia coal miner who died in May 2021. His liver saved the life of a woman in her mid-60s, and his tissue and skin donations helped more than 20 additional people. His case is a striking example, but older donors contribute regularly. Doctors simply assess each organ on its own merits.
How Organs From Older Donors Perform
One common concern is whether organs from older donors work as well. For kidneys, the evidence is reassuring. A large study of over 1,300 kidney transplant recipients compared outcomes from old, older, and very old deceased donors. Patient survival at one year was about 91%, and the transplanted kidneys themselves survived at roughly 86% five years out, with no significant difference across donor age groups. Statistical analysis found no meaningful link between donor age and how long the transplanted kidney lasted.
That said, some organs are more sensitive to aging than others. Hearts and lungs tend to decline in function earlier than kidneys or livers, so transplant teams are more selective with those organs from older donors. But “more selective” is not the same as a hard cutoff. If the organ is healthy enough, it can be used.
Children and Infant Donors
There is no minimum age for deceased donation either. In 2025, more than 770 children became organ donors in the U.S., ranging from newborns to age 17. Body and organ size play a major role in matching pediatric donors with recipients. Very small children often receive organs from other children because of sizing, though older children and adults can sometimes match as well. In certain cases, a child receives part of an organ, such as a portion of a liver or lung, from a larger donor.
Living Donation Has Different Rules
Living donation, where a healthy person donates a kidney or part of their liver while alive, does have age requirements on the young end. You must be at least 18 years old to be a living donor, and some transplant centers set the minimum at 21 or slightly older. There is no official upper age limit for living donors either, but transplant centers evaluate older living donor candidates more carefully to ensure the donation won’t put their own health at risk.
What Actually Determines Donor Eligibility
Since age alone doesn’t rule you out, what does matter? Transplant teams look at several factors after a potential donor dies:
- Organ function: How well each individual organ is working at the time of death, measured through medical tests.
- Medical history: Conditions like uncontrolled diabetes, widespread cancer, or certain infections can affect specific organs but may not rule out donating others.
- Cause of death: Some causes of death affect certain organs more than others.
- Size matching: Especially important for hearts, lungs, and pediatric recipients.
Even people with chronic health conditions are often surprised to learn they can still donate. A person with heart disease might not be able to donate their heart but could donate kidneys, corneas, or tissue. The evaluation is organ by organ, not all or nothing.
How to Register Regardless of Age
Because there is no age limit to signing up, anyone can register as an organ donor through their state’s donor registry or when renewing a driver’s license. If you’re older and assumed you were “too old,” that assumption is incorrect. Registering simply means you’re giving permission for doctors to evaluate your organs when the time comes. They make the final call about what can be used. The worst that happens is nothing qualifies, but the potential upside is saving multiple lives.