Becoming a Body Donor

Body donation for education is a personal decision that reflects your desire to advance medical knowledge. Other reasons for donating your body to science are altruism, a specific wish to further medical education or to give back to your alma mater. Be sure to visit our FAQs page for answers to some of the most common questions about body donation.

Please note: All donors must be enrolled and active in our database prior to death. Please read through the enrollment packet carefully.


Please note that the University will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th. If you need immediate assistance, please call the pager at 520-694-6000 and ask for the Willed Body Program.


To enroll in the Willed Body Program, you must complete and mail in the enrollment forms. You can request the forms be mailed to you by calling our office at 520-626-6083, email the office at WilledBody@arizona.edu (please include your mailing address in the email), or you can download the forms using these instructions:

  1. Install the latest Adobe Acrobat Reader software on your computer if you do not already have it. This software is free, and can be downloaded by clicking this link.

  2. Click here to download and open the Body Donation Enrollment Application form PDF You can either fill-in the form on your computer, or print the PDF and complete the form by hand. Some browsers do not support fillable forms. If your browser does not allow you to fill-in the form from within the browser window, you can switch to a browser that does (the most current versions of Google Chrome and Internet Explorer support fillable forms), or save the form to your computer and open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

  3. When filling-in the Enrollment Application form, make sure to sign the Authorization for Anatomical Donation (form 3 of the application). This signature must be in ink. No pencil or electronic signatures will be accepted. The signature must also be witnessed by two other people. One witness can be a relative, the other must be a disinterested witness, meaning someone who is not related. Please note that any incomplete paperwork will be returned, delaying the processing and receipt of your donor card.

  4. Make copies of the form to keep for yourself, and give to your family and your physician.

  5. Mail the original, signed forms to: Willed Body Program PO Box 245045 Tucson, AZ 85724-5045

    Once your enrollment packet is reviewed, you will receive a Body Donor Card indicating your arrangements to donate your body for medical education and training. Please carry it with you, as it lists the phone number to call in the event of your death. Please allow four weeks for processing and receipt of your donor card. Possession of a Body Donor Card does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Please see our FAQ for more information.