How to Donate Your Body to Science: Step-by-Step Guide

To donate your body to science in the US, you register with a program in advance, sign its consent form, tell your family, and make sure someone calls the program right after you die. Once a donation is accepted, programs such as Science Care cover transport, cremation and return of ashes, but acceptance is decided at the time of death. A funeral with the body present is not possible.

This guide walks through the steps in order, then answers the questions families ask most.

What does donating your body to science involve?

Whole-body donation, also called anatomical donation, gives your body to a program that uses it for medical education, surgical training or research. It is separate from organ donation for transplant. Science Care puts the difference simply: organ donation is live transplant to a living person, and donating your body is a non-transplant option that supports medical research.

Before you start, know two trade-offs. First, cremation is always the final disposition, so there is no open casket or burial of the body. Second, you cannot be sure the program will accept you, because that decision is made at the time of death.

Step 1: Choose a program

There are two main kinds: university programs and private non-transplant anatomical donation organizations. Some are for-profit. Science Care describes itself as a for-profit business that is reimbursed by clients for donation-related services, while donors pay nothing once accepted. Our guide to body donation programs compares them in detail.

Checks worth making before you register:

• Accreditation. Science Care says it was the first donate-your-body program accredited by the Association for Advancing Tissue and Biologics (AATB). Anatomy Gifts Registry says it is AATB accredited and licensed by the New York Department of Health.
• Availability. State laws affect what programs can do. Science Care says it does not operate in Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota or Oklahoma.
• Oversight. The American Association for Anatomy recommends informed consent, transparent operating practices, custody tracking and an oversight committee. No federal agency licenses these programs, and a 2026 review describes a lack of minimum legal standards.

Step 2: Read the consent form, then register

The legal paper you sign is often called a document of gift. Read it before you sign. A 2023 study of 93 documents of gift from US academic programs found substantial variation in what they disclosed, and its authors recommended minimum standards for informed consent.

Look for what happens to your remains, whether the program shares or transfers bodies, fees, and whether you can limit uses. Science Care says it cannot honor directed donations.

When you register, Science Care sends a welcome letter by email and identification cards for loved ones to use after your death. Anatomy Gifts Registry offers a "Pledge Yourself" option on its website.

Step 3: Update your will or advance directive

Science Care suggests a statement authorizing your agent to approve body donation to science without restrictions, preferably with the program you chose, and authorizing cremation as the final disposition. Ask an attorney to word it for your state. Do not rely on a will alone, since it is often read days or weeks after death.

Also carry the card the program gives you, and keep copies with your important papers.

Step 4: Tell your family, doctor and agent

Tell the people who will act: your spouse or partner, adult children, health care agent and executor. Anatomy Gifts Registry says it is very important to let your family know not to call a funeral home.

State law generally supports a donor's written wishes. In Florida, for example, a gift the donor made and did not revoke is irrevocable after death. Other states differ, and a program may still decline a gift. One talk now spares your family a difficult decision later.

If you are in hospice or palliative care, or have a terminal diagnosis, Science Care's HOPE program lets you be screened in advance.

Step 5: What happens at the time of death

Whoever is with you should call the program at once, not a funeral home. Science Care says a loved one or care provider should call its number immediately. Ask each program for its 24-hour number and keep it on the card.

Typical order of events:

1. The program is called and screens the donation.
2. If it accepts, it arranges transport from the place of death.
3. Its staff handle the death certificate filing, in Science Care's case.
4. The family arranges a memorial, if they want one.

Your family will still want certified copies of the death certificate for the estate, bank accounts and insurance. Fees vary by state.

Step 6: What happens to the body and ashes

How long a program uses a body and when ashes come back varies. Anatomy Gifts Registry says it returns ashes to families within 4 to 6 weeks. Science Care does not publish a timeline. Timelines can be much longer at some programs, so ask for the timeline in writing. Our guides on what happens to donated bodies and returning cremains after body donation cover this stage.

How is a donated body used?

Uses vary by program. Science Care says its clients include pharmaceutical companies, medical device makers, educational institutions and healthcare organizations. Anatomy Gifts Registry lists anatomy education, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research, surgical training, medical device development and emergency responder training. Science Care says it tries to place donors with multiple research and training programs, and does not take requests for a specific study.

Who can and cannot donate?

Most adults can register. Science Care says donors must be 18 or older, has no upper age limit, and its oldest donor was 113. See body donation age limits.

What tends to prevent acceptance:

• Infectious disease. A 2026 paper says HIV and viral hepatitis are the most common exclusions, cited by more than 80% of US programs.
• Body size. Of 127 US programs reviewed in 2026, 90.6% set weight criteria, most commonly a BMI of 30.
• Body condition. Science Care lists the condition of the body as a reason it may decline.
• Other issues. Science Care also lists consent problems, location, legal issues and an inability to place the donation.

Our guide to body donation rejection reasons goes deeper.

Can you be an organ donor and a body donor?

Sometimes. Anatomy Gifts Registry says it regularly accepts whole-body donors after they have given gifts for transplant. Science Care says a registered organ donor can also donate their body. Policies differ between programs, so confirm with yours before you rely on it. Our comparison of body donation and organ donation explains more.

What does it cost, and what about the funeral?

The family pays nothing for accepted donations at Science Care, which covers transportation, cremation, return of ashes and filing the death certificate. Anatomy Gifts Registry charges a small shipping and handling fee only if ashes are mailed. Ask any program what its no-cost offer includes and what your family might pay. For comparison, see average funeral costs.

You can hold a memorial without the body. Many families do it with photos, music and readings, with or without the ashes, as Science Care notes. Our guide to memorial service planning can help.

Plan B if the donation is declined

If the program says no, your family needs a funeral home within a short time. Decide ahead of time who you would call and what you want, such as direct cremation. Put it in writing next to your registration.

What to do next

1. Shortlist two programs and ask about accreditation, cost, exclusions and ash return.
2. Register with one, and sign only after reading the consent form.
3. Add a line to your will or directive, and give your family the program's number.
4. Write a Plan B and tell whoever would carry it out.