DMV allows blood types on I.D. cards

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles will allow Virginia residents to put their blood type on I.D. cards like child identification cards and Driver’s Licenses.

VA DMV will add a new line to applications for licenses as well as renewals. People in the commonwealth will have a new, optional symbol on their I.D.’s. Blood types will show up near the organ donor symbol on a license, and if opted out, will not show up at all.

Ava Adenauer, communications consultant for VA DMV, said this change should help save precious seconds for someone in a life-threatening situation.

“In an emergency situation, every second truly does count,” Adenauer said. “We’re hoping that first responders can read their blood type on their ID card and provide a blood transfusion faster and help the endangered person.”

Dr. Diana Padgett, pathologist with Sentara RMH, said this will bring awareness to the need for blood in the community.

“People will be more aware of what they’re blood type is and can donate and may need to use blood at sometime,” Padgett said.

Padgett said the summer months and the winter holiday season are when blood is needed the most, and there is the smallest supply.

“We’re critically low on blood products and that happens particularly in the summer time and winter holidays because even though we have a large eligible donor population, a lot of people don’t donate blood,” Padgett said.

Padgett said the idea of putting blood types on I.D.’s is great, but they cannot use that to determine what blood type someone is.

“If you are an O patient and I give you A blood, I can literally cause serious harm to you,” Padgett said. “Even if you come in with a different blood type on your driver’s license, I will be giving you type O blood until I can confirm by retesting you right then and there, what your blood type is.”

Padgett said the wrong type of blood can seriously harm or kill someone and Sentara will not take that risk. She said that even with the shortage of blood, patients coming in for emergency care will always be treated with type O blood before they switch to a different kind. She also said knowing your own blood type can save your life.

“If you know for instance that your blood type is O and your in some kind of setting that you might be exposed to something that’s not O, you can be your own best advocate and say ‘this is my understanding, my blood type is this, why are you giving me something else,’” Padgett said.

Padgett said knowing your blood type may incentivize people to donate blood, especially type B or type O blood.

Copyright 2023 WHSV. All rights reserved.