How Do You Choose a Whole Body Donation Program in Arizona?

The short answer: Choose a program you can verify and one that answers your questions in writing. In Arizona that means four checks. First, confirm the program is licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services, or find out why it is exempt. Second, ask which accreditation or oversight it has and when that expires. Third, read the consent form to see how the body may be used and where it may go. Fourth, get a written list of what is paid for and when the cremated remains come back. Then pick the type of program that fits your family’s timeline.

This guide is for anyone planning ahead and for families who have to decide quickly. It covers the two kinds of programs in Arizona, what state law requires, what changed with accreditation in 2026, and the questions worth asking every program, including ours.

Two kinds of programs in Arizona

Arizona residents usually choose between two types of whole body donation programs.

University willed-body programs are run by medical schools. Donors are mainly used to teach anatomy to that school’s students. Non-transplant anatomical donation organizations (NADOs) are independent organizations. They accept donors and match them with medical education, surgical training and research programs, often at several institutions.

Neither type is right for everyone. The practical differences show up in who can consent, how long the process takes and what comes back to the family. Here is how one program of each type describes those points in its own published FAQ:

Question	University of Arizona Willed Body Program	SWIBA (Tucson NADO)
Must the donor enroll before death?	Yes, donors must be enrolled and active in the program’s database	No, the legal next of kin can consent after death, though pre-registering is encouraged
Where must death occur?	Within Arizona	Transportation is paid within Arizona; ask about deaths elsewhere
How long before cremation?	Up to two years	Donors are usually in SWIBA’s care for a few days
Are cremated remains returned?	Scattered by the university unless the family requests them at the time of death	Returned to the next of kin at no charge, usually within a few weeks
Costs to the family	Transportation usually covered; any funeral home services are the family’s cost	No cost for the program; a custom urn or memorial service is not included

Sources: the University of Arizona Willed Body Program FAQ and the SWIBA FAQ, both checked in September 2026. Policies change, so confirm the details with each program.

If a fast return of cremated remains or donation without pre-registration matters to your family, you can read more about how SWIBA’s whole body donation program works. If you want your gift to stay with one medical school’s anatomy course, a university program may suit you better.

Check the license and the oversight

Arizona does not let just anyone run a donation organization. Under Arizona law A.R.S. § 36-851.01, a procurement organization must be licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). The license must be renewed every two years. Some organizations are exempt, including programs affiliated with accredited medical schools or licensed hospitals. That is why a university program may not hold the same license.

State rules add day-to-day requirements. The Arizona Administrative Code rule R9-9A-201 requires licensed organizations to:

• Give each donor a unique identification number and track every specimen from intake to final disposition
• Keep consent records for at least 10 years after final disposition
• Screen written requests from the institutions that receive specimens, including how the specimens will be used
• Include a statement in the consent form that specimens may be exported internationally

What to ask: “Are you licensed by ADHS as a procurement organization, or are you exempt? When does your license expire?” A program based in another state that serves Arizona families should be able to answer the same question.

What accreditation means after 2026

For years, accreditation from the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) was the main independent benchmark for NADOs. That changed in 2026. In a May 2026 AATB announcement, the association said NADOs are no longer eligible for AATB accreditation or membership. Accreditations that were already active stay valid until their listed expiration dates. Those dates fall between September 2026 and December 2027, and organizations could ask for an extension to December 31, 2028.

So “accredited” on a website is now only part of the answer. Ask any program:

• Which organization accredited you, and when does that accreditation expire?
• Which written standards will you follow after it expires?
• Who inspects you, and how often? (The ADHS license is the oversight that continues either way.)

Questions to get answered in writing

A good program will answer these clearly, and ideally in writing, before anyone signs. SWIBA publishes its own answers to most of them in SWIBA’s body donation FAQ.

1. Who can authorize the donation? Can my next of kin consent if I have not pre-registered?
2. What could lead you to decline? Ask about weight, infectious disease, autopsy and the condition of the body. Our guide on what can disqualify a body donation covers the common reasons. Also ask what happens if a donation is declined at the time of death.
3. How will the body be used? Medical education, surgical training, device development and research are all common uses. Ask whether the body may be divided among several programs.
4. Where can specimens go? Only Arizona, other states, or other countries?
5. Can I choose the institution or the type of research? Many programs, including SWIBA, cannot guarantee a specific placement. It is better to know that up front.
6. How is my identity protected? Ask whether donors are tracked by a number instead of a name.
7. What exactly is paid for, and what is not?
8. When will cremated remains be returned, and how much? Specimens that go to other programs are often not returned. That means the family may receive fewer cremated remains than after a standard cremation.
9. How is the program funded? Is it nonprofit or for-profit? SWIBA, for example, states that it is a for-profit, self-funded organization. The universities, agencies and companies that receive specimens pay SWIBA for this service. Tax status alone does not tell you how a program treats donors. Clear disclosure does.
10. Can my family learn afterward how the gift was used?
11. How do I cancel my enrollment if I change my mind?

Costs: what “free” should include

Most whole body donation programs in Arizona say they are free to the family. That can still mean different things. Ask for the list. A complete no-cost program typically covers:

• Transportation of the donor, plus any mileage or area limits
• Filing the death certificate and permits
• Cremation after the donation
• Returning the cremated remains to the family

Ask separately about extra certified copies of the death certificate, an urn, an obituary and a memorial service. At SWIBA, cremation, transportation within Arizona, paperwork and shipping of cremated remains are covered. A custom urn and a memorial service are not. For a side-by-side look at what families usually pay otherwise, see our breakdown of body donation vs. burial and cremation costs in Arizona.

Red flags when comparing programs

Be cautious if a program:

• Can’t tell you whether it holds an ADHS license, or why it is exempt
• Offers only spoken promises and won’t share its consent form before you sign
• Uses a consent form that says nothing about how the body may be used, divided or shipped
• Claims accreditation but can’t give an expiration date or name the organization
• Is vague about when, and whether, cremated remains come back
• Pressures you to sign quickly. It’s also fair to ask whether the hospital, facility or funeral home that referred you is paid for the referral.

If you are deciding at the time of death

When a loved one is on hospice or has just died, there is little time to compare. Call the program first. Programs usually need basic medical information quickly to decide on acceptance. Have the legal next of kin available, because they give consent when no pre-registration exists. SWIBA answers calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. An autopsy does not automatically rule out donation to SWIBA; each case is evaluated individually.

Ask what happens if the donation is declined, and keep a funeral home or cremation provider’s number as a backup. Pre-registering now takes most of this pressure off your family later.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pre-register to donate my body to science in Arizona?

It depends on the program. The University of Arizona program only accepts donors who enrolled before death. SWIBA can accept consent from the legal next of kin after death, but still encourages people to pre-register and get their questions answered first.

Is a nonprofit body donation program better than a for-profit one?

Not automatically. Both nonprofit and for-profit programs supply medical education and research. What protects donors is a state license, a clear consent form, tracking of every specimen and honest answers about use, costs and cremated remains.

Will my family get all of the ashes back?

Usually not all of them. Specimens used by medical programs are often cremated separately and not returned. SWIBA’s FAQ says families receive fewer cremated remains than after a traditional cremation.

Can we still have a funeral?

Yes, with limits. An open-casket viewing is usually not possible after whole body donation. Families can hold a memorial service at any time or wait for the cremated remains. Talk with your family about these choices ahead of time.

Talk to SWIBA

If you are comparing programs, we are glad to answer every question above for our own program. Call SWIBA any time at 1 (800) 723-3031, read our answers on the FAQ page, or enroll with SWIBA when you are ready.