A DNR (do not resuscitate) order is a medical order that tells health care workers not to start CPR if your heart stops or you stop breathing. A physician or another clinician your state authorizes signs it, with the consent of the patient or their legal representative. Use this page to create or download a free DNR form, then check whether your state requires its own official version.
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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A DNR order form records a medical order that tells health care workers not to attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if your heart stops beating or you stop breathing. It is also called a do not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) order. Some states call it a "No CPR" order.
CPR is a group of emergency measures. A DNR order tells the care team not to use these measures:
A DNR order covers resuscitation only. Pain relief, comfort care and other treatment can continue. A separate do not intubate (DNI) order covers the breathing tube on its own, so the two are not the same document.
A DNR order has to exist on paper to be followed. A tattoo or a spoken wish is not a DNR order. Some states issue an official bracelet or necklace with the order, and responders in those states may accept it as proof. In some places a physician can also give emergency crews an oral order.
A hospital DNR order is written in your chart and guides the staff who care for you there. For home care and emergency crews, states use an out-of-hospital form that you keep with you. Many states prescribe their own version, so check your state's page before you rely on the general form below.
A DNR order answers one question: should the care team start CPR? Other end-of-life documents answer wider questions, and they often work together. This section compares a DNR order with a living will, an advance directive, full code status and a POLST-type form.
A DNR order and a living will are different documents. A DNR order is a medical order about CPR. A living will is your written statement of the treatment you want or refuse when you cannot speak for yourself. People often sign them together.
A living will has a much wider scope than CPR. It may cover:
An advance directive, or advance health care directive, is an umbrella term for documents that state your health care wishes or name someone to decide for you. A DNR order, a living will and a durable medical power of attorney can all be part of it.
These documents are meant to guide your care when you can no longer consent or communicate. A durable power of attorney stays in effect if you lose that ability, which is why it is usually grouped with advance directives.
Full code is the default. If there is no DNR order, your status in the emergency room is full code. The emergency team will try any measure needed to bring you back, from chest compressions to a breathing tube.
With a DNR order in place, your status is "no code." The team will not start CPR and will focus on comfort and natural death.
POLST stands for Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. The name varies by state and may be POLST, MOLST, POST or MOST. It is a medical order form that is generally meant for people with a serious illness or frailty.
A POLST-type form records choices about CPR and also about other life-sustaining treatment. It complements an advance directive. A DNR order covers CPR only.
A DNR order is a personal medical decision, so talk it over with your physician before you sign. It is most often considered when CPR is unlikely to help or would only add to suffering. People commonly choose one in situations like these:
If you also want to decide about feeding tubes, ventilators or other treatment, a DNR order alone is not enough. Add a living will or another advance directive.
The table lists who signs a DNR order in each state and the law behind it. In most rows the patient and a physician sign, though some states let a nurse practitioner, physician assistant or another authorized clinician sign, and some add a witness. Some states use a POLST-type form instead. Rules change, so check your state's page and official form before you rely on a cell.
| STATES | SIGNING REQUIREMENTS | STATE LAW |
| Alabama | Patient & Physician | Alabama Administrative Code, Section 420-5-19-.02 |
| Alaska | Patient & Physician | Alaska Statutes, Section 13.52.065 |
| Arizona | Patient, Physician & Witness | Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 36-3251 |
| Arkansas | Patient & Physician | Arkansas Annotated Code, Sections 20-13-901 to 20-13-908 |
| California | Patient & Physician | California Probate Code, Section 4780 |
| Colorado | Patient & Physician | Colorado Revised Statutes, Section 15-18.6-102 |
| Connecticut | Patient & Physician | Connecticut Revised Statutes, Chapter 368w, Section 19a-580d |
| Delaware | Patient & Physician | Delaware Code, Title 16, Section 2509A |
| Florida | Patient & Physician | Florida Administrative Code, Section 64J-2.018 |
| Georgia | Physician | Georgia Code, Sections 31-39-2 to 31-39-9 |
| Hawaii | Patient & Physician | Hawaii Revised Statutes, Section 327K-2 |
| Idaho | Patient & Physician | Idaho Statutes, Section 39-4514 |
| Illinois | Patient, Physician & Witness | Illinois Compiled Statutes, Chapter 755, Section 40/65 |
| Indiana | Patient, Physician & Two Witnesses | Indiana Code, Sections 16-36-5-1 to 16-36-5-28 |
| Iowa | Physician | Iowa Code, Section 144A.7A |
| Kansas | Patient, Physician & Witness | Kansas Statute, Section 65-4943 |
| Kentucky | Patient (or surrogate) & Physician | Kentucky Revised Statutes, Section 311.623 |
| Louisiana | Patient & Physician | Louisiana Revised Statutes, Section 40:1155.3 |
| Maine | Patient & Physician | Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, Section 93-A.1(b) |
| Maryland | Physician, Physician Assistant, or Nurse Practitioner | Maryland Annotated Code, Section 5-608.1 |
| Massachusetts | Patient & Physician | – |
| Michigan | Patient, Physician & Two Witnesses | Michigan Compiled Laws, Section 333.1053 |
| Minnesota | Patient & Physician | Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 145C |
| Mississippi | Patient & Physician | Mississippi Annotated Code, Section 41-41-302 |
| Missouri | Patient & Physician | Missouri Revised Statutes, Section 190.603 |
| Montana | Patient & Physician | Montana Code Annotated, Sections 50-10-101 to 50-10-107, and Administrative Rules of Montana, Rule 37.10.108 |
| Nebraska | Patient, Physician & Witness for DNR; Patient & Two Witnesses OR Notary Public for Declaration | Nebraska Revised Statutes, Section 20-404 |
| Nevada | Patient & Physician | Nevada Revised Statutes, Section 450B.520 |
| New Hampshire | Patient & Physician | New Hampshire Revised Statutes, Section 137-J:26 |
| New Jersey | Patient & Physician | New Jersey Statutes, Section 26:2H-53 et seq. (Advance Directives Act) and Section 26:2H-129 et seq. (POLST Act) |
| New Mexico | Patient & Physician | New Mexico Administrative Code, Section 7.27.6.8 |
| New York | Patient (or agent or surrogate) & Attending Practitioner (physician, NP, or PA) | New York Public Health Law, Section 2994-dd |
| North Carolina | Patient & Physician for MOST; Patient, Two Witnesses & Notary Public for Declaration | North Carolina General Statutes, Sections 90-321 and 90-322 |
| North Dakota | Patient & Physician for POLST | North Dakota Century Code, Chapter 23-06.5 |
| Ohio | Authorized Health Care Provider (physician, APRN, or physician assistant) | Ohio Administrative Code, Chapter 3701-62 |
| Oklahoma | Patient (or representative) & Two Witnesses (Physician certifies only for an incapacitated patient with no representative) | Oklahoma Statutes, Section 63-3131.5 |
| Oregon | Physician, Physician Associate, or Nurse Practitioner for POLST | Oregon Administrative Rules, Sections 847-035-0030(6) and 847-010-0110 |
| Pennsylvania | Patient & Physician | Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Title 20, Sections 5481-5488 |
| Rhode Island | Patient & Physician | Rhode Island General Laws, Chapter 23-4.11 |
| South Carolina | Patient & Physician | South Carolina Code of Laws, Sections 44-78-10 to 44-78-65 |
| South Dakota | Patient & Physician | South Dakota Administrative Rules, Chapter 44:05:06; Codified Laws, Chapter 34-12F |
| Tennessee | Patient & Physician for POST | Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 68-11-224 |
| Texas | Patient, Two Witnesses OR Notary Public & Attending Physician (2nd Physician only if the patient is incompetent and no qualified relative is available) | Texas Statutes, Health and Safety Code, Chapter 166; Administrative Code, Rule 157.25 |
| Utah | Patient & Physician (2nd Physician is Required for Minors) | Utah Administrative Rules, Section R432-31 |
| Vermont | Patient (if able to sign) & Physician | Vermont Statutes, Title 18, Sections 9708 and 9709 |
| Virginia | Patient & Physician | Virginia Code, Section 54.1-2987.1 |
| Washington | Patient & Physician for POLST | Washington Revised Code, Section 43.70.480 and Chapter 70.122 (Natural Death Act) |
| West Virginia | Patient & Physician for POST | West Virginia Code, Chapter 16-30C |
| Wisconsin | Patient & Physician | Wisconsin Statutes and Annotations, Sections 154.17-154.29 |
| Wyoming | Patient & Physician | Wyoming Statutes, Sections 35-22-501 to 35-22-509 |
To get a DNR order, start with a conversation with your physician or another clinician who treats you. If you both agree, you complete your state's form, sign it, and have the clinician sign it. Then share copies and keep the form where responders will find it.
A DNR order is a medical order, so a physician or another clinician your state authorizes signs it and records it in your chart. Talk it through first, so you understand what the decision means for your care.
Some states prescribe their own official form, and responders there may accept only that one. Pick your state from the State-specific Forms list near the top of this page. If your state is not listed, use the free form further down.
Some states require witnesses. If your form has a witness section, each witness prints a name, signs and dates it. Follow the instructions printed on your form.
Print your name, add the date and sign. If you cannot sign, your legally authorized representative may sign for you where your state allows. Your physician or other authorized clinician then completes their section and signs.
Emergency crews generally start CPR unless they see a valid order. That is why everyone involved in your care needs to know the order exists. Give copies to:
Keep the signed form where responders will see it, such as in a visible folder at home. Some states also issue an official bracelet or necklace with the order. Tell your family where the form is kept.
FormsPal's free DNR order form is a general form that you can create online or download as a PDF. Some states prescribe their own official form, so check your state's page first. Review the form with your physician before you sign, because a clinician completes part of it.
Emergency responders generally start CPR unless they see a valid order or approved ID. Some states accept only their own official form. Keep your signed form where crews will find it.
Once you have the form, there is little to fill in. You enter your details and sign, and your physician completes the clinician section. If your form has a witness or notary section, it is completed last. Work through the steps below in order.
Layouts differ, but expect these parts on a DNR form:
Put your name and the date on the form and sign it. If you cannot communicate, the person legally authorized to decide for you may sign in your place where your state allows. Depending on the state, that person is an agent, guardian, surrogate or proxy. A medical power of attorney can name that person ahead of time.
A DNR order is a medical order, so a physician or another clinician your state authorizes completes the clinician section. They add their name, signature and date and record the order in your chart.
Some forms ask for witnesses, and some have a notary section. Complete only the sections your form includes, and follow its instructions on who may serve as a witness. If your form has a notary acknowledgment section, you sign in front of the notary, who completes it.
Without a DNR order, your status is full code. If your heart or breathing stops, emergency crews and hospital staff will start CPR and other life-saving measures, even when the outcome is uncertain.
A tattoo or a spoken wish is not a DNR order. If you have only a DNR form, other treatments continue as usual.
Yes. A DNR order can generally be revoked at any time. The method depends on your state and may include:
Tell your care team and collect the copies you shared, so nobody acts on an old order.
Validity depends on your state. In general, a DNR order is valid when it is on the right form. The patient or their legally authorized representative signs it, and so does a physician or another authorized clinician.
Some states also require witnesses, and some prescribe their own official form. Check your state's page, because an order that does not meet your state's rules may not be honored.
Emergency responders generally start CPR unless they see a valid order or approved ID. A DNR order only works if people can find it. If the order is missing, or does not meet your state's rules, CPR may be started anyway.
Keep the signed form where crews will see it and tell your care team where it is. If you think a valid order was ignored, ask the facility's patient advocate for help.
Generally, no. A DNR order needs the consent of the patient. If the patient cannot decide, a legally authorized representative may consent or sign. Depending on the state, that person may be:
In practice, the decision is made between the patient and their physician. Talk to your family early and share the signed order with them. If the patient cannot decide, the person legally authorized to decide for them acts instead. The care team can usually help the family talk it through.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
