Waiting list

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) bases adult kidney waiting time on a qualifying kidney test date or the start of regular dialysis for kidney failure.¹

As of October 2026, for people listed at age 18 or older, the test threshold is GFR or creatinine clearance of 20 mL/min or less, at listing or on a later date.¹

Ask the center to show you which date it used. GFR means glomerular filtration rate; it is a measure of kidney function. Creatinine clearance is another measure of kidney function.

Yes, regular dialysis for end-stage renal disease can count from before you joined the kidney waiting list.¹

Ask your unit for the record of when regular dialysis for kidney failure began. Ask the center how it used that record.

OPTN policy says inactive kidney patients keep earning waiting time but do not get organ offers.¹

Ask why your status changed and what you need to do next.

Ask your transplant team to tell you your current status on the waiting list.²

Ask if you are active and able to get offers. Ask for the answer in writing.

Yes, you can transfer waiting time after you register at the new program and complete the transfer process.¹

OPTN requires a signed Wait Time Transfer Form, which one of the programs must submit.¹

Each transplant program can decide whether to accept you for another listing.¹

See what to ask about more than one center.

Can I be evaluated or listed at more than one transplant center? (Choosing a center)

The eGFR correction can restore waiting time for eligible Black kidney patients affected by a test calculation that used race.¹

As of October 2026, the correction needs records of an eGFR above 20 mL/min that would have been 20 mL/min or less without race, and registration as Black or African American.¹

eGFR means estimated glomerular filtration rate. Ask the center to review your old test records and explain its decision.

KDPI compares how long a donor kidney may work; EPTS compares how long a patient may benefit from a kidney transplant.³

KDPI stands for Kidney Donor Profile Index. EPTS stands for Estimated Post-Transplant Survival. Ask your team to explain what each score means for this offer.

Federal rules say your dialysis team must track referrals and monitor your waiting-list status.⁴

Read the rules for dialysis teams.

What must the dialysis team do while a patient is on the transplant waiting list? (Referral and tracking rules)

Yes, a center can remove you from the waiting list and must notify you in writing.¹

Ask for the reason and what options you have. Ask if another center could assess you.