How long is the wait for kidney transplant in California?

Most Californians wait 7–10 years for a transplant. You don't have to.

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Medi-Cal covers California hospitals only. We've seen people change their health insurance plan or enroll in a different provider to get out of state-only coverage.

No, driving to the hospital within 5-7 hours is acceptable.

Nearby states including Arizona and Oregon. We've seen people fly to Florida from California and receive successfull kidney transplants. Temporarily re-locating and renting an apartment or Airbnb near the out-of-state transplant hospital is also an often used option.

University of San Francisco, California. There are over 4000 patients waiting for transplants at USCF with only 250 cadaveric transplants performed annually.

Free Wait-Time Map

Discover transplant hospitals in California

Transplant Center Wait time forecast (months) Patients on waiting list 2024 deceased-donor transplants Learn More
St Joseph Hospital 28 224 104
Insights 33.78131 -117.8642
UCSD Medical Center 60 605 123
Insights 32.749789 -117.1676501
Cedars-Sinai Med Center 61 1295 251
Insights 34.0741548 -118.3724915
UCI Medical Center 63 672 187
Insights 33.7874 -117.8888
UCLA Medical Center 96 1813 259
Insights 34.070264 -118.4440562
Sharp Memorial Hospital 97 610 70
Insights 32.8102534 -117.1323579
Scripps Green Hospital 97 384 32
Insights 32.8328112 -117.2712717
Keck Hospital of USC 104 1317 137
Insights 34.0502898 -118.2117257
UC Davis Medical Center 107 1977 220
Insights 38.5500434 -121.4599012
Loma Linda Univ Med Ctr 129 1795 178
Insights 34.0484387 -117.2499749
Univ of CA San Francisco Med Ctr 142 3725 232
Insights 37.7401042 -122.4382307
Harbor UCLA Med Center 166 553 48
Insights 33.8331717 -118.2906661
Stanford Health Care 173 1692 114
Insights 37.424106 -122.1660756
Wait Time:
Insights 41.5993157 -83.6295222

Wait Times:

Less than 2 years
2 to 3 years
Over 3 years

Wait Times:

Less than 2 years
2 to 3 years
Over 3 years
Based on OPTN data as of June 23, 2025.

Organ shortage

So why aren't there more organs available in California?


Because in California, like most other states in the nation, you must specifically request to become an organ donor at the Department of Motor Vehicles when you're there to get or renew your driver's license. No one asks you if you want to become a donor. And there's no marketing campaign to make you aware of this opportunity, either, so unless you know about it and unless you specifically ask, nobody is going to ask you, nobody is going to give you this opportunity. And yet even with this obscure procedure over 20 percent of Californians have signed up to be organ donors, which is fantastic. But imagine what it could be if everyone knew of this opportunity. And that's what the Governor's bill will do. It will simply require the DMV to ask you if you'd like to become an organ donor. That's it. Asking this one simple question may double the number of transplant organs available in California - one simple question. And that's a very high return on investment, especially for the over 20,000 Californians currently waiting for an organ transplant.

Steve Jobs , announcing the bill SB 1395 amendment at Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, October 2010.

BILL NUMBER: SB 1395 has been amended with the following:

(b) (1) On and after July 1, 2011, an application for an original or renewal driver's license or identification card shall contain a space for the applicant to enroll in the Donate Life California Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. The application shall include check boxes for an applicant to mark either
(A) Yes, add my name to the donor registry or
(B) I do not wish to register at this time.

and enacted in October 2010.