Kentucky DNR Form: How the EMS Do Not Resuscitate Order Works

You filled out a living will. You told your family you don't want CPR. You assume that if your heart stops at home, the paramedics will respect your wishes.

They won't — not without the right paperwork physically in front of them.

Kentucky EMS personnel operate under strict state protocols from the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure. When they respond to a cardiac or respiratory arrest, their default is aggressive resuscitation. To override that default, they need one of exactly two things: the original state-approved EMS DNR order form, or the official EMS DNR bracelet. Nothing else counts.

What Kentucky EMS Cannot Honor

This is the part that surprises most families. Under Kentucky administrative regulations, EMS personnel are legally prohibited from recognizing:

• Verbal instructions from family members
• Photocopies of a living will or advance directive
• General durable powers of attorney (financial POA under KRS Chapter 457)
• Hospital-issued DNR orders that aren't on the state-approved EMS form
• Out-of-state DNR documents

Your living will under KRS 311.625 is a valid legal document — but it governs hospital care, not pre-hospital emergency response. When paramedics walk through your door, they follow a different set of rules entirely.

How to Get a Kentucky EMS DNR Order

The EMS DNR form is a medical order, not a form you fill out yourself. Here's the process:

1. Talk to your physician. Your attending physician must agree that a DNR order is medically appropriate and consistent with your wishes.

2. Complete the state-approved form. The EMS DNR Order is issued by the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure through the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS). The current version — updated March 2024 — does not require notarization or witnesses.

3. Get your physician's signature. The form must be signed by a licensed Kentucky physician. Your signature (or your surrogate's) is also required.

4. Display the original at home. Keep the signed original in a visible, accessible location — refrigerator door, bedside table, or the front of a home care binder. EMS needs to see it immediately upon arrival. A form locked in a filing cabinet is functionally useless during a 911 call.

5. Consider the EMS DNR bracelet. Kentucky authorizes an official DNR bracelet as an alternative to the paper form. If you spend time outside your home — visiting family, attending appointments, or living in an assisted care facility — the bracelet ensures your wishes travel with you.

EMS DNR vs. MOST Form vs. Living Will

Kentucky has three separate documents that address end-of-life medical care, and each serves a different purpose:

The MOST form (Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment, KRS 311.6225) is broader than a DNR — it covers CPR, intubation, antibiotics, and artificial nutrition. It's printed on pink paper and is portable across all care settings. But for a specific cardiac arrest scenario where paramedics respond to a 911 call, the EMS DNR order is the document they're trained to look for.

Can You Revoke a Kentucky DNR?

Yes. You can revoke your EMS DNR order at any time by:

• Destroying the form and/or bracelet
• Telling your physician verbally that you want it revoked
• Having your healthcare surrogate request revocation

If you revoke it, make sure EMS can no longer find the old form. Paramedics who arrive at a scene and see a signed DNR form will follow it unless someone physically shows them proof of revocation.

The Family Conflict Scenario

One of the most painful situations in emergency medicine: EMS arrives to find a signed DNR order on the refrigerator, but the patient's adult child is screaming "do everything." Under Kentucky protocols, the signed order takes precedence. EMS will not perform CPR if the valid form is present, even over family objections.

This is exactly why the conversation matters as much as the paperwork. Every family member who might be present during an emergency needs to understand what the DNR means, why you chose it, and what will happen when paramedics arrive.

Get the Full Kentucky End-of-Life Planning Kit

A DNR order is one piece of a larger system. Your living will, healthcare surrogate designation, MOST form, and EMS DNR need to work together — and your family needs to know where every document is stored. The Kentucky Advance Directive & Living Will Kit coordinates all of these documents with checklists and notification worksheets so nothing falls through the cracks during a crisis.

See more Kentucky guides →