Ohio DNR Form: How to Get and Use the State DNR Comfort Care Order

A Living Will tells your doctor what you want if you're terminally ill. A Health Care Power of Attorney lets someone make decisions when you can't. But neither document stops paramedics from performing CPR when they arrive at your home during a cardiac emergency. That takes a separate medical order — the State of Ohio Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) form, governed by Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-62.

Here's exactly how the Ohio DNR system works, what forms you need, and what EMS will actually look for when they respond to a call.

Ohio Has Two Distinct DNR Classifications

Ohio doesn't use a single, generic DNR. The state recognizes exactly two types under OAC 3701-62, and they activate under different circumstances:

DNR Comfort Care (DNRCC) takes effect immediately when the order is issued. Once it's signed, medical providers shift to comfort-only interventions — pain management, airway suctioning, positioning, oxygen, and IV hydration for comfort. What's prohibited: chest compressions, artificial airways, defibrillation, resuscitation drugs, and continuous cardiac monitoring.

DNR Comfort Care – Arrest (DNRCC-Arrest) allows full standard medical treatment right up until the moment of cardiac or respiratory arrest. Only then do resuscitation restrictions activate. This option suits people who want aggressive treatment for reversible conditions but don't want CPR if their heart stops.

The distinction matters because choosing the wrong classification can mean receiving — or not receiving — medical interventions you actually want. Discuss both options with your physician before signing.

Who Can Sign the Ohio DNR Form

The Ohio DNR is a medical order, not a patient document. It must be completed and signed by an authorized healthcare provider:

• A physician (MD or DO)
• An Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)
• A Physician Assistant (PA)

You cannot download the form, fill it out yourself, and consider it valid. The conversation starts with your doctor, who evaluates your medical situation and completes the official State of Ohio DNR order form (last updated January 2025). The patient or their legal surrogate signs to confirm consent, but the provider's signature is what makes it a legal medical order.

What Counts as Valid DNR Identification

When EMS responds to a 911 call, they need to verify a valid DNR before they can withhold resuscitation. Ohio law specifies exactly what paramedics will accept:

• The official State of Ohio DNR order form bearing the Ohio DNR Comfort Care logo and the patient's name
• A wallet card with the same official logo and patient information
• A hospital-style bracelet or necklace displaying the DNR designation
• A Living Will that contains explicit CPR refusal language

Any of these identifiers must be physically present and accessible. If EMS can't locate valid identification at the scene, they are legally required to begin resuscitation efforts — regardless of what family members say about the patient's wishes.

The Portability Problem

Ohio law requires that when a patient transfers between healthcare facilities — hospital to nursing home, nursing home to rehab center — the original DNR form or authorized identification must physically travel with the patient. If the paperwork stays behind at the originating facility, the DNR protocol is legally inactive during transit.

This means ambulance crews transferring a patient without accompanying DNR documentation must default to full resuscitation if a cardiac event occurs en route. Keep the original form with the patient at all times, and distribute copies to every facility involved in their care.

A DNR Does Not Replace Your Advance Directives

A common misconception: people assume that signing a DNR form covers all their end-of-life wishes. It doesn't. The DNR addresses one narrow scenario — whether to attempt resuscitation during cardiac or respiratory arrest. It says nothing about:

• Whether to continue mechanical ventilation
• Feeding tube preferences
• Pain management protocols beyond the arrest event
• Who makes medical decisions if you lose capacity

For comprehensive coverage, you need a Living Will (covering treatment preferences for terminal conditions and permanent unconsciousness) and a Health Care Power of Attorney (naming a decision-maker). The DNR works alongside these documents, not instead of them.

Ohio Does Not Have a Statewide POLST Program

If you've heard about POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) forms used in other states, note that Ohio does not have a standard statewide POLST program. Legislative efforts like Senate Bill 165 stalled in the General Assembly. Some Ohio health systems use localized MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) protocols, but these lack the statewide statutory backing that the DNR program has.

The DNR Comfort Care order remains Ohio's primary portable medical order for resuscitation decisions.

Provider Immunity and Good-Faith Compliance

Healthcare providers, EMS personnel, and facilities that follow a valid Ohio DNR order in good faith are protected by complete statutory immunity under OAC § 3701-62-03 and ORC § 2133.22. They cannot face civil liability, criminal prosecution, or professional disciplinary action for honoring the order.

This legal protection means providers are more likely to follow your documented wishes without hesitation — but only if the documentation is properly executed and physically present.

Can a Family Member Override a DNR in Ohio?

Once a valid DNR order is in place, family members cannot unilaterally override it. The order reflects the patient's documented wishes (or the surrogate's consent on their behalf) and carries the legal weight of a physician-signed medical order. EMS and hospital staff are obligated to follow it.

However, the patient themselves can revoke the DNR at any time while they have decision-making capacity — verbally, in writing, or by destroying the physical documentation. If a family member claims the patient changed their mind but the patient is now incapacitated, the dispute may need to be resolved through the probate court.

This is one reason why coordinating the DNR with a Health Care Power of Attorney matters. The HCPOA agent can communicate with medical providers about the patient's current wishes and, in some circumstances, consent to modifying treatment orders. Without an appointed agent, the default surrogate hierarchy under ORC § 2133.08 applies — and disagreements among family members at the same priority level (such as adult children who can't reach majority consensus) can create a legal deadlock where no one has authority to change the order.

Getting Your Ohio DNR in Place

Start by talking with your physician, APRN, or PA about which DNR classification fits your medical situation and personal values. They'll complete the official state form. Once signed, make multiple copies: one for your home (posted visibly, such as on the refrigerator), one for each healthcare facility involved in your care, one wallet card for emergencies, and one for your designated healthcare agent.

If you're putting together a complete advance care plan for Ohio — including your Living Will, Health Care Power of Attorney, and DNR coordination — the Ohio Advance Directive & Living Will Kit walks through every document, witnessing requirement, and filing step specific to Ohio law.

See more Ohio guides →