TRENTON, N.J. - In five years, New Jersey residents seeking driver's licenses will have to decide whether they want to become organ donors under a new first-of-its kind law.

The names of residents who want to be organ donors will be maintained in a state registry, while those who decide against organ donation will have to acknowledge reviewing information about it.

"Ultimately, we want to move this important conversation out of the emergency room, where illness and injury already create a profound burden, and into the living room, where a thoughtful and deliberate decision can be reached without the pain of loss looming on the horizon," said Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, who signed the bill into law Tuesday. Codey was filling in for Gov. Jon S. Corzine, who was in Israel.

Howard M. Nathan, president and CEO of the Gift of Life Donor Program, has said New Jersey would be the first state to impose such requirements.

The state has five years to get the program up and running. People who currently have licenses won't have to make their decision until they apply for a renewal. Individuals who aren't ready to decide may designate a decision-maker on their behalf.

The law, known as the New Jersey Hero Act, also makes the state the first to incorporate mandatory organ donation education into the high school curriculum, beginning with the 2009-10 school year.

At the collegiate level, institutions of higher education will be required to provide information on New Jersey's organ donor policies through student health services.

"We're raising the dialogue about organ donation and ensuring that New Jerseyans talk to their loved ones about the possibility of becoming a donor," said Sen. Joseph Vitale, a bill sponsor.