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Oklahoma public records: who holds what

In Oklahoma, deeds are recorded by the County Clerk; birth and death certificates come from the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Vital Records Service; and requests for other government records fall under the Oklahoma Open Records Act. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in Oklahoma
  2. Public records law in Oklahoma
  3. Probate records and wills in Oklahoma
  4. How Oklahoma organizes its records
  5. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  6. Counties in Oklahoma
  7. Warnings from official sources
  8. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  9. Official directories
  10. Sources

Who holds what in Oklahoma

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsCounty Clerk of each of the 77 counties (recorder and custodian of land records)1$1.00 per page (county clerk photographic/printed copies, 28 O.S. § 32(A)(4))2
Property recordsCounty Assessor values property (fair cash value); taxpayer may protest a valuation increase to the County Assessor within 30 calendar days of the notice3—
Court recordsUnified state court system: 77 District Courts (one per county) with an elected Court Clerk in each county; Supreme Court (civil) and Court of Criminal Appeals (criminal) are the two courts of last resort4Court clerk copies: $1.00 first page, $0.50 each subsequent page; certifying $0.50 per instrument; authentication $5.00 (28 O.S. § 31)5
Marriage recordsCourt Clerk (clerk of the district court) of the county where the license was issued6—
Divorce recordsCourt Clerk of the district court in the county where the divorce (dissolution of marriage) was granted; no state-level divorce certificate from OSDH6Court clerk copy fees: $1.00 first page, $0.50 subsequent pages; $0.50 certification (28 O.S. § 31)5
Birth certificatesOklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), Vital Records Service; statewide records from October 1908 (mandatory filing from 1917)7$15.00 non-refundable search fee including one certified copy if found; additional copies $15 each; heirloom certificate $35; legal actions (delayed registration, amendment, paternity, adoption) $40. Online/phone via VitalChek adds a convenience fee ($5.00 OK residents / $12.95 non-residents).8
Death certificatesOklahoma State Department of Health, Vital Records Service; no death records before 19089$15.00 search fee including one certified copy; additional copies $15 each (VitalChek convenience fee extra)10
Probate and willsDistrict Court of the county (probate jurisdiction); files kept by the Court Clerk11Court clerk fees per 28 O.S. § 31 ($1.00 first page, $0.50 subsequent; $0.50 certification)5

Public records law in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Open Records Act (51 O.S. §§ 24A.1 et seq. (Title 51, Officers)) Read the law12

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Any person; no residency requirement or statement of purpose required by the Act (commercial-purpose requests may be charged search costs)13
Response time
No fixed number of days: public bodies must provide 'prompt, reasonable access'; delay limited to time needed to prepare records or avoid excessive disruption13
Copy fees
Copying only: max $0.25 per page (8.5x14 or smaller), max $1.00 per certified page; search fee only for solely commercial or excessively disruptive requests; no search fee for public-interest requests; advance payment may be required when estimate exceeds $7513
If a request is refused
(1) Optional written request for review to the Attorney General's Public Access Counselor Unit within 30 calendar days of a denial (also for unreasonable delay or commercial-purpose determinations); AG advisement within 60 days. (2) Civil suit in district court for declaratory/injunctive relief with attorney fees if successful, after 10 business days' written notice to the public body and the Attorney General.14
What is exempt
Records made confidential by other law (privileges, executive sessions, DPPA driver data, licensure test materials, lottery-winner IDs, DD-214s filed with county clerks, personal contact info in licensing applications, etc.); SSNs may be redacted; segregable non-exempt parts must be released. Separate sections cover personnel records (§24A.7), law-enforcement records (§24A.8), personal notes (§24A.9), library/archive materials (§24A.11), educational records (§24A.16), litigation files (§24A.20), court records (§24A.30), mental-health records (§24A.34). No duty to create new records (§24A.18).13
Official guide
Oklahoma Attorney General 'Open Records One Pager' (updated July 2025) and Open Government page; Public Access Counselor contact [email protected]15

How to write a public records request

Probate records and wills in Oklahoma

Who holds it
District Court of the county (probate jurisdiction); files kept by the Court Clerk11
Search
Probate case dockets via OSCN / ODCR like other district court cases16
Copy fee
Court clerk fees per 28 O.S. § 31 ($1.00 first page, $0.50 subsequent; $0.50 certification)5

How this works in other states: probate records and wills by state.

How Oklahoma organizes its records

  • Two courts of last resort: Supreme Court (civil) and Court of Criminal Appeals (criminal)4
  • UCC financing statements are filed centrally with the Oklahoma County Clerk, not the Secretary of State17
  • Marriage licenses, divorce decrees and probate are all handled by the county Court Clerk (district court), not the County Clerk; the County Clerk records deeds6
  • Oklahoma statewide district-court dockets are split between OSCN and ODCR ('Non-OSCN Counties')16
  • Statute requires a free online index of births (20+ years) and deaths (5+ years): OK2Explore18

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) — state repository; information is available to the public19
Who may order
Anyone (open record); request must include at least full name and date of birth of the subject19
Fee
Name-based $15.00; fingerprint-based $19.00; DOC Violent Offender or Sex Offender database search via OSBI $2.00 each19
How to request
Online via CHIRP (chirp.osbi.ok.gov), or form by fax, mail or in person at OSBI, 6600 N. Harvey, Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (fingerprint checks by mail/in person only)19

Sex offender registry

Official registry
Oklahoma Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registry (Sex Offender Lookup: sors.doc.ok.gov/…); Violent Offender Lookup also kept by DOC20

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
Oklahoma DOC 'OK Offender' lookup: okoffender.doc.ok.gov21

Voter records

Access
Voter registration list is public information; electronic copy free via the OK Election Data Warehouse to Oklahoma residents who are U.S. citizens, recognized parties, candidates and others authorized by law, on an application with perjury attestation; no commercial marketing use22
How to request
Submit the 'Request to Access Voter Registration List Form' to [email protected] for EDW 'full' access23
Check your registration
OK Voter Portal for individual voters24

Business names (DBA)

Secretary of State
Oklahoma Secretary of State, Business Filing Department: corporations, LLCs, LPs, trade names, partnership fictitious names; trade name filing $25.0025
At the county
County clerks also record fictitious name partnership certificates ($5.00 statutory recording fee plus Title 54 fees; counties post $15.00)2
Search
SOS Business Entities Search (sos.ok.gov/corp/corpInquiryFind.aspx)26

Liens and UCC filings

UCC filings
Central UCC filing office is the County Clerk of Oklahoma County (not the Secretary of State); fixture filings and as-extracted/timber go to the county where the real estate is recorded; transmitting utilities file with the SOS17
Attorney General liens
Secretary of State Central Filing System for agricultural liens on farm products27
Mechanics' liens
Filed with the county clerk: $10.00 (includes release) + $8.00 plus postage for mailing notice (statute); counties post totals incl. preservation fee (e.g., $20.00)2
Tax warrants
State tax warrants: OTC Oklahoma Tax Warrant System; federal/state tax warrants also recorded with county clerks28

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal
OKMAPS — Oklahoma's GIS data clearinghouse, run by the State Office of Geographic Information (Oklahoma Conservation Commission): okmaps.org/OGI/search.aspx29
County GIS
Many counties offer parcel maps (e.g., Tulsa County Clerk's LOCCAT combines Clerk, Assessor and Treasurer data)30

Historical and genealogy records

State archives
Oklahoma State Archives (Oklahoma Department of Libraries): state government records; open to all researchers; copies $0.25/page; contact 4–6 weeks before visiting31
Historical society
Oklahoma Historical Society, John and Eleanor Kirkpatrick Research Center: newspapers, photographs, Dawes Final Roll, American Indian archives, 1890 Territorial Census, marriage-record indexes, Oklahoma City deaths 1908–192632
Vital records for genealogy
Births 125+ years and deaths 50+ years are open records at OSDH (application, photo ID and fee still required); genealogists need written permission for closed records33

Counties in Oklahoma

7 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 77 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.34

  • Adair County
  • Alfalfa County
  • Atoka County
  • Beaver County
  • Beckham County
  • Blaine County
  • Bryan County
  • Caddo County
  • Canadian County
  • Carter County
  • Cherokee County
  • Choctaw County
  • Cimarron County
  • Cleveland County
  • Coal County
  • Comanche County
  • Cotton County
  • Craig County
  • Creek County
  • Custer County
  • Delaware County
  • Dewey County
  • Ellis County
  • Garfield County
  • Garvin County
  • Grady County
  • Grant County
  • Greer County
  • Harmon County
  • Harper County
  • Haskell County
  • Hughes County
  • Jackson County
  • Jefferson County
  • Johnston County
  • Kay County
  • Kingfisher County
  • Kiowa County
  • Latimer County
  • Le Flore County
  • Lincoln County
  • Logan County
  • Love County
  • Major County
  • Marshall County
  • Mayes County
  • McClain County
  • McCurtain County
  • McIntosh County
  • Murray County
  • Muskogee County
  • Noble County
  • Nowata County
  • Okfuskee County
  • Oklahoma County
  • Okmulgee County
  • Osage County
  • Ottawa County
  • Pawnee County
  • Payne County
  • Pittsburg County
  • Pontotoc County
  • Pottawatomie County
  • Pushmataha County
  • Roger Mills County
  • Rogers County
  • Seminole County
  • Sequoyah County
  • Stephens County
  • Texas County
  • Tillman County
  • Tulsa County
  • Wagoner County
  • Washington County
  • Washita County
  • Woods County
  • Woodward County

Warnings from official sources

  • VitalChek is the only partner OSDH names for online vital-record orders; order through OSDH's link rather than look-alike sites6
  • Payne County Clerk offers free property fraud alerts (register to be notified of recordings in your name); Tulsa County Clerk offers RecordRadar35

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Oklahoma office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 36 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Tulsa County Clerk homeTulsa County (official, linked from www2.tulsacounty.org elected officials page)
  2. 28 O.S. § 32 — County clerk feesOklahoma Legislature (oklegislature.gov), Oklahoma Statutes complete-title PDF
  3. 68 O.S. § 2876 — Valuation protest, county board of equalizationOklahoma Legislature (oklegislature.gov), Oklahoma Statutes complete-title PDF
  4. OSCN Courts — The Oklahoma Court Systemarchived copy
  5. 28 O.S. § 31 — Fees of court clerksOklahoma Legislature (oklegislature.gov), Oklahoma Statutes complete-title PDF
  6. Birth and Death CertificatesOklahoma State Department of Health, Vital Records Service
  7. Birth CertificatesOklahoma State Department of Health, Vital Records Service
  8. Birth certificate application 18008VR (PDF)Oklahoma State Department of Health, Vital Records Service
  9. Death CertificatesOklahoma State Department of Health, Vital Records Service
  10. Death certificate application 18011VR (PDF)Oklahoma State Department of Health, Vital Records Service
  11. 58 O.S. § 1 — Probate jurisdictionOklahoma Legislature (oklegislature.gov), Oklahoma Statutes complete-title PDF
  12. 51 O.S. § 24A.1 — Open Records Act short titleOklahoma Legislature (oklegislature.gov), Oklahoma Statutes complete-title PDF
  13. 51 O.S. § 24A.5 — Inspection, copying, fees, exemptions (v2, eff. Nov. 1, 2025)Oklahoma Legislature (oklegislature.gov), Oklahoma Statutes complete-title PDF
  14. 51 O.S. § 24A.40 — Public Access Counselor UnitOklahoma Legislature (oklegislature.gov), Oklahoma Statutes complete-title PDF
  15. Open Records Request / Oklahoma's Open Government Laws / Public Access CounselorOklahoma Office of the Attorney General
  16. OSCN Dockets / Court Recordsarchived copy
  17. 12A O.S. § 1-9-501 — UCC filing officeOklahoma Legislature (oklegislature.gov), Oklahoma Statutes complete-title PDF
  18. 63 O.S. § 1-323 — Vital records confidentiality, OK2Explore indexOklahoma Legislature (oklegislature.gov), Oklahoma Statutes complete-title PDF
  19. How to Request a Background CheckOklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
  20. Oklahoma DOC home pageOklahoma Department of Corrections
  21. OK Offender LookupOklahoma Department of Corrections
  22. 26 O.S. § 7-103.2 — Voter registration listOklahoma Legislature (oklegislature.gov), Oklahoma Statutes complete-title PDF
  23. Voter Registration List (OK Election Data Warehouse)Oklahoma State Election Board
  24. State Election Board homeOklahoma State Election Board
  25. Business Filing FeesOklahoma Secretary of State
  26. Business Entities SearchOklahoma Secretary of State
  27. Agricultural Liens (Central Filing System)Oklahoma Secretary of State
  28. Ad ValoremOklahoma Tax Commission
  29. Office of Geographic Information and Technical ServicesOklahoma Conservation Commission
  30. Tulsa County Clerk — Real Estate Services / fees / subscriptionsTulsa County (official, linked from www2.tulsacounty.org elected officials page)
  31. State ArchivesOklahoma Department of Libraries
  32. Research CenterOklahoma Historical Society (state agency)
  33. Oklahoma Birth and Death Record Searches (genealogy, eligibility, OK2Explore)Oklahoma State Department of Health, Vital Records Service
  34. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  35. Payne County ClerkPayne County (linked from www.paynecounty.org)
  36. County Election BoardsOklahoma State Election Board