Oklahoma Public Records

How the Oklahoma Open Records Act works

The Oklahoma Open Records Act is 51 O.S. § 24A.1 and following (text on OSCN). Under § 24A.5, the records of public bodies and public officials are open to any person for inspection, copying or mechanical reproduction during regular business hours. A public body may require a request form and may ask for a clearer request: a general time frame, identifiable records and specific search terms.

Deadline: the Act sets no fixed number of days. A public body must provide prompt, reasonable access, and any delay is limited to the time needed to prepare the records and avoid excessive disruption of its work (§ 24A.5(6)).

Fees: only the reasonable, direct cost of copying, never more than 25 cents a page for pages up to 8 1/2 by 14 inches or $1 a page for a certified copy. A search fee is allowed only for a request made solely for a commercial purpose or one that would clearly cause excessive disruption, and never when release is in the public interest. Advance payment can be required when the estimate exceeds $75 (§ 24A.5(4)).

Appeals: a person denied access may bring a civil suit for declaratory or injunctive relief and, if successful, recover reasonable attorney fees. At least ten business days before filing, the person must notify the public body and the Attorney General in writing (§ 24A.17).

What you cannot get in Oklahoma

• Records the law makes confidential: the Act does not reach records protected by an evidentiary privilege, records of lawfully closed executive sessions, or personal information in driver records (§ 24A.5(1)).
• Expunged records: a fully sealed record is not available to the public or to law enforcement; a partially sealed record is closed to the public but open to law enforcement (22 O.S. § 18 B).
• Juvenile records: Title 10A keeps certain juvenile records confidential, and police may redact recordings that would identify minors under 16 or undermine those rules (§ 24A.8).
• Recent birth and death records: the State Department of Health treats them as confidential; births at least 125 years ago and deaths at least 50 years ago are open (Vital Records application forms).
• A criminal history search without identifiers: the OSBI is not required to assemble criminal history for a person whose name, date of birth and other required identifying information are not given (§ 24A.5(3)).

Expungement in Oklahoma

Oklahoma calls record clearing expungement, which means sealing the criminal record and related civil records (22 O.S. § 18). The categories in § 18 A include:

• charges dismissed, with no felony conviction and nothing pending, once the time to refile has run out or the prosecutor confirms no refiling;
• a misdemeanor dismissed after a deferred judgment, one year after dismissal; a nonviolent felony not listed in 57 O.S. § 571 dismissed after a deferred judgment, five years after dismissal;
• a misdemeanor conviction with a fine under $501 and no jail term, once the fine is paid; other misdemeanor convictions five years after the sentence ends;
• a nonviolent felony conviction, five years after the sentence is completed, with no other felony and no misdemeanor in the last seven years; up to two felonies not listed in 21 O.S. § 13.1 and not requiring sex offender registration, ten years after the sentence;
• a full pardon from the Governor.

Where to file: a petition in the district court of the district where the arrest information is located. The court gives the prosecutor, the arresting agency and the OSBI 30 days of notice of the hearing (22 O.S. § 19). 22 O.S. § 18b defines the clean slate eligible records, arising on or after January 1, 1980.

How to get your own Oklahoma criminal record

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is the state repository for criminal history, and its information is available to the public (OSBI).

1. Request a name-based search online through CHIRP, which the OSBI recommends for the quickest results, or send the Criminal History Request Form by mail, by fax to 405-879-2503 or in person.
2. Give at least your full name and date of birth, and add up to three aliases and your Social Security number for a fuller search.
3. Pay the fee: $15 for a name-based search and $19 for a fingerprint-based search. From November 1, 2026 the fees are $20 and $25 under 74 O.S. § 150.9 (OSBI notice).
4. Fingerprint-based checks go by mail or in person only, on original cards; do not fax them.
5. In person: OSBI, 6600 North Harvey Place, Oklahoma City, OK 73116, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Payment by cash (in person only), cashier's check, money order or credit card. Phone: 405-848-6724.

Oklahoma record laws to know

• 51 O.S. § 24A.1 and following (Oklahoma Open Records Act): access, fees and civil suits for public records.
• 51 O.S. § 24A.8: the law enforcement records that must be open, including arrestee descriptions, arrest facts, incident lists, radio logs, jail registers and dash and body camera recordings with set redactions.
• 22 O.S. § 18 and § 19: who may seek expungement and how the district court decides.
• 74 O.S. § 150.9: the OSBI fees for criminal history searches, raised from November 1, 2026 (OSBI notice).