Oklahoma Public Records

There are plenty of great reasons to acquaint yourself with county public records using a search of Oklahoma public records. You could be a citizen looking up tax codes or a journalist trying to get raw data on government action, seeing if the consequence of a particular action played out in its intended way, say, by analyzing census data. A county public records search of Oklahoma public records could also benefit through the criminal history files. They are accessible provided that you are eligible to conduct the search. This holds true especially for the individuals who will be taking care with children; by checking their name in sex offender registries, a dangerous situation can be avoided.

But how do we access Oklahoma public records, or perform a county public records search?

What are Oklahoma public records and county public records?
A public record is any documentation from any public government agency, commission, committee, or any other group that is made available to the public through Freedom of Information Act or open government laws. This could include meeting minutes, reports, microfilm, images, recordings or any other physical material.

OK Public Records

Generally, they are restricted to official filings with governments, materials generated by state governing and public safety bodies and do not include vital documents like marriage licenses, divorce decrees, birth certificates, death certificates, or adoption papers. These can be obtained by specific individuals under specific circumstances that vary from place to place.

Oklahoma Public Records Laws

Public records in Oklahoma cover documents of public meetings. According to the state “All public records in Oklahoma are subject to the Open Records Act [O.S. Title 51 section 24A.1]. Copies of these records are available, subject to any exceptions as stated in the Act, from the custodian in the appropriate Oklahoma public records office or by submitting a query through the online web service in the legal research section.” Oklahoma public records that are exempt are those “protected by state evidentiary privilege; real estate appraisals; personnel records; registration files of sex offenders; public officials’ personnel notes; business-related bids; computer programs; medical market research; and certain educational records including student records.”

Vital Records

Vital records (as mentioned above), which encompass detailed private information can usually be obtained by furnishing your Social Security number. According to The Records Project: “Any document containing an individual’s personal information is not considered to be a public record. Under some exceptions to this rule, it can be retrieved if the person’s identification, such as social security number, is obscured.”

The site also indicates that 50% of Oklahoma’s records are filed electronically and that only 13 counties are included in an online database. Vital statistics, which are not considered public documents in Oklahoma, are available for as far back as 1908.