Oklahoma Criminal Records

Are Criminal Records Public in Oklahoma?

Yes. Criminal records are open to the public per the Oklahoma Public Records Act. Interested persons may request to view and obtain a copy of these records from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI).

However, note that the Bureau may sequester criminal records from public access if releasing the criminal record sabotages active criminal investigation or puts a third party at risk. Suppose these concerns do not apply to the criminal record. Then, a requester may look up and obtain the criminal records of interest.

Criminal records, considered public in the United States, are made available through some third-party aggregate sites. Searching with third-party websites is often easier as the information is not limited to geographic record availability. Information found on third-party websites can serve as a jumping-off point for parties searching for a specific record or multiple records. Typically, requesters must provide the following information to gain access to these records:

• The record subject’s name, unless the subject is a juvenile.
• The record subjects’ last known location, including cities, counties, and states.

Third-party websites offer these search services, but they are not government-sponsored. Availability of records may vary.

What is Considered a Criminal Record in Oklahoma?

Criminal records, also known as rap sheets, contain a comprehensive compilation of a person’s criminal history in Oklahoma. They provide details on any past arrests, warrants, charges, or criminal court judgments. The documents in a criminal record are assembled from local, county, and state law enforcement as well as trial courts, courts of appeals, and regional correctional facilities. Like most police records, criminal records are public records. Therefore, members of the public may obtain them within the limitations of the Oklahoma Open Records Act.

While the standard for criminal record collection and storage varies from county to county, the majority of Oklahoma criminal records are organized in online record depositories, which can be accessed through a number of courts, police departments, and other agencies.

What is in a Criminal Record in Oklahoma?

Criminal records provide information (if any) on the existence of any criminal activity committed by an individual. While the exact details of a criminal record vary with different individuals., a criminal record search will furnish the requester with general information such as:

• Subject’s name
• Subject’s date of birth
• Physical descriptors
• Details of the arrest
• Disposition of all warrants
• Crime Summary
• Details of the conviction (name of the criminal offense)

How to Obtain Criminal Records in Oklahoma?

Generally, there are three ways to look up criminal records in Oklahoma. A name-based online search on the Criminal History Information Request Portal (CHIRP) is the fastest way to look up criminal records. First, interested persons must create a CHIRP account and wait for approval. Upon approval, the requester may look up criminal records for $15.00 per person.

Meanwhile, persons who cannot perform an electronic search may submit a criminal records request in person or send a mail request. The Bureau of Investigation directs such requesters to complete the criminal records request form. Next, the requester must attach payment in the form of cash, check, money order, or credit card. Then, the requester must enclose the application packet in a self-addressed stamped envelope and mail it to the OSBI.

6600 North Harvey Place
Oklahoma City, OK 73116
Phone: (405) 848-6724
Fax: (405) 879-2503

Persons who cannot afford to pay can still perform a free public criminal record check. One way to accomplish this is to request a fee waiver from the record custodian. Alternatively, the requesters may search websites that publish free criminal records in Oklahoma. However, the downside of free databases is that the completeness and accuracy of free criminal records are not guaranteed.

Are Arrest Records Public in Oklahoma?

Most arrest records in Oklahoma are public and can be accessed by members contacting the local court or law enforcement agency. However, some arrest records may be protected from public view if they affect an ongoing investigation. This restriction is not unusual for police records, especially if public safety is a major concern. A court order may also restrict unauthorized access to an arrest record. Furthermore, where an arrest record is public information, the requester must pay a small fee to copy the documents. It is possible to obtain a free arrest record if the record custodian grants a fee waiver, but this is unlikely. In such cases, many people turn to databases that offer free arrest search services. Even at that, the completeness and authenticity of such free records are questionable.

What is Considered an Arrest Record in Oklahoma?

Oklahoma arrest records contain information regarding a person’s arrest, detention, or confinement by members of law enforcement. In the state of Oklahoma, when a person is arrested and taken into custody and/or charged with a misdemeanor, felony, or any other offense, the information becomes part of the record.

Oklahoma Arrest Warrants

An Oklahoma arrest warrant is an official document that authorizes the arrest of the person (or persons) named in the warrant by law enforcement officers. Warrants are signed and issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the regional jurisdictions. Persons who worry about outstanding warrants for their arrest may perform a warrant search with the agency in person, online, or through a proxy. Most Sheriff's offices and police departments post public information about active warrants on their websites. Interested persons may conduct an active warrant search on such websites.

Warrantless arrests are allowed in Oklahoma if certain conditions are met. In compliance with state laws, police officers may make arrests without a warrant if:

• They witness an individual committing a crime
• They have probable cause for an arrest

Individuals who are arrested are processed at the local police station or sheriff’s office, depending on the charges and arresting agency.

How to Lookup Oklahoma Inmate Records

Oklahoma inmate records contain official information of persons held in correctional facilities within the state. The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) is tasked with the oversight of the state’s prisons and community correction center, while county sheriffs and local police manage county and city jails. Public information on inmates can be accessed in person or online by contacting the overseeing agency. Some of the details provided in an inmate search include:

• The inmate’s name
• Date of birth
• Physical descriptors
• Incarceration date
• Details of the inmate’s offense
• Inmate photo (mugshot)
• Expected date of release

How Do I Find Sex Offenders in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma sex offender registry is a public listing of all offenders who were convicted of committing a sex crime in Oklahoma. Oklahoma enacted its Sex Offenders Registration Act, also known as Megan’s Law, to ensure a publicly accessible database of persons convicted of sex crimes or attempts to commit sex crimes.

Concerned residents of Oklahoma can perform a name-based search of suspected or known sex offenders in their communities. There is also a provision to perform an appearance search and map search for sex offenders in the state. A query will return the registered sex offender’s name, address, criminal history, and physical descriptors. Sex offender listings make it easier for law enforcement officers to keep track of sex offenders. It also provides publicly available information on sex offenders to citizens and residents of Oklahoma.

Understanding DUI Laws in Oklahoma

A DUI in Oklahoma refers to driving or operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) at or above the legal limit of 0.08. Generally, officers of the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office conduct field and chemical sobriety tests to determine if a person is driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances. If indicted, the Department of Public Safety shall suspend the driver’s license pending a court hearing and administrative review.

DUI is a serious traffic violation. Generally, the penalties for drunk driving in Oklahoma include fines, fees, license revocation, and jail time. The court may also order the driver to install an ignition interlock device, complete a driver’s education program, or substance abuse treatment - all at a personal cost. Furthermore, the DUI conviction remains on the individual’s driving record for life.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma has a zero-tolerance policy for minors facing DUI charges. Consuming any amount of alcohol and driving is a misdemeanor punishable by fines and jail time - even for an underage driver. The driver also faces mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device in the motor vehicle.

Oklahoma Misdemeanors Laws: Offenses and Penalties

Misdemeanors are a category of crimes in Oklahoma that are "less severe than felonies". Individuals convicted of crimes in this category risk facing a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail, up to $500 in fines, or a combination of both. Unlike most states, the state of Oklahoma does not organize misdemeanors into separate categories. Instead, in Oklahoma, the penalty for misdemeanor crimes is determined by the type of crime and the severity of the act. Examples of misdemeanor crimes in Oklahoma include:

• Petit Larceny (Petty theft)
• Public intoxication
• Driving under the influence
• Prostitution
• False rumors or slander
• Stalking
• Assault and battery (depending on the degree)
• Unlawful Assembly
• Selling lottery tickets
• Simple drug possession

Oklahoma Felony Laws: Offenses and Penalties

A felony offense in Oklahoma is any crime punishable by more than 1 year. Depending on the offense, felony convictions may even be punished by death. Unlike most states, Oklahoma does not classify felonies into different categories. Instead, each offense has its own penalties associated with it. Examples of crimes that rank as felonies in Oklahoma include:

• Homicide (murder)
• Rape
• Child Abuse
• Child Sexual Abuse
• Armed Robbery
• Rape
• Drug Trafficking
• Possession with intent to distribute
• Sexual assault
• Second DUI offense

Are Probation Records Public in Oklahoma?

Probation records are official documents that provide the details and conditions linked with a person’s probation. It contains general information such as:

• Details of the supervision during probation
• The duration of the probation
• The amount to be repaid
• The frequency of check-ins with a probation officer

Probation records fall under the umbrella of public records, which means they can be accessed by almost any member of the public. There are however exceptions. Probation records for juveniles remain sealed until the offender is an adult. However, guardians and parents of minors out on probation may be able to secure these records.

Are Juvenile Criminal Records Public in Oklahoma?

Oregon Juvenile records are closed to the public. A juvenile criminal record is an official record of information regarding criminal activity committed by children or adolescents who are not yet of legal adult age. Juveniles are not considered to be convicted of a crime like an adult but instead are found to be “adjudicated delinquent”. These criminal records are often mistakenly thought to be erased or expunged once a person becomes of legal adult age, but in fact, the record remains unless the person petitions to have it expunged. If a person was found adjudicated delinquent to a criminal offense, they do not have to respond “yes” if asked whether they have ever been convicted of a crime unless the question specifically asks if they were ever adjudicated delinquent as well.

Oklahoma History and Accuracy of Criminal Records

The accuracy of criminal records data depends on the recordkeeping and technological capabilities of the jurisdiction where the record was assembled and later digitized. Oklahoma criminal records archives usually tend to go back as far as the 1970s when criminal and arrest data started to be centralized and compiled into an organized database, much like we use today. Accuracy was more commonly affected by human error in the past, but in the 1990s, the quality and accuracy of recordkeeping improved exponentially due to the advent of the computer.

Find Oklahoma Criminal History Record Free

A criminal history record is a document that contains comprehensive information about an individual’s arrests, convictions, and incarcerations, informally referred to as a RAP (Record of Arrests and Prosecutions) sheet, often maintained by a government or law enforcement agency.

In Oklahoma, the government ensures that public records are accessible by the citizens of the state at every level according to the Oklahoma Open Records Act to maintain transparency between the people and leaders of the state. Criminal records in Oklahoma are kept by the government in a repository overseen by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and can be accessed in the following specified ways:

The first and easiest option is to run an online search using third-party websites that are custodians of such records. This type of search has a few limitations concerning the records that can be found, basically general information like name, date of birth, details of the arrest, crime summary, physical descriptions, and details of the conviction are provided. Anything beyond these may not be available, especially records that would disrupt criminal investigations and there is no guarantee of information accuracy.

Under the Oklahoma Open Records Act, anyone seeking to access criminal records can use the official online portal provided by the OSBI, known as the Criminal History Information Request portal (CHIRP) to run a name-based search. This can only be conducted by registered users, and in addition to the First and Last names of individuals, request criteria must also include Date of Birth, and other details(such as social security number, nicknames, maiden names, etc.) provided would simply aid the search precision. This type of search cost a fee of $15.00 as stipulated under the Open Records Act Title 74 § 150.9 (B)(2), and searches can include three (3) aliases at no extra cost.

The requester can also fill out an online request form and send it by Fax: ((405) 879-2503), in person, or via mail to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, 6600 N. Harvey, Oklahoma City, OK 73116.

Two other search categories may cost a little extra because the information is stored at different repositories but is still accessible through CHIRP. These include the Oklahoma Sex Offender (SOR) and Mary Rippy Violent Offender (VOR), with databases maintained by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) and each costing an extra $2.00.

Note: an extra $1 charge is to be paid for online convenience transactions and all payments can be made using credit cards or electronic money transfers. OSBI customers, who bill their searches to their organization’s account, are not charged per transaction but rather monthly.

Finally, for fingerprint-based searches, the requester can visit the OSBI state headquarters lobby; however, an appointment is required for this type of visit as only a limited number of individuals are allowed at the premises at one time. Call (405) 848-6724, to book an appointment through the Ten Print Unit.

Are Police Records Public in Oklahoma?

To a substantial degree, Yes, Police Records are public in Oklahoma. Police records are primarily files containing information on individuals, which are received or developed by law enforcement agencies, and used for investigations and prosecution of crimes. These may detail information on arrest reports, investigation records, traffic violation data, crime incident reports, etc.

According to the Oklahoma Open Records Act, which ultimately serves to make laws that grant the citizens of the state access to public records as provided by the government, police records fall under the category of records that are available for public consumption. However, a few exemptions may apply to disclosure, and in the case of police records, these are mostly information that has the potential of putting the third party at risk or distorting the process of investigation and eventually resulting in the inaccuracy of justice. Suppose these concerns do not arise, the requester is at liberty to look up these records.

How to Obtain Police Records in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) works with law enforcement agencies across the entire state to collect, store and disseminate public records to the citizens. Individuals that want to access police records can simply use the CHIRP online portal for the retrieval of such data; this serves as the designated state repository for criminal records. As earlier stated in the initial section of this page, the online portal provides information through a name-based search, or requesters can fill out the criminal records form and submit it through Fax, in person, or via mail.

Individuals could also consult the law enforcement agency to file a request based on the city or county they reside in, and if records are available and not restricted, then disclosure is sure. The determinants for disclosure draw from the exemptions captured in the Oklahoma Open Records Act and these are information that may endanger the lives of witnesses, and investigating officers or ultimately interfere with the investigation.

Are Police Reports Public in Oklahoma?

A police report is a document that details the names of witnesses, dates, locations, times, and facts of an incident. The report is compiled by the reporting officer of the law enforcement agency within the jurisdiction of such an event. There are three main types of police reports:

Arrest Report: This is a report that contains information about an arrest made by a law enforcement agency. Information such as the names of suspects, the nature of crime or incident, offense classification, and place of incident.

Accident Report: This kind of police report contains information about a motor accident that has occurred, with details such as names of victims, accident location, victims’ contact information, and other facts extracted at the scene of the accident.

Incident/Crime Report: This kind of report contains information regarding a crime or an incident including cases such as robbery, fraud, rape, etc.

In Oklahoma, police reports are public records, based on the Record Act, and hence available for public access except in situations where there are exemptions that apply, which in most cases are common to information that when disclosed would put witnesses in harm’s way or compromise an ongoing investigation. Disclosure would largely depend on who is requesting and the reasons for filing such a request.

Summarily, police reports are critical in the process of investigation of any incident within the criminal justice system, and as such must be handled with a great deal of discretion especially when the case in question has not been concluded, as justice would largely depend on the credibility of the information provided in the report.

How to File Police Report with Oklahoma Law Enforcement

Having established the fact that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation serves as the designated agency for the custody of all state criminal records in previous sections, it is needful to point out that the OSBI receives monthly crimes and arrest reports from over 400 sheriff’s offices and police departments statewide. Under the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), all law enforcement agencies are required to submit crime reports through an electronic system known as the State Incident-based reporting System (SIBRS) to the state repository.

Based on this, the state legislature makes provisions for citizens to file police reports to their respective law enforcement agencies, based on city and county. This service is mostly available by the deployment of online platforms where individuals can quickly file reports and the criteria for filing these reports vary based on jurisdiction. Below are a few general considerations before filing police reports online in Oklahoma:

• The incident is not an emergency
• The incident does not require law enforcement personnel to show up at the scene.
• Incidents of vandalism.
• Petit larceny.
• Theft involving items less than $1000.
• Incidents involving loss of items or property.
• Incidents involving harassment, threatening or obscene phone calls.
• Any other misdemeanor where there is no evidence and suspect on the ground.

Note that the above-mentioned criteria may vary based on jurisdiction. Individuals can proceed to file a report by filling out the online report form and making a submission once these conditions pan out based on the city or county. In some cases like in the city of Bixby, after the police department has received a report, an officer, is assigned to place a call or send an email across to the complainant, to get more details and give directives on the next course of action, and then the records division would require a copy.

Where to Find Free Public Police Records in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Open Records Act allows citizens of the state to be able to access public records freely through the designated state repository. It is by law mandated that the government and law enforcement agencies in the custody of such records do not withhold the requested record unless it falls under the exemptions as stipulated in the Act. Police records are available at no cost except for the processing fees that may apply for reproduction.

Requesters can visit the appropriate agency to retrieve needed records or simply use the online retrieval method. By performing a name-based search on the investigation bureau website, anyone can access police records, at a minimal processing fee. The other option is to use third-party websites, at the risk of getting unverified data, this could be helpful but it all depends on the nature of the required record.

How to Find Mugshots in Oklahoma

A mugshot is a photograph of an arrested or convicted person taken by law enforcement, for the sake of reference and documentation. This picture usually captures the appearance of the subject from the face to the shoulders, with front and side views.

In Oklahoma, mugshots are public records according to the Open Records, and available to the public by filing a request on the CHIRP portal or through the respective city and county law enforcement agency online portal. Though mugshots are not restricted records, they usually do not show up in a search. For instance, you can use the Department of Corrections (DOC) portal for sex offender records, which would then display mugshots. Most court records involving sex crimes are not public; however, individuals can access mugshots if not under an exemption.