Oklahoma Arrest Records
Oklahoma arrest records are part of a police report or a person’s criminal record, which details information on any arrest by law enforcement agencies. Under the Oklahoma Open Record Act, arrest records are public and are available for inspection unless it involves a juvenile.
An arrest record contains personal information like a name, date of birth, physical descriptors, mugshots, arrest details, a summary of crimes, and details of convictions, if any. Warrants for arrest also need to contain the following:
- Date the warrant was issued
- County, city, or the town where the warrant was issued
- Signature and title of the issuing judge
- Time of day when the warrant can be served within the limits of what is statutorily allowed (any time of day or night for felonies and from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m for misdemeanors)
What Laws Govern Arrests in Oklahoma?
Under state laws, a law enforcer can obtain a warrant after submitting a completed affidavit to a judge. Once the judge determines the probable cause of an offense, a warrant of arrest can be issued.
When a warrant is not available, an officer can still make an arrest if they have “reasonable information that the subject is charged in another state with a crime punishable by death” or needs to be imprisoned for more than a year. An arrest without a warrant is also allowed when an offender commits a crime in public or when a law officer has a reasonable cause that someone has committed a crime.
An officer can also make an arrest without a warrant provided they immediately bring the person before a judge to make a complaint and set the grounds for the arrest.
Law enforcement officers can also request the assistance of private citizens to serve a warrant or make an arrest, use force when needed, and break into any property if the person named on the warrant refuses the arrest.
What Is the Arrest Booking Process in Oklahoma?
After an arrest, the arresting officer must remain with the offender until the latter is transported to the sheriff’s station or a correctional facility. The booking process can take hours following the procedures of taking the offender’s personal effects into custody, gathering personal information, routine questioning, taking mugshots for offender profiles, and possible fingerprinting, especially when the offense is a felony.
After the whole process, the offender has to wait between 24 to 48 hours to see a judge, make a plea, and set bail or bond.
What Are Oklahoma Mugshot Records?
Mugshots are part of Oklahoma arrest records that detail a person’s present condition during the time of the arrest. A mugshot also shows a person’s appearance from the shoulders up with different views from front to side. Since mugshots are part of a person’s criminal history, they are public and are accessible via third-party websites or through the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s Criminal History Information Request Portal (CHIRP).
How Long Does an Arrest Record Stay in Oklahoma?
Arrest records remain in Oklahoma unless the person arrested files for expungement. Depending on the nature of the offense, expungement can be immediate or take as long as 10 years for multiple offenses if committed in a span of seven years.
How To Expunge an Arrest Record in Oklahoma
The first step to expunge Oklahoma arrest records is to go to the county court where the arrest was charged. The arrested person must file the petition to the clerk and pay the processing fee of $150, wait for the hearing date, and make sure that all legal requirements are met to ensure the expungement of the arrests.
Note that multiple arrest records can be expunged as long as it is within one county. If not, a person arrested in different counties must also file separate expungement for each county, which includes paying separate expungement fees.
Another thing to note is that violent felonies are exempted for expungement, including manslaughter, murder, assault, rape, and trafficking,, to name a few.
How To Search Oklahoma Arrest Records
One can search for Oklahoma arrest records using the CHIRP portal. Requesters only need to type in a name and date of birth to search. A social security number (SSN) will also help narrow down and make each search more accurate. Take note that CHIRP is not free and comes with a $15 fee for every name-based check.
Another way is to visit the local county clerk or the sheriff’s office to check for arrest records. Third-party sites are also available as a source of information; though the available data may not be updated or may be limited, but they offer free information on arrest records in the state.
Counties in Oklahoma
- Adair
- Alfalfa
- Atoka
- Beaver
- Beckham
- Blaine
- Bryan
- Caddo
- Canadian
- Carter
- Cherokee
- Choctaw
- Cimarron
- Cleveland
- Coal
- Comanche
- Cotton
- Craig
- Creek
- Custer
- Delaware
- Dewey
- Ellis
- Garfield
- Garvin
- Grady
- Grant
- Greer
- Harmon
- Harper
- Haskell
- Hughes
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Johnston
- Kay
- Kingfisher
- Kiowa
- Latimer
- Le Flore
- Lincoln
- Logan
- Love
- Major
- Marshall
- Mayes
- Mcclain
- Mccurtain
- Mcintosh
- Murray
- Muskogee
- Noble
- Nowata
- Okfuskee
- Oklahoma
- Okmulgee
- Osage
- Ottawa
- Pawnee
- Payne
- Pittsburg
- Pontotoc
- Pottawatomie
- Pushmataha
- Roger Mills
- Rogers
- Seminole
- Sequoyah
- Stephens
- Texas
- Tillman
- Tulsa
- Wagoner
- Washington
- Washita
- Woods
- Woodward