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2023 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 51. Officers
§51-24A.5. Inspection, copying and/or mechanical reproduction of records - Exemptions.

Universal Citation:
51 OK Stat § 24A.5 (2023)
Learn more This media-neutral citation is based on the American Association of Law Libraries Universal Citation Guide and is not necessarily the official citation.
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All records of public bodies and public officials shall be open to any person for inspection, copying, or mechanical reproduction during regular business hours; provided:

1. The Oklahoma Open Records Act, Sections 24A.1 through 24A.30 of this title, does not apply to records specifically required by law to be kept confidential including:

  • a.records protected by a state evidentiary privilege such as the attorney-client privilege, the work product immunity from discovery and the identity of informer privileges,
  • b.records of what transpired during meetings of a public body lawfully closed to the public such as executive sessions authorized under the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act,
  • c.personal information within driver records as defined by the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, 18 United States Code, Sections 2721 through 2725,
  • d.information in the files of the Board of Medicolegal Investigations obtained pursuant to Sections 940 and 941 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes that may be hearsay, preliminary unsubstantiated investigation-related findings, or confidential medical information,
  • e.any test forms, question banks and answer keys developed for state licensure examinations, but specifically excluding test preparation materials or study guides, or
  • f.last names, addresses, social security numbers or tax identification numbers, and proof of identification submitted to the Oklahoma Lottery Commission by persons claiming a lottery prize;

2. All Social Security numbers included in a record may be confidential regardless of the person’s status as a public employee or private individual and may be redacted or deleted prior to release of the record by the public body;

3. Any reasonably segregable portion of a record containing exempt material shall be provided after deletion of the exempt portions; provided however, the Department of Public Safety shall not be required to assemble for the requesting person specific information, in any format, from driving records relating to any person whose name and date of birth or whose driver license number is not furnished by the requesting person.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall not be required to assemble for the requesting person any criminal history records relating to persons whose names, dates of birth, and other identifying information required by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation pursuant to administrative rule are not furnished by the requesting person;

4. Any request for a record which contains individual records of persons, and the cost of copying, reproducing or certifying each individual record is otherwise prescribed by state law, the cost may be assessed for each individual record, or portion thereof requested as prescribed by state law. Otherwise, a public body may charge a fee only for recovery of the reasonable, direct costs of record copying, or mechanical reproduction. Notwithstanding any state or local provision to the contrary, in no instance shall the record copying fee exceed twenty-five cents ($0.25) per page for records having the dimensions of eight and one-half (8 1/2) by fourteen (14) inches or smaller, or a maximum of One Dollar ($1.00) per copied page for a certified copy. However, if the request:

  • a.is solely for commercial purpose, or
  • b.would clearly cause excessive disruption of the essential functions of the public body,

then the public body may charge a reasonable fee to recover the direct cost of record search and copying; however, publication in a newspaper or broadcast by news media for news purposes shall not constitute a resale or use of a record for trade or commercial purpose and charges for providing copies of electronic data to the news media for a news purpose shall not exceed the direct cost of making the copy. The fee charged by the Department of Public Safety for a copy in a computerized format of a record of the Department shall not exceed the direct cost of making the copy unless the fee for the record is otherwise set by law.

Any public body establishing fees under this act shall post a written schedule of the fees at its principal office and with the county clerk.

In no case shall a search fee be charged when the release of records is in the public interest, including, but not limited to, release to the news media, scholars, authors and taxpayers seeking to determine whether those entrusted with the affairs of the government are honestly, faithfully, and competently performing their duties as public servants.

The fees shall not be used for the purpose of discouraging requests for information or as obstacles to disclosure of requested information;

5. The land description tract index of all recorded instruments concerning real property required to be kept by the county clerk of any county shall be available for inspection or copying in accordance with the provisions of the Oklahoma Open Records Act; provided, however, the index shall not be copied or mechanically reproduced for the purpose of sale of the information;

6. A public body must provide prompt, reasonable access to its records but may establish reasonable procedures which protect the integrity and organization of its records and to prevent excessive disruptions of its essential functions. A delay in providing access to records shall be limited solely to the time required for preparing the requested documents and the avoidance of excessive disruptions of the public body’s essential functions. In no event may production of a current request for records be unreasonably delayed until after completion of a prior records request that will take substantially longer than the current request. Any public body which makes the requested records available on the Internet shall meet the obligation of providing prompt, reasonable access to its records as required by this paragraph; and

7. A public body shall designate certain persons who are authorized to release records of the public body for inspection, copying, or mechanical reproduction. At least one person shall be available at all times to release records during the regular business hours of the public body.

Added by Laws 1985, c. 355, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 1985. Amended by Laws 1986, c. 213, § 1, emerg. eff. June 6, 1986; Laws 1986, c. 279, § 29, operative July 1, 1986; Laws 1988, c. 187, § 4, emerg. eff. June 6, 1988; Laws 1992, c. 231, § 2, emerg. eff. May 19, 1992; Laws 1993, c. 97, § 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Laws 1996, c. 209, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 1996; Laws 2000, c. 342, § 8, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2001, c. 137, § 1, emerg. eff. April 24, 2001; Laws 2005, c. 199, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 2005; Laws 2006, c. 16, § 34, emerg. eff. March 29, 2006; Laws 2015, c. 370, § 1, emerg. eff. June 4, 2015; Laws 2016, c. 54, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2016; Laws 2016, c. 192, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2016; Laws 2017, c. 202, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2017; Laws 2023, c. 332, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 2023.

NOTE: Laws 2005, c. 223, § 1 repealed by Laws 2006, c. 16, § 35, emerg. eff. March 29, 2006.

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