Oklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records Service

Oklahoma · Vital Records

oklahoma.gov/health/services/birth-and-death-certificates/death-certificates.html

State Vital Records in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records Service issues certified copies of death certificates for deaths that occurred in Oklahoma. Executors and surviving family order certified copies to close accounts, file insurance claims, and transfer titles; the office sets the fees, eligibility rules, and processing times.

Steps to takeKey facts

Steps to take when someone dies

1
Confirm the death occurred in Oklahoma; the record belongs to the state where the death occurred, regardless of where the deceased lived.
2
Order certified copies through any of the office's channels:
  • •Online: Order through VitalChek ($20 first copy for Oklahoma residents; mail delivery or Will Call pickup within 2 business days)
  • •By phone: Call (405) 426-8880 to order through VitalChek
  • •By mail: Mail request (mail orders are not expedited)
3
Include what the office requires with the order:
  • •Completed and signed request form
  • •Copy of one primary photo ID (may be expired up to 3 years) or two secondary IDs, one showing a current address
  • •Proof of relationship or legal need, unless the applicant is the deceased's parent, spouse, or the informant on the certificate
  • •Payment of the fee
4
Allow the office's processing time (1-2 business days for online/phone; 6-16 weeks for mail).

State Vital Records in Oklahoma: key facts

What Oklahoma says9

Administering office

Oklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records Service.1

Office location and hours

Will Call pickup 12:00 p.m.-4:45 p.m., Monday-Friday (no walk-in applications).1

Mail orders

Vital Records Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health, PO Box 248964, Oklahoma City, OK 73124-8964.1

Certificate fee

$15 for the first certified copy; $15 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.1

Processing time

1-2 business days for online/phone; 6-16 weeks for mail.1

Who may order

Surviving spouse, parent, child, grandparent, sibling, or legal guardian; Another relative who can document a familial relationship with the deceased; A former spouse, with proof of marriage and of the administrative need for the certificate; Legal representative of the estate, documented by court order.1

A co-owner or joint tenant on real or personal property of the decedent; A person named in the decedent's will, provided the will is in probate; A person with a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction; The funeral director of record.1

Filing deadline

The death certificate must be filed within 3 days.2

Public record

Death records become public 50 years after the death.1

Records available from

October 1908.1

Governing law: Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 1-317 (Death certificate)

Sources2

  1. 1.Oklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records Service
  2. 2.Oklahoma death-certificate filing rule (Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 1-317 (Death certificate); Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 1-319 (Disinterment permit; out-of-state transit permits honored); Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 101 (Burial-transit permit for common-carrier shipment); Okla. Stat. tit. 21, §§ 1152-1153 (Duty of burial; removal to another state); Okla. Stat. tit. 59, §§ 396.12b, 396.19 (Family exemption); Okla. Stat. tit. 8, §§ 182-183 (Certificate of authority to establish a cemetery); OAC 235:10-11-1 (24-hour disposal and refrigeration rule; approved place of disposition))

Oklahoma vital records offices

Oklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records Service

Phone

405-426-8880

Hours

Will Call pickup 12:00 p.m.-4:45 p.m., Monday-Friday (no walk-in applications)

Mailing address

Vital Records Service, Oklahoma State Department of Health, PO Box 248964, Oklahoma City, OK 73124-8964
Verified Oct 2026

Tools for Settling an Estate in Oklahoma

Free tools for settling an estate in Oklahoma: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines, and inheritance taxes.

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?

In Oklahoma, certified death certificates come from the Oklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records ServiceOklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records ServiceVerified Oct 15, 2026View source; the first copy costs $15Oklahoma State Department of Health - Vital Records ServiceVerified Oct 15, 2026View source.

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How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in Oklahoma: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 days58 O.S. §§ 281, 289Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 2 monthsOkla. Stat. tit. 58, §§ 331, 333, 591Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.

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