Oklahoma Birth and Death Record Searches

Eligible applicants must be working in the best interest of the subject of the record.

Birth Records:

• The subject (or parent of the subject of the record if a minor) may obtain the record directly
• All others (spouse, grandparent, children, etc.) should bring a signed authorization from the subject of the record and a copy of the subject's ID
• Legal representatives will need to provide a proof of legal relationship, i.e. court order, client agreement, etc.

Death Records:

• Applicant must provide proof of familial or legal relationship, i.e. birth, death or marriage certificates; court orders, legal will and testament, contracts, etc.

Genealogists will need written permission from the subject (if alive) or a family member if the subject is deceased. Proof of relationship between the family member and the deceased will be required. If the subject is deceased and the state of Oklahoma was not previously notified, you will be required to provide a copy of the death certificate.

A. To protect the integrity of vital statistics records, to ensure their proper use, and to ensure the efficient and proper administration of the vital statistics system, it shall be unlawful for any person to permit inspection of, or to disclose information contained in, vital statistics records, or to copy or issue a copy of all or part of any such record except to:

1. The person who is the subject of the record
2. A parent named on the record or a person acting with the parent's permission
3. Somone acting with permission of the person who is the subject of the record
4. Someone acting as a legal representative of the estate of the person who is the subject of the record
5. Someone acting as a legal representative of a person involved in a probate of the estate of the person who is the subject of the record, as demonstrated by affidavit
6. An attorney licensed to practice in the United States who demonstrates by affidavit that the record is necessary in order to administer a client's estate
7. Someone in receipt of a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction ordering access to the record
8. The Attorney General or to any district attorney upon request in the course of a criminal investigation
9. Only in the case of a death certificate, a funeral director
10. A representative of the Department of Corrections, when the subject of the record is under supervision of the Department of Corrections
11. Any other person working in the best interest of the subject of the record, as determined by regulations of the State Board of Health

B. The State Department of Health shall, by July 1, 2017, make available an online public index that includes, as is applicable, the name, gender, date of birth, date of death, county of birth, and county of death of all persons in its records. Birth data shall not be added to the index until twenty (20) years after the birth. Death data shall not be added to the index until five (5) years after the death. The index shall be made available online at no cost to users.

OK2Explore  is a free searchable index of births and deaths that occurred in the state of Oklahoma. 

• Search by type of event (birth or death), date of event, county of event, name of the subject and sex of the subject
• Identify whether a record is on file with the Department of Vital Records in Oklahoma without paying a search fee
• Information from records of births occurring in Oklahoma 20 or more years ago and records of deaths occurring in Oklahoma five (5) or more years ago

Searching to see if the record is on file through OK2Explore is a different process than ordering the record once it has been identified. If you would like to order a record, a non-refundable search fee of $15 per record is required before locating the record and issuing a copy. Additional copies may be obtained for $15 each. 

Request a search by submitting a completed application online, over the phone or through the mail with a valid identification/photo ID, the required fees, and proof of eligibility.

Please note, eligibility rules will still apply for non-open records.