How to file to clear a record in Oklahoma

Where and how you file in Oklahoma, the fee and the official forms.

Checked against official sources: October 25, 2026.

Short answer

File a petition in the district court of the county where the arrest record is. The court sets a hearing and gives 30 days' notice to the prosecutor, arresting agency and OSBI (if you were exonerated by DNA or have a full pardon, you can ask for a hearing within 30 days, with 10 days' notice).

Main remedy
Section 18 expungement – non-conviction records (22 O.S. § 18(A)(1)-(3), (5), (7), (14))
Cost
OSBI charges a $150 processing fee to expunge an arrest record, plus any fees of local law enforcement agencies; expunging the court record at OSBI is free (OSBI).

Filing step by step in Oklahoma

Section 18 expungement – non-conviction records (22 O.S. § 18(A)(1)-(3), (5), (7), (14))

File a petition in the district court of the county where the arrest record is. The court sets a hearing and gives 30 days' notice to the prosecutor, arresting agency and OSBI (if you were exonerated by DNA or have a full pardon, you can ask for a hearing within 30 days, with 10 days' notice). The judge seals the record if the harm to your privacy outweighs the public interest in keeping it open. Several eligible offenses in one county can go in one petition; a separate petition is needed for each county.

Cost
OSBI charges a $150 processing fee to expunge an arrest record, plus any fees of local law enforcement agencies; expunging the court record at OSBI is free (OSBI). The district court filing fee is set by the court. If DNA evidence proved your innocence and the petition is granted, the court must order your filing fees and court costs reimbursed.

Law: 22 O.S. § 19(R)

Section 18 expungement – deferred sentences and convictions (22 O.S. § 18(A)(8)-(13), (15))

Petition the district court in the county where the arrest record is; 30 days' notice to the prosecutor, arresting agency and OSBI; hearing; the judge weighs your privacy against the public interest. These records are only partially sealed: hidden from the public but not from law enforcement, and they can be used to prove a prior conviction or deferred judgment in a later prosecution.

Law: 22 O.S. § 18(E)

Cost
OSBI charges a $150 processing fee to expunge an arrest record, plus any local law enforcement fees (OSBI). Court filing fees are set by the court.

Law: 22 O.S. § 18(E)

Section 991c expungement after a deferred sentence (22 O.S. § 991c)

Handled in the court where the deferred sentence was given; send the order to OSBI so the disposition is updated.

Court self-help

Checklist: what to gather before you file

What changes afterwards

After sealing, the case is treated as never having happened: you and criminal justice agencies may say no such action occurred. Employers, schools and government agencies may not require you to disclose sealed records, and you may state that no such action occurred. Exceptions: 'partially sealed' records (deferred dismissals, convictions, pardons, identity theft, reclassified felonies) stay visible to law enforcement, deferred dismissals and convictions can prove a prior offense in a later prosecution, and sealed records may be used to impeach a witness or as character evidence.

Law: 22 O.S. § 18(B), (E); § 19(H), (J), (Q)

Exclusions in Oklahoma

  • Section 18 expungement – non-conviction records (22 O.S. § 18(A)(1)-(3), (5), (7), (14)): Dismissal category requires that you have never been convicted of a felony and have no pending charges; it does not cover charges dismissed after a deferred judgment or delayed sentence (see the deferred categories).
  • Section 18 expungement – deferred sentences and convictions (22 O.S. § 18(A)(8)-(13), (15)): The nonviolent felony categories exclude violent offenses listed in 57 O.S. § 571. The two-felony categories (convictions and deferred dismissals) exclude offenses listed in 21 O.S. § 13.1 and offenses requiring sex offender registration. Pending charges make you ineligible.

Law: 22 O.S. §§ 18, 19 (as amended through Laws 2024, c. 259 and c. 452, and Laws 2025, c. 292); 22 O.S. §§ 18(A)(8)-(13), (15), 19; 22 O.S. § 18 as amended by SB 2038 (Laws 2024, c. 452, § 12)

Get your own record in Oklahoma

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) · 405-879-2641

Fill out the OSBI Criminal History Request Form and submit it by fax (405-879-2503, credit card only), mail or in person at 6600 N. Harvey, Oklahoma City, OK 73116, or online through CHIRP. Fees: $15 name-based, $19 fingerprint-based (fingerprint cards must be mailed or brought in).

Letter: ask the state records office for a copy of your record

In nearby states

  • Kansas: Docket fee of $176 set by statute. From July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030 the Kansas Supreme Court may add a charge of up to $19, so some courts collect $195.
  • Arkansas: No filing fee: the clerk may not collect a fee for filing a uniform petition to seal.
  • Texas: The filing fee is set by each county; ask the district clerk. The clerk charges $25 for each listed agency that cannot receive notice electronically.

What to do now in Oklahoma

  1. Gather your papers

    Gather the papers for each case before you start. Checklist: what to gather before you file.

  3. File and serve

    The clerk takes the petition; the court may set a hearing.

  4. Talk to legal aid

    Ask for free help: Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma.

Where to get free help in Oklahoma

Questions about filing in Oklahoma

How long do I have to wait in Oklahoma?

Acquitted, reversed on appeal, or DNA exoneration: No waiting period, counted from the acquittal, reversal or exoneration; Arrested, no charges filed: You can petition once the prosecutor declines to file charges or the time limit to file has passed, counted from the prosecutor declining to file, or the statute of limitations running out; All charges dismissed (not after a deferred sentence): You can petition once the charges cannot or will not be refiled, if you have never been convicted of a felony and have no pending charges, counted from the statute of limitations running out, or the prosecutor confirming the charges will not be refiled; Misdemeanor dismissed after deferred sentence: 1 year, counted from the dismissal.

What is the filing fee in Oklahoma?

Section 18 expungement – non-conviction records: OSBI charges a $150 processing fee to expunge an arrest record, plus any fees of local law enforcement agencies; expunging the court record at OSBI is free (OSBI). The district court filing fee is set by the court. If DNA evidence proved your innocence and the petition is granted, the court must order your filing fees and court costs reimbursed. Section 18 expungement – deferred sentences and convictions: OSBI charges a $150 processing fee to expunge an arrest record, plus any local law enforcement fees (OSBI). Court filing fees are set by the court.

Where do I get my own record in Oklahoma?

Fill out the OSBI Criminal History Request Form and submit it by fax (405-879-2503, credit card only), mail or in person at 6600 N. Harvey, Oklahoma City, OK 73116, or online through CHIRP. Fees: $15 name-based, $19 fingerprint-based (fingerprint cards must be mailed or brought in).

Is there free help to clear a record in Oklahoma?

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma.

Keep reading about Oklahoma