OKLAHOMA STATE LAWS

The laws governing the legal use, storage and carrying of firearms are constantly changing. Below are the applicable laws in the State of Oklahoma as of November 2013. The information on this page is designed to be a guide and not the final word. If you have specific questions, please refer to this document from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

TITLE 21 § 1290.1   SHORT TITLE
Sections 1 through 25 of this act shall be known and may be cited as the “Oklahoma Self-Defense Act”.

TITLE 21 § 1290.2   DEFINITIONS
As used in the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act:

1. “Concealed handgun” means a loaded or unloaded pistol the presence of which is not openly discernible to the ordinary observation of a reasonable person; 
   
2. “Unconcealed handgun” means a loaded or unloaded pistol carried upon the person in a belt holster or shoulder holster that is wholly or partially visible, or carried upon the person in a scabbard or case designed for carrying firearms that is wholly or partially visible; and
   
3. Pistol means any derringer, revolver or semiautomatic firearm which:
   

• has an overall length of less that sixteen (16) inches,
  
• is capable of discharging a projectile composed of any material which may reasonably be expected to be able to cause lethal injury,
  
• is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand, and
  
• uses either gunpowder, gas or any means of rocket propulsion to discharge the projectile.

TITLE 21 § 1290.3   AUTHORITY TO ISSUE LICENSE
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is hereby authorized to license an eligible person to carry a concealed or unconcealed handgun as provided by the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. The authority of the Bureau shall be limited to the provisions specifically provided in the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. The Bureau shall promulgate rules, forms and procedures necessary to implement the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act.

TITLE 21 § 1290.4   UNLAWFUL CARRY
As provided by Section 1272 of this title, it is unlawful for any person to carry a concealed or unconcealed handgun in this state, except as hereby authorized by the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act or as may otherwise be provided by law.

TITLE 21 § 1290.5 TERM OF LICENSE AND RENEWAL
A.  A handgun license when issued shall authorize the person to whom the license is issued to carry a loaded or unloaded handgun, concealed or unconcealed, as authorized by the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, and any future modifications thereto. The license shall be valid in this state for a period of five (5) or ten (10) years, unless subsequently surrendered, suspended or revoked as provided by law. The person shall have no authority to continue to carry a concealed or unconcealed handgun in this state pursuant to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act when a license is expired or when a license has been voluntarily surrendered or suspended or revoked for any reason. 

B.  A license may be renewed any time within ninety (90) days prior to the expiration date as provided in this subsection. The Bureau shall send a renewal application to each eligible licensee with a return address requested. There shall be a thirty-day grace period on license renewals beginning on the date of expiration, thereafter the license is considered expired. However, any applicant shall have three (3) years from the expiration of the license to comply with the renewal requirements of this section.

1. To renew a handgun license, the licensee must first obtain a renewal form from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. 
2. The applicant must complete the renewal form, attach two current passport size photographs of the applicant, and submit a renewal fee in the amount of Eighty-five Dollars ($85.00) to the Bureau. The renewal fee may be paid with a nationally recognized credit card as provided in subparagraph b of paragraph 4 of subsection A of Section 1290.12 of this title, or by a cashier’s check or money order made payable to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
3. Upon receipt of the renewal application, photographs and fee, the Bureau will conduct a criminal history records name search, an investigation of medical records or other records or information deemed by the Bureau to be relevant to the renewal application. If the applicant appears not to have any prohibition to renewing the handgun license, the Bureau shall issue the renewed license for a period of five (5) or ten (10) years.

C.  Beginning November 1, 2007, any person making application for a handgun license or any licensee seeking to renew a handgun license shall have the option to request that said license be valid for a period of ten (10) years. The fee for any handgun license issued for a period of ten (10) years shall be double the amount of the fee provided for in paragraph 4 of subsection A of Section 1290.12 of this title. The renewal fee for a handgun license issued for a period of ten (10) years shall be double the amount of the fee provided for in paragraph 2 of subsection B of this section. 

TITLE 21 § 1290.9   ELIGIBILITY
The following requirements shall apply to any person making application to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation for a handgun license pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. The person must:

1. Be a citizen of the United States;
   
2. Establish a residency in the State of Oklahoma. For purposes of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, the term residency shall apply to any person who either possesses a valid Oklahoma driver license or state photo identification card, and physically maintains a residence in this state or has permanent military orders within this state and possesses a valid driver license from another state where such person claims residency;
3. Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age;
   
4. Complete a firearms safety and training course and demonstrate competence and qualifications with the type of pistol to be carried by the person as provided in Section 1290.14 of this title, and submit proof of training and qualification or an exemption for training and qualification as authorized by Section 1290.14 of this title;
5. Submit the required fee and complete the application process as provided in Section 1290.12 of this title; and
   
6. Comply in good faith with the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act.
   

TITLE 21 § 1290.12   PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION
A. Except as provided in paragraph 11 of this subsection, the procedure for applying for a handgun license and processing the application shall be as follows: 

1. An eligible person may request an application packet for a handgun license from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation or the county sheriff’s office either in person or by mail. The Bureau may provide application packets to each sheriff not exceeding two hundred packets per request. The Bureau shall provide the following information in the application packet: a. an application form, b. procedures to follow to process the application form, and c. a copy of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act with any modifications thereto;
2. The person shall be required to successfully complete a firearms safety and training course from a firearms instructor who is approved and registered in this state as provided in Section 1290.14 of this title, and the person shall be required to demonstrate competency and qualification with a pistol authorized for concealed or unconcealed carry by the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. The original certificate of training shall be submitted with the application for a handgun license. No duplicate, copy, facsimile or other reproduction of the certificate of training or exemption from training shall be acceptable as proof of training as required by the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. A person exempt from the training requirements as provided in Section 1290.15 of this title must show the required proof of such exemption to the firearms instructor to receive an exemption certificate. The original exemption certificate must be submitted with the application for a handgun license when the person claims an exemption from training and qualification;
3. The application form shall be completed and delivered by the applicant, in person, to the sheriff of the county wherein the applicant resides;
4. The person shall deliver to the sheriff at the time of delivery of the completed application form a fee of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for processing the application through the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and processing the required fingerprints through the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The processing fee shall be in the form of: a. money order or a cashier's check made payable to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, or b. by a nationally recognized credit card issued to the applicant. For purposes of this paragraph,  “nationally recognized credit card” means any instrument or device, whether known as a credit card, credit plate, charge plate, or by any other name, issued with or without fee by the issuer for the use of the cardholder in obtaining goods, services, or anything else of value on credit which is accepted by over one thousand merchants in the state. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall determine which nationally recognized credit cards will be accepted by the Bureau. The processing fee shall not be refundable in the event of a denial of a handgun license or any suspension or revocation subsequent to the issuance of a license. Persons making application for a firearms instructor shall not be required to pay the application fee as provided in this section, but shall be required to pay the costs provided in paragraphs 6 and 8 of this subsection;
5. The completed application form shall be signed by the applicant in person before the sheriff. The signature shall be given voluntarily upon a sworn oath that the person knows the contents of the application and that the information contained in the application is true and correct. Any person making any false or misleading statement on an application for a handgun license shall, upon conviction, be guilty of perjury as defined by Section 491 of this title. Any conviction shall be punished as provided in Section 500 of this title. In addition to a criminal conviction, the person shall be denied the right to have a handgun license pursuant to the provisions of Section 1290.10 of this title and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall revoke the handgun license, if issued;
6. Two passport size photographs of the applicant shall be submitted with the completed application. The cost of the photographs shall be the responsibility of the applicant. The sheriff is authorized to take the photograph of the applicant for purposes of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act and, if such photographs are taken by the sheriff the cost of the photographs shall not exceed Ten Dollars ($10.00) for the two photos. All money received by the sheriff from photographing applicants pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph shall be retained by the sheriff and deposited into the Sheriff's Service Fee Account;
7. The sheriff shall witness the signature of the applicant and review or take the photographs of the applicant and shall verify that the person making application for a handgun license is the same person in the photographs submitted and the same person who signed the application form. Proof of a valid Oklahoma driver license with a photograph of the applicant or an Oklahoma State photo identification for the applicant shall be required to be presented by the applicant to the sheriff for verification of the person's identity;
8. Upon verification of the identity of the applicant, the sheriff shall take two complete sets of fingerprints of the applicant. Both sets of fingerprints shall be submitted by the sheriff with the completed application, certificate of training or an exemption certificate, photographs and processing fee to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation within fourteen (14) days of taking the fingerprints. The cost of the fingerprints shall be paid by the applicant and shall not exceed Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) for the two sets. All fees collected by the sheriff from taking fingerprints pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph shall be retained by the sheriff and deposited into the Sheriff's Service Fee Account;
9. The sheriff shall submit to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation within the fourteen-day period, together with the completed application, including the certificate of training or exemption certificate, photographs, processing fee and legible fingerprints meeting the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) submission standards, and a report of information deemed pertinent to an investigation of the applicant for a handgun license. The sheriff shall make a preliminary investigation of pertinent information about the applicant and the court clerk shall assist the sheriff in locating pertinent information in court records for this purpose. If no pertinent information is found to exist either for or against the applicant, the sheriff shall so indicate in the report;
10. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, upon receipt of the application and required information from the sheriff, shall forward one full set of fingerprints of the applicant to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history records search. The cost of processing the fingerprints nationally shall be paid from the processing fee collected by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation;
11. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act or any other provisions of law, any person who has been granted a permanent victim’s protective order by the court, as provided for in the Protection from Domestic Abuse Act, may be issued a temporary handgun license for a period not to exceed six (6) months. A temporary handgun license may be issued if the person has successfully passed the required weapons course, completed the application process for the handgun license, passed the preliminary investigation of the person by the sheriff and court clerk, and provided the sheriff proof of a certified permanent victim protection order and a valid Oklahoma state photo identification card or driver license. The sheriff shall issue a temporary handgun license on a form approved by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, at no cost. Any person who has been issued a temporary license shall carry the temporary handgun license and a valid Oklahoma state Photo identification on his or her person at all times, and shall be subject to all the requirements of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act when carrying a handgun. The person may proceed with the handgun licensing process. In the event the victim’s protection order is no longer enforceable, the temporary handgun license shall cease to be valid;
12. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall make a reasonable effort to investigate the information submitted by the applicant and the sheriff, to ascertain whether or not the issuance of a handgun license would be in violation of the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. The investigation by the Bureau of an applicant shall include, but shall not be limited to: a statewide criminal history records search, a national criminal history records search, a Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint search, and if applicable, an investigation of medical records or other records or information deemed by the Bureau to be relevant to the application. a. In the course of the investigation by the Bureau, it shall present the name of the applicant along with any known aliases, the address of the applicant and the social security number of the applicant to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services shall respond within ten (10) days of receiving such information to the Bureau as follows: (1) with a “Yes” answer, if the records of the Department indicate that the person was involuntarily committed to a mental institution in Oklahoma,(2) with a “No” answer, if there are no records indicating the name of the person as a person involuntarily committed to a mental institution in Oklahoma, or(3) with an “Inconclusive” answer if the records of the Department suggest the applicant may be a formerly committed person. In the case of an inconclusive answer, the Bureau shall ask the applicant whether he or she was involuntarily committed. If the applicant states under penalty of perjury that he or she has not been involuntarily committed, the Bureau shall continue processing the application for a license. b. In the course of the investigation by the Bureau, it shall check the name of any applicant who is twenty-eight (28) years of age or younger along with any known aliases, the address of the applicant and the social security number of the applicant against the records in the Juvenile Online Tracking System (JOLTS) of the Office of Juvenile Affairs. The Office of Juvenile Affairs shall provide the Bureau direct access to check the applicant against the records available on JOLTS. (1) If the Bureau finds a record on the JOLTS that indicates the person was adjudicated a delinquent for an offense that would constitute a felony offense if committed by an adult within the last ten (10) years the Bureau shall deny the license,(2) If the Bureau finds no record on the JOLTS indicating the named person was adjudicated delinquent for an offense that would constitute a felony offense if committed by an adult within the last ten (10) years, or (3) If the records suggest the applicant may have been adjudicated delinquent for an offense that would constitute a felony offense if committed by an adult but such record is inconclusive, the Bureau shall ask the applicant whether he or she was adjudicated a delinquent for an offense that would constitute a felony offense if committed by an adult within the last ten (10) years. If the applicant states under penalty of perjury that he or she was not adjudicated a delinquent within ten (10) years, the Bureau shall continue processing the application for a license; and
13. If the background check set forth in paragraph 11 of this subsection reveals no records pertaining to the applicant, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall either issue a handgun license or deny the application within sixty (60) days of the date of receipt of the applicant’s completed application and the required information from the sheriff. In all other cases, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall either issue a handgun license or deny the application within ninety (90) days of the date of the receipt of the applicant’s completed application and the required information from the sheriff. The Bureau shall approve an applicant who appears to be in full compliance with the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, if completion of the federal fingerprint search is the only reason for delay of the issuance of the handgun license to that applicant. Upon receipt of the federal fingerprint search information, if the Bureau receives information which precludes the person from having a handgun license, the Bureau shall revoke the handgun license previously issued to the applicant. The Bureau shall deny a license when the applicant fails to properly complete the application form or application process or is determined not to be eligible as specified by the provisions of Section 1290.9, 1290.10 or 1290.11 of this title. The Bureau shall approve an application in all other cases. If an application is denied, the Bureau shall notify the applicant in writing of its decision. The notification shall state the grounds for the denial and inform the applicant of the right to an appeal as may be provided by the provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act. All notices of denial shall be mailed by first class mail to the address of the applicant listed in the application. Within sixty (60) calendar days from the date of mailing a denial of application to an applicant, the applicant shall notify the Bureau in writing of the intent to appeal the decision of denial or the right of the applicant to appeal shall be deemed waived. Any administrative hearing on a denial which may be provided shall be conducted by a hearing examiner appointed by the Bureau. The decision of the hearing examiner shall be a final decision appealable to a district court in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act. When an application is approved, the Bureau shall issue the license and shall mail the license by first-class mail to the address of the applicant listed in the application. 

B. Nothing contained in any provision of the Oklahoma Self- Defense Act shall be construed to require or authorize the registration, documentation or providing of serial numbers with regard to any firearm. For purposes of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, the sheriff may designate a person to receive, fingerprint, photograph or otherwise process applications for handgun licenses.

TITLE 21 § 1290.14   SAFETY AND TRAINING COURSE
A. Each applicant for a license to carry a concealed or unconcealed handgun pursuant to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act must successfully complete a firearms safety and training course in this state conducted by a registered and approved firearms instructor as provided by the provisions of this section. The applicant must further demonstrate competence and qualification with an authorized pistol of the type or types that the applicant desires to carry as a concealed or unconcealed handgun pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, except certain persons may be exempt from such training requirement as provided by the provisions of Section 1290.15 of this title.

B. The Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) shall establish criteria for approving firearms instructors for purposes of training and qualifying individuals for a handgun license pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. Prior to submitting an application for CLEET approval as a firearms instructor, applicants shall attend a firearms instructor school, meeting the following minimum requirements:
1. Firearms instructor training conducted by one of the following entities:
a. Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training,
b. National Rifle Association,
c. Oklahoma Rifle Association,
d. federal law enforcement agencies, or
e. other professionally recognized organizations;
2. The course shall be at least sixteen (16) hours in length;
3. Upon completion of the course, the applicant shall be qualified to provide instruction on revolvers, semiautomatic pistols, or both; and
4. Receive a course completion certificate. All firearms instructors shall be required to meet the eligibility requirements for a handgun license as provided in Sections 1290.9, 1290.10, and 1290.11 of this title, and the application shall be processed as provided for applicants in Section 1290.12 of this title, including the state and national criminal history records search and fingerprint search. A firearms instructor shall be required to pay a fee of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) to the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) each time the person makes application for CLEET approval as a firearms instructor pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. The fee shall be retained by CLEET and shall be deposited into the Firearms Instructors Revolving Fund. CLEET shall promulgate the rules, forms and procedures necessary to implement the approval of firearms instructors as authorized by the provisions of this subsection. CLEET shall periodically review each approved instructor during a training and qualification course to assure compliance with the rules and course contents. Any violation of the rules may result in the revocation or suspension of CLEET and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation approval. Unless the approval has been revoked or suspended, a firearms instructor's CLEET approval shall be for a term of five (5) years. Beginning on July 1, 2003, any firearms instructor who has been issued a four-year CLEET approval shall not be eligible for the five-year approval until the expiration of the approval previously issued. CLEET shall be responsible for notifying all approved firearms instructors of statutory and policy changes related to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. A firearm instructor shall not be required to submit his or her fingerprints for a fingerprint search when renewing a firearms instructor’s CLEET approval.

C. 1. All firearms instructors approved by CLEET to train and qualify individuals for a handgun license shall be required to apply for registration with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation after receiving CLEET approval. All firearms instructors teaching the approved course for a handgun license must display their registration certificate during each training and qualification course. Each approved firearms instructor shall complete a registration form provided by the Bureau and shall have the option to pay a registration fee of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for a five-year registration certificate or Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) for a ten-year registration certificate to the Bureau at the time of each application for registration, except as provided in paragraph 2 of this subsection. Registration certificates issued by the Bureau shall be valid for a period of five (5) years or ten (10) years from the date of issuance. The Bureau shall issue a five-year or ten-year handgun license to an approved firearms instructor at the time of issuance of a registration certificate and no additional fee shall be required or charged. The Bureau shall maintain a current listing of all registered firearms instructors in this state. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to eliminate the requirement for registration and training with CLEET as provided in subsection B of this section. Failure to register or be trained as required shall result in a revocation or On or after July 1, 2003, the registered instructors listed in subparagraphs a and b of this paragraph shall not be required to renew the firearms instructor registration certificate with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation at the expiration of the registration term, provided the instructor is not subject to any suspension or revocation of the firearms instructor certificate. The firearms instructor registration with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall automatically renew together with the handgun license authorized in paragraph 1 of this subsection for an additional five-year term and no additional cost or fee 
may be charged for the following individuals:
a. an active duty law enforcement officer of this state or any of its political subdivisions or of the federal government who has a valid CLEET approval as a firearms instructor pursuant to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, and
b. a retired law enforcement officer authorized to carry a firearm pursuant to Section 1289.8 of this title who has a valid CLEET approval as a firearms instructor pursuant to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act.

D. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall approve registration for a firearms instructor applicant who is in full compliance with CLEET rules regarding firearms instructors and the provisions of subsection B of this section, if completion of the federal fingerprint search is the only reason for delay of registration of that firearms instructor applicant. Upon receipt of the federal fingerprint search information, if the Bureau receives information which precludes the person from having a handgun license, the Bureau shall revoke both the registration and the concealed handgun license previously issued to the firearms instructor. 

E. The required firearms safety and training course and the actual demonstration of competency and qualification required of the applicant shall be designed and conducted in such a manner that the course can be reasonably completed by the applicant within an eight-hour period. CLEET shall establish the course content and promulgate rules, procedures and forms necessary to implement the provisions of this subsection. For the training and qualification course, an applicant may be charged a fee which shall be determined by the instructor or entity that is conducting the course. The instructor to student ratio shall not exceed ten students to any one instructor. CLEET may establish criteria for assistant instructors, maximum class size and any other requirements deemed necessary to conduct a safe and effective training and qualification course. The course 
content shall include a safety inspection of the firearm to be used by the applicant in the training course; instruction on pistol handling, safety and storage; dynamics of ammunition and firing; methods or positions for firing a pistol; information about the criminal provisions of the Oklahoma law relating to firearms; the requirements of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act as it relates to the applicant; self-defense and the use of appropriate force; a practice shooting session; and a familiarization course. The firearms instructor shall refuse to train or qualify any person when the pistol to be used or carried by the person is either deemed unsafe or unfit for firing or is a weapon not authorized by the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. The course shall provide an opportunity for the applicant to qualify himself or herself on either a derringer, a revolver, a semiautomatic pistol or any combination of a derringer, a revolver and a semiautomatic pistol, provided no pistol shall be capable of firing larger than .45 caliber ammunition. Any applicant who successfully trains and qualifies himself or herself with a semiautomatic pistol may be approved by the firearms instructor on the training certificate for a semiautomatic pistol, a revolver and a derringer upon request of the applicant. Any person who qualifies on a derringer or revolver shall not be eligible for a semiautomatic rating until the person has demonstrated competence and qualifications on a semiautomatic pistol. Upon successful completion of the training and qualification course, a certificate shall be issued to each applicant who successfully completes the course. The certificate of training shall comply with the form established by CLEET and shall be submitted with an application for a handgun license pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 2 of Section 1290.12 of this title. 

F. There is hereby created a revolving fund for the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET), to be designated the "Firearms Instructors Revolving Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all funds received for approval of firearms instructors for purposes of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act. All funds received shall be deposited to the fund. All monies accruing to the credit of said fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, for implementation of the training and qualification course contents, approval of firearms instructors and any other CLEET requirement pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act or as may otherwise be deemed appropriate by CLEET. Expenditures from said fund shall be suspension of the instructor certificate by the Bureau.