Where to Search for Oklahoma Arrest Records

'Arrest,' in terms of the law, means to hold someone physically or serving summon for committing some crime. A record of Oklahoma arrest is the list of all those people who have been taken into custody to be presented before the court. This database has been created by submission of the sets of records of different counties. Previously, these records were kept out of the access of general public. Gradually, the need for public disclosure was felt and Oklahoma's constitution recognized the fact that it is an inherent right of the residents of this state to access and review government records. An amendment was thus made to establish that public records need to be kept public.

Maintenance of Arrest Records

Until 1984, Oklahoma arrest records were maintained and kept by the Department of City Police and thus were not released for public access. In a case before the Supreme Court, an arrest record was required. Some disputes arose about the release of those records because abiding by the state law, the police department could not release it. With some interventions from city charter, finally the records were released. This resulted in an amendment, the Open Records Act of Oklahoma, which requires law enforcement agencies to make the facts pertaining to arrests, conviction information, warrants, summaries of the criminals, etc. available to the general public. Eventually, when the records were converted to an electronic database, the term ‘data files’ was included in the definition to ensure electronic access of these records.

Electronic Oklahoma Arrest Records

Since records of Oklahoma arrests can be accessed electronically, there is no need to go to the courthouse and apply for the documents manually. You can apply for the documents you want while sitting at home, and a prompt reply within two hours will serve your purpose. If you still want to obtain hard copies of the documents, you should know that the database is maintained and updated by the Department of Correction of Oklahoma. In case of queries, you can call their records section or visit their website. You will find all the necessary details to meet your query.

If you are looking for a particular offender who has been arrested and sentenced to incarceration or probation, visit the website of Oklahoma Department of Correction at http://www.doc.state.ok.us/. You will not get the complete record of the offender’s criminal past. The Department maintains this database and updates it regularly so that you can get the most accurate and latest reports of Oklahoma arrest. However, this report would not mention the present location of the offender, current status, date of release or any other vital piece of information.

The Department of Corrections has the data from as late as 1972. They update the site on a monthly basis so that you obtain most accurate result. The repositories of criminal records include the felony and misdemeanor cases, convictions thus arrest records. When you search for a particular offender once sentenced or convicted, you will find information like age, sex, name, race, hair color, scars, tattoos, times served before and at present, and the picture of the convict. Also, you will learn the primary cause of the conviction and about the crime, but no personal information about them to ensure their security.

Also, dependence on these particular sets of information is at the user’s risk and the Department of Correction has no liability whatsoever related to it. This is because ironically, the information gathered is not accepted in the courtroom as proof or evidence in a case. For the complete records, the Correction Department encourages you to go to the website or office of Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation at http://www.ok.gov/osbi/.

Search for Arrest Records

To perform a search for an Oklahoma arrest record, there are two ways- by name and fingerprints. To search the database of criminal histories with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation by name, you will need to pay $15, and to search by fingerprints you will pay $19. The database of criminal histories includes arrest records, too. So, in order to search for Oklahoma arrest records and a complete report, you will need to check the criminal history. For a name-based search, it is necessary to provide the full name and date of birth, and for a fingerprint search you will need a fingerprint card and the police or sheriff department’s assistance for the required services.

You can request online forms from their site and download the application forms from http://www.ok.gov/osbi/documents/OSBI%20CRIMINAL%20HISTORY%20REQUEST%20FORM%20(AUGUST%202009).pdf.

You can print this form and mail it to: Criminal History Record Information Request, 6600 North Harvey Place, Oklahoma City, OK 73116. You can also fax the form to (405) 879-2503. In case of any question or comments, you can call them at (405) 848-6724. The link to their official website is www.ok.gov/osbi/Criminal_History/.

Restrictions on Criminal and Arrest Records

It is true that the records have been made public for various usages, but there are restrictions to this. Not all the records can be accessed by the general public. Any arrest record that has the legal procedures of Oklahoma explained is kept out of public disclosure. Similarly, the cases that are still pending in some Oklahoma courts or have been deferred to a future date cannot be accessed. These restrictions are maintained so that release of certain facts does not influence the case verdict or the convict’s right to a free and unbiased trail.

Many websites extract information from the law enforcement agencies and make their own database. If you search for Oklahoma arrest records on Internet, you will be navigated to different sites. Some of these sites like NORS are government affiliated. You can search for Oklahoma arrests here.

Other Sources of Information

To extract information from public records from commercial sites, the rates for searches can be much higher. The popularity of these sites is gaining popularity because background checks and criminal history searches have become very common. These sites will have the list of offenders and in lieu of some administration cost, you will be given the information you have been looking for.

You will be charged per page for the records, normally. However, there are different websites that provide free service if you do not download the information or order for copies. It is always recommended to opt for the government sources instead of commercial websites, because often the information provided by them are partial and important excerpts are hidden.