Evictions currently are suspended in Oklahoma except in cases of “emergency”

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UPDATE (Wednesday, April 1, 2020): The Oklahoma Supreme Court issued a follow-up order on March 27 closing all courthouses across the state to the public until May 15. Courts may still hear emergency hearings, and local courts may decide what constitutes an emergency. This order extends If you have an eviction case pending, call your Court Clerk’s office to confirm your court date. 

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Oklahoma’s county courts, which handle all civil and most criminal cases across the state, have suspended most of their activities until May 15 at the earliest. That means that eviction hearings are postponed in nearly all cases, and that Oklahomans cannot be forced from their homes by an eviction or foreclosure until May 15 at the earliest. However, judges may still hear “emergency” hearings, leaving open the possibility for some of these cases to be heard. 

If you have a court date, call your Court Clerk to find out when it will be held. Contact information for District Courts is available here.

Here’s what you need to know:

Evictions and foreclosures are suspended in most cases. Don’t move out if you receive an eviction or foreclosure notice!

If you receive an eviction or foreclosure notice, do not move out until told to do so by a court or law enforcement official. Seek legal assistance by calling 2-1-1 (or visiting the 211 website) or submitting your information at OKLegalConnect.org. Mothers who live in North Tulsa can also seek assistance from Still She Rises.

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Featured image credit: “transitions” by Drew Tyre, used under CC BY-SA 2.0 / OK Policy COVID-19 Policy Analysis lower-third overlay

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryan Gentzler worked at OK Policy from January 2016 until November 2022. He last served as the organization's Reserach Director and oversaw Open Justice Oklahoma. He began at OK Policy as an analyst focusing on criminal justice issues, including sentencing, incarceration, court fines and fees, and pretrial detention. Open Justice Oklahoma grew out of Ryan’s groundbreaking analysis of court records, which was used to inform critical policy debates. A native Nebraskan, he holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Oklahoma and a BA in Institutions and Policy from William Jewell College. He served as an OK Policy Research Fellow in 2014-2015.