Find Oklahoma City Obituary Records
Oklahoma City obituary records cover deaths across the state capital and the largest city in Oklahoma. These death notices hold facts about people who lived in the metro area, their families, and burial details. Oklahoma City sits in Oklahoma County, which keeps court and probate files tied to deaths going back to 1890. You can search for obituary listings through local papers, state databases, and the county court clerk. The Oklahoma Historical Society in Oklahoma City also has one of the best collections of death records and old newspaper obituaries in the state. Whether you need a certified death certificate or just want to find an old obituary notice, there are several ways to look up these records in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City Overview
Oklahoma City Death Records Sources
The main source for Oklahoma City obituary records is the Oklahoma County Court Clerk at 320 Robert S. Kerr Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73102. The court clerk keeps marriage records from 1890, divorce records, probate files, and civil court records. Probate cases filed after a death list the date of death, the name of the person, and how the estate was split. These are public records and you can get copies for a small fee. The court clerk phone number is (405) 713-2262.
The Oklahoma City Clerk's Office at City Hall, 200 N. Walker Ave., handles municipal records. While death certificates come from the state, the city clerk can help with records tied to city services. The city clerk phone is (405) 297-2391. For a certified death certificate, you need to go through the Oklahoma State Department of Health or order online through VitalChek.
Under Title 63, Section 1-323 of Oklahoma law, death certificates become open records 50 years after the death. For more recent deaths, you must prove you are a close relative or have a legal right to the file. The state fee is $15 per copy.
Oklahoma City Obituary Newspaper Archives
The The Oklahoman is the largest newspaper in Oklahoma and has run obituary notices for the Oklahoma City area since 1889. Current and archived death notices are on the paper's website. This is one of the best places to find recent Oklahoma City obituary listings. The paper covers the whole metro area, so deaths in Edmond, Moore, Midwest City, and other nearby cities often show up in The Oklahoman.
You can see the Oklahoman obituary section below, which lists recent death notices for the Oklahoma City metro area.
The Oklahoman obituary portal provides current death notice listings for Oklahoma City and the surrounding area.
Historical issues of The Oklahoman are on microfilm at the Oklahoma Historical Society, and the OHS keeps an index of obituaries from the paper covering 1972 through 2009.
Historical Society Obituary Research in Oklahoma City
The Oklahoma Historical Society Research Center is at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73105. The phone is (405) 521-2491. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM to 4:45 PM. The OHS has the Obituaries Listed in the Oklahoman database for 1972 to 2009, plus the Oklahoma City Deaths database. They also keep funeral home records, cemetery books, and marriage and divorce records for Oklahoma County going back to 1889. You can use Ancestry Library Edition, Fold3, HeritageQuest Online, and Newspapers.com for free at the research center.
The Gateway to Oklahoma History gives free online access to old Oklahoma City newspapers from the 1840s through the 1920s. You can search by name to find death notices and obituary listings. These early papers have details that you will not find in any state database.
Oklahoma City Library Genealogy Resources
The Metropolitan Library System has strong genealogy resources at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library and other locations around Oklahoma City. The library gives you access to Access Newspaper Archive with tens of millions of newspaper pages, HeritageHub for U.S. obituaries and death notices from 1704 to present, Ancestry.com for in-library use, and Newspapers.com Library Edition. You can also search the full-color digital Oklahoman through the OK2Explore database at any branch.
The Oklahoma City Clerk's Office website shown below provides access to city records and services for Oklahoma City residents.
Visit the Oklahoma City government website for municipal records and city services.
The city clerk office handles open records requests and can direct you to the right department for death-related municipal records.
How to Get Oklahoma City Death Certificates
You can order a death certificate for someone who died in Oklahoma City from the Oklahoma State Department of Health at 1000 NE 10th Street, Room 117, Oklahoma City, OK 73117. The fee is $15 per copy. You can order in person, by mail, or online through VitalChek (extra service fee applies). The state office phone is (405) 271-4040.
You need a valid photo ID. Acceptable forms include a state driver's license, US passport, or tribal photo ID card. Oklahoma began filing death records in October 1908. Filing was not required until 1917, and records before 1940 may be incomplete. The OK2Explore index lets you check if a death record exists for free before you pay the $15 fee.
Note: Deaths before 1940 in Oklahoma City may not have a state death certificate on file due to inconsistent early reporting.
Oklahoma City Probate and Estate Records
Probate records are a key source for Oklahoma City obituary research. When a person dies with property or assets, the estate goes through probate court in Oklahoma County. These files list the date of death, names of heirs, and sometimes include funeral bills or death notices. The OSCN case search lets you look up Oklahoma County probate cases online for free. The system has records going back to the 1990s.
The Oklahoma Genealogical Society keeps an index of probate records for Oklahoma County from 1895 to 1920. This can be useful for early Oklahoma City death research. The society is at P.O. Box 12986, Oklahoma City, OK 73157.
Nearby Cities with Obituary Records
Oklahoma City sits at the center of a large metro area. Deaths in nearby cities may show up in Oklahoma City records, and families often crossed city lines for medical care and funeral services. If you can't find an obituary in Oklahoma City, check these nearby cities.