Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 21-1795
This is the official text of Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 21-1795, part of Oklahoma’s Stat. tit. 21, — part of the compiled statutory law of Oklahoma, published by the state as "Stat. tit. 21,." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Impermissible occupation
Official statutory text
A. As used in this section, the term "alien" means any person
not a citizen or national of the United States.
B. A person commits an impermissible occupation if the person
is an alien and willfully and without permission enters and remains
in the State of Oklahoma without having first obtained legal
authorization to enter the United States.
C. 1. Any person found to have committed an impermissible
occupation pursuant to the provisions of subsection B of this
section and who enters this state without having obtained the legal
authorization to enter the United States shall, upon conviction, be
guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county
jail for a term of not more than one (1) year, or by a fine of not
more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by both such fine and
imprisonment. In addition, the person shall be required to leave
the state within seventy-two (72) hours following his or her
conviction or release from custody, whichever comes later.
2. Any second or subsequent offense for an impermissible
occupation pursuant to the provisions of subsection B of this
section, or any such offense committed during the commission of any
other crime shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable
by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for
Oklahoma Statutes - Title 21. Crimes and Punishments Page 835
a term of not more than two (2) years, or by a fine of not more than
One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and
imprisonment. In addition, the person shall be required to leave
the state within seventy-two (72) hours following his or her
conviction or release from custody, whichever comes later.
D. Any alien who has been denied admission, excluded, deported,
or removed, or has departed the United States while an order of
exclusion, deportation, or removal is outstanding, and thereafter
enters, attempts to enter, or is at any time found in Oklahoma
shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony and shall be punished
in accordance with the provisions set forth in paragraph 2 of
subsection C of this section, unless:
1. Prior to reembarkation of the alien at a place outside the
United States or application by the alien for admission from a
foreign contiguous territory, the United States Attorney General has
expressly consented to such alien's reapplying for admission; or
2. With respect to an alien previously denied admission and
removed, such alien established that he or she was not required to
obtain such advance consent under this section or any prior statute.
E. The arresting law enforcement agency shall collect all
available identifying information of the person including all
fingerprints and any other applicable photographic and biometric
data to identify the person. Once obtained, the law enforcement
agency shall cross-reference the collected information with:
1. All relevant local, state, and federal criminal databases;
and
2. Federal lists or classifications used to identify a person
as a threat or potential threat to national security.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall have the
authority to collect and maintain the identifying information
collected by law enforcement agencies pursuant to the provisions of
this subsection.
F. It shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution under the
provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of subsection C of this section
that:
1. The federal government has granted the defendant:
a. lawful presence in the United States, or
b. asylum under Section 1158 of Title 8 of the United
States Code; or
2. The defendant was approved for benefits under the federal
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program between June 15,
2012, and July 16, 2021.
G. Any person convicted of an offense pursuant to the
provisions of this section shall not be eligible for probation or
delayed sentencing.
H. The Legislature finds that the presence of persons who are
of Title 8 of the United
States Code; or
2. The defendant was approved for benefits under the federal
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program between June 15,
2012, and July 16, 2021.
G. Any person convicted of an offense pursuant to the
provisions of this section shall not be eligible for probation or
delayed sentencing.
H. The Legislature finds that the presence of persons who are
unauthorized to be present within the State of Oklahoma is a matter
Oklahoma Statutes - Title 21. Crimes and Punishments Page 836
of statewide concern. Therefore, the Legislature hereby occupies
and preempts the entire field of legislation in this state regarding
the presence of persons who have entered and remained in this state
without first having obtained the legal authorization to do so. Any
municipality or other political subdivision of this state shall be
prohibited from adopting any ordinance, regulation, resolution,
rule, or policy that conflicts with the provisions of this act.
not a citizen or national of the United States.
B. A person commits an impermissible occupation if the person
is an alien and willfully and without permission enters and remains
in the State of Oklahoma without having first obtained legal
authorization to enter the United States.
C. 1. Any person found to have committed an impermissible
occupation pursuant to the provisions of subsection B of this
section and who enters this state without having obtained the legal
authorization to enter the United States shall, upon conviction, be
guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county
jail for a term of not more than one (1) year, or by a fine of not
more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by both such fine and
imprisonment. In addition, the person shall be required to leave
the state within seventy-two (72) hours following his or her
conviction or release from custody, whichever comes later.
2. Any second or subsequent offense for an impermissible
occupation pursuant to the provisions of subsection B of this
section, or any such offense committed during the commission of any
other crime shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable
by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for
Oklahoma Statutes - Title 21. Crimes and Punishments Page 835
a term of not more than two (2) years, or by a fine of not more than
One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and
imprisonment. In addition, the person shall be required to leave
the state within seventy-two (72) hours following his or her
conviction or release from custody, whichever comes later.
D. Any alien who has been denied admission, excluded, deported,
or removed, or has departed the United States while an order of
exclusion, deportation, or removal is outstanding, and thereafter
enters, attempts to enter, or is at any time found in Oklahoma
shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony and shall be punished
in accordance with the provisions set forth in paragraph 2 of
subsection C of this section, unless:
1. Prior to reembarkation of the alien at a place outside the
United States or application by the alien for admission from a
foreign contiguous territory, the United States Attorney General has
expressly consented to such alien's reapplying for admission; or
2. With respect to an alien previously denied admission and
removed, such alien established that he or she was not required to
obtain such advance consent under this section or any prior statute.
E. The arresting law enforcement agency shall collect all
available identifying information of the person including all
fingerprints and any other applicable photographic and biometric
data to identify the person. Once obtained, the law enforcement
agency shall cross-reference the collected information with:
1. All relevant local, state, and federal criminal databases;
and
2. Federal lists or classifications used to identify a person
as a threat or potential threat to national security.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation shall have the
authority to collect and maintain the identifying information
collected by law enforcement agencies pursuant to the provisions of
this subsection.
F. It shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution under the
provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2 of subsection C of this section
that:
1. The federal government has granted the defendant:
a. lawful presence in the United States, or
b. asylum under Section 1158 of Title 8 of the United
States Code; or
2. The defendant was approved for benefits under the federal
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program between June 15,
2012, and July 16, 2021.
G. Any person convicted of an offense pursuant to the
provisions of this section shall not be eligible for probation or
delayed sentencing.
H. The Legislature finds that the presence of persons who are
of Title 8 of the United
States Code; or
2. The defendant was approved for benefits under the federal
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program between June 15,
2012, and July 16, 2021.
G. Any person convicted of an offense pursuant to the
provisions of this section shall not be eligible for probation or
delayed sentencing.
H. The Legislature finds that the presence of persons who are
unauthorized to be present within the State of Oklahoma is a matter
Oklahoma Statutes - Title 21. Crimes and Punishments Page 836
of statewide concern. Therefore, the Legislature hereby occupies
and preempts the entire field of legislation in this state regarding
the presence of persons who have entered and remained in this state
without first having obtained the legal authorization to do so. Any
municipality or other political subdivision of this state shall be
prohibited from adopting any ordinance, regulation, resolution,
rule, or policy that conflicts with the provisions of this act.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Oklahoma?
Find a Oklahoma lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.