Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 63-1-317v2

A. A death certificate for each death which occurs in this

state shall be filed with the State Department of Health, within

three (3) days after such death.

B. The funeral director shall personally sign the death

certificate and shall be responsible for filing the death

certificate. If the funeral director is not available, the person

acting as such who first assumes custody of a dead body in

accordance with Section 1158 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes

shall personally sign and file the death certificate. The personal

data shall be obtained from the next of kin or the best qualified

person or source available. The funeral director or person acting

as such shall notify the person providing the personal data that it

is a felony to knowingly provide false data or misrepresent any

person's relationship to the decedent. The certificate shall be

completed as to personal data and delivered to the attending

physician or the medical examiner responsible for completing the

medical certification portion of the certificate of death within

twenty-four (24) hours after the death. No later than July 1, 2012,

the personal data, and no later than July 1, 2017, the medical

certificate portion, shall be entered into the prescribed electronic

system provided by the Department and the information submitted to

the Department. The resultant certificate produced by the

electronic system shall be provided to the physician or medical

examiner for medical certification within twenty-four (24) hours

after the death.

C. The medical certification shall be completed and signed

within forty-eight (48) hours after death by the physician,

physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse in charge

of the patient's care for the illness or condition which resulted in

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 63. Public Health and Safety Page 190

death, except when inquiry as to the cause of death is required by

Section 938 of this title. No later than July 1, 2017, the medical

certification portion of certificate data shall be entered into the

prescribed electronic system provided by the Department and the

information submitted to the Department.

D. In the event that the physician, physician assistant, or

advanced practice registered nurse in charge of the patient's care

for the illness or condition which resulted in death is not in

attendance at the time of death, the medical certification shall be

completed and signed within forty-eight (48) hours after death by

the physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered

nurse in attendance at the time of death, except:

1. When the patient is under hospice care at the time of death,

the medical certification may be signed by the hospice's medical

director; and

2. When inquiry as to the cause of death is required by Section

938 of this title.

Provided, that such certification, if signed by other than the

attending physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice

registered nurse, shall note on the face the name of the attending

physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered

nurse and that the information shown is only as reported.

E. A certifier completing cause of death on a certificate of

death who knows that a lethal drug, overdose or other means of

assisting suicide within the meaning of Sections 3141.2 through

3141.4 of this title caused or contributed to the death shall list

that means among the chain of events under cause of death or list it

in the box that describes how the injury occurred. If such means is

in the chain of events under cause of death or in the box that

describes how the injury occurred, the certifier shall indicate

"suicide" as the manner of death.

F. The authority of a physician assistant to carry out the

functions described in this section shall be governed by the

practice agreement as provided by Section 519.6 of Title 59 of the

Oklahoma Statutes.