Okla. Stat. tit. 63, § 63-1-323

Online public index.

A. To protect the integrity of vital statistics records, to

ensure their proper use, and to ensure the efficient and proper

administration of the vital statistics system, it shall be unlawful

for any person to permit inspection of, or to disclose information

contained in, vital statistics records, or to copy or issue a copy

of all or part of any such record except to:

1. The person who is the subject of the record;

2. A parent named on the record or a person acting with the

parent's permission unless that parent is currently incarcerated;

3. Someone acting with permission of the person who is the

subject of the record;

4. Someone acting as a legal representative of the estate of

the person who is the subject of the record;

5. Someone acting as a legal representative of a person

involved in a probate of the estate of the person who is the subject

of the record, as demonstrated by affidavit;

6. An attorney licensed to practice in the United States who

demonstrates by affidavit that the record is necessary in order to

administer a client's estate;

7. Someone in receipt of a court order from a court of

competent jurisdiction ordering access to the record;

8. The Attorney General or to any district attorney upon

request in the course of a criminal investigation;

9. Only in the case of a death certificate, a funeral director;

10. A representative of the Department of Corrections, when the

subject of the record is under supervision of the Department of

Corrections;

11. A representative of the Department of Human Services acting

in accordance with Section 1-311.2 of this title; or

12. Any other person working in the best interest of the

subject of the record or the estate of the subject of record, as

determined by regulations of the Commissioner of Health.

Provided, that death certificates shall be considered publicly

available records fifty (50) years after the death and birth

certificates shall be considered publicly available records one

hundred twenty-five (125) years after the birth.

B. The State Department of Health shall, by July 1, 2017, make

available an online public index that includes, as is applicable,

the name, gender, date of birth, date of death, county of birth, and

county of death of all persons in its records. Birth data shall not

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 63. Public Health and Safety Page 197

be added to the index until twenty (20) years after the birth.

Death data shall not be added to the index until five (5) years

after the death. The index shall be made available online at no

cost to users.

Private entities may request assistance from the Department in

receiving digital files including all or part of the index described

in this subsection. Such private entities may be assessed a fee

that shall not exceed the cost of creating and transmitting the

digital file. The Commissioner may promulgate rules regarding

access to such digital files and applicable fees.

C. The Department may grant applications for electronic

verification of the existence of birth and death certificates for

legal and administrative purposes at any time following the birth or

death when such applications are made by:

1. A government agency in conduct of its official business;

2. A benefit-paying party including but not limited to an

annuity company, pension plan or life insurance company in order to

determine benefit status;

3. A physician licensed to practice in the United States to

determine if a patient has been lost to care; or

4. Other entities for fraud protection, subject to verification

of the entity's purpose by the Department.

The recipient of a record verification, as provided for in this

subsection, may not disclose to a party not involved in the issue

for which the verification was sought.

The Department may charge up to Four Dollars ($4.00) for each

electronic birth or death verification, although such fee may be
entities for fraud protection, subject to verification

of the entity's purpose by the Department.

The recipient of a record verification, as provided for in this

subsection, may not disclose to a party not involved in the issue

for which the verification was sought.

The Department may charge up to Four Dollars ($4.00) for each

electronic birth or death verification, although such fee may be

waived when such request is received by an Oklahoma state or local

government agency. The recipient of a record verification, as

provided for in this subsection, may also be subject to fees levied

by a contractor retained by the Commissioner to provide such

service.

The Commissioner may promulgate rules necessary to implement the

provisions of this subsection.

D. The Commissioner of Health may authorize the disclosure of

data contained in vital statistics records for public health

surveillance or research purposes.

E. The State Department of Health shall transmit to the

Department of Public Safety:

1. At the end of each quarter year, a list of all registered

deaths which have occurred during such period of time. Upon receipt

of such list the Department of Public Safety shall use such list

solely to update Department of Public Safety records and to cancel

the driver license for those deceased individuals with a valid

Oklahoma driver license at the time of death;

2. At the end of each month, a report of all registered deaths

that resulted from a motor vehicle collision which have occurred

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during such period of time. The report shall be used by the

Department solely for the purpose of statistical analysis and

reporting; and

3. Upon written request from the Department, a death

certificate. The certificate shall be used solely by the Fatality

Analysis Reporting System (FARS) Analyst of the Oklahoma Highway

Safety Office to populate the federal FARS database.

F. Each month, the Commissioner shall authorize the

transmission to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority of a certified

list of all registered deaths of residents of this state that have

occurred within the state for the immediately preceding month. The

Oklahoma Health Care Authority shall use the transmitted list to

ascertain the names of those individuals participating in the state

Medicaid program who are deceased, and shall thereafter terminate

such deceased person's enrollment in the state Medicaid program.

G. For the purpose of assisting in the location and recovery of

missing children, information pertaining to birth certificates and

requests for copies of birth certificates shall be provided to the

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation pursuant to the provisions of

Section 1-323.1 of this title and Section 150.12A of Title 74 of the

Oklahoma Statutes.

H. The Commissioner shall authorize the transmission of death

certificates to the Department of Labor for the purpose of the

Department of Labor conducting a census of total occupational

injuries and illnesses. The Department shall transmit to the

Department of Labor statistics of fatal occupational injuries that

shall include the following:

1. Name of the deceased;

2. Date of death;

3. Sex;

4. Race;

5. Age;

6. Birth date;

7. Social Security number;

8. Whether an autopsy was conducted;

9. Month of the accident; and

10. Whether decedent was of Hispanic origin.

I. The Department of Labor shall be required to protect the

integrity of the vital statistics records to the same extent

required of the Department pursuant to this section.