Tulsa County Court Clerk Records

The Tulsa County Court Clerk

The Court Clerk is an elected official charged with keeping the records of all Tulsa County District Court cases. The current Court Clerk is Don Newberry. The office sits on the second floor of the Tulsa County Courthouse, in Room 200. The main phone line is 918-596-5420, and hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The office is large. It provides personnel for 35 District, Associate, and Special Judges, keeps filing and disposition statistics, and collects statutory fines, fees, and forfeitures. It also handles certain licenses, such as marriage licenses and process server registration. Every District Court case in Tulsa County, whether criminal, civil, family, or probate, is filed in its respective department in this office.

Departments in the Court Clerk Office

The Court Clerk runs many departments under one roof. Each handles a slice of the District Court's work. Knowing the department helps you call the right desk the first time, instead of being transferred around the office.

• Civil, for suits over $10,000 and other civil actions.
• Criminal and Traffic, for felony, misdemeanor, wildlife, and agency tickets.
• Family, for divorce, custody, and protective orders.
• Probate, for estates, wills, and guardianships.
• Small Claims, for money claims under $10,000 and evictions.
• Cost Administration, for payment plans on fines and costs.
• Records and Archives, imaging, accounting, and jury services.

The Criminal and Traffic Department alone takes cases from more than twenty-five law enforcement agencies across the county. The Civil Department is led by Diane Savage at 918-596-5430, and the Small Claims Department is led by Carolyn Parks at 918-596-5466. The Probate Department answers at 918-596-5439, and the Family Department helps with divorce and protective-order paperwork.

Some functions sit slightly apart from the case desks. Juvenile cases are filed through the Juvenile Justice Center on West Archer Street. Court costs and payment plans run through Cost Administration. Passports, jury service, and marriage licenses each have their own counter. The office is built so that one large operation can keep every kind of District Court record in order.

Court Records and OCIS History

Tulsa County led the state on electronic court records. The Court Clerk says the county was the first in Oklahoma to put the Oklahoma Court Information System in place, in October 1999. That system, sponsored by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, now includes district and appellate courts and is reached through OSCN.

That history matters for record searches. Tulsa's online docket culture is decades old, which is part of why so many records are easy to find on OSCN before a trip to the office. A newer feature builds on that base: OSCN case pages now offer text reminders for active counties, and Tulsa County was switched on for them in late 2025. The Tulsa County court records page explains how to use that system.

Forms and Cover Sheets

Every District Court filing needs the right cover sheet. The Court Clerk says the Oklahoma Supreme Court has adopted cover sheets for all District Court case filings. The forms page lists each one as a downloadable PDF, along with a filing-fee link.

The Court Clerk forms and links page hosts the cover sheets and the filing-fee schedule.

Match the cover sheet to your case type before you file.

Court Clerk Fees and Cost Administration

The Court Clerk collects court costs, fines, and certain license fees. Marriage and probate fees are set figures, while civil and criminal filing fees are listed in a separate fee schedule linked from the forms page. If you cannot pay in full, the Cost Administration counter on the second floor sets up payment plans for fines, fees, costs, and traffic violations.

Filing fees are paid at the time of filing, so plan for the cost before your visit.

Marriage and Probate Services

The Court Clerk does more than case files. It issues marriage licenses, provides certified copies of marriage licenses and divorce decrees, and runs the Probate Department. The Probate Department stores wills for safekeeping under the state statute at 84 O.S. 81.

These services live in their own departments. For license rules and fees, see the marriage and divorce records page. For estates and guardianships, see the probate records page.

The Broken Arrow satellite office extends some of these services east of downtown. It can issue and record marriage licenses and provide certified copies of marriage and divorce documents. For east-county residents, the satellite can save a drive to the main courthouse while offering the same records help.

Records and Archives Warehouse

Older case files leave the courthouse but stay accessible. The Records and Archives Department stores archives at the Tulsa County Warehouse, 2929B East Apache. The collection holds more than 1 million individual files and tens of millions of documents. Staff can retrieve and transport a file to the courthouse at the court's request.

Some records are kept forever. Wills, trusts, divorce docket information, and marriage-license docket information are never destroyed. Other paper files are kept until the case closes and a statutory destruction date passes, whichever comes later. The archives contact is 918-669-8294.

This scale is part of what makes Tulsa County's records so deep. An old case from decades ago may still be on file, even if it is not fully online. If a docket entry points to a document stored at the office, the archives staff is the team that can pull it. For a very old matter, expect a little more time while the file is retrieved from the warehouse.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy carries an official seal and is the version a court or agency will accept. An uncertified printout from OSCN is fine for personal use but may be turned away for legal use. The fastest path is to bring the case number, which you can find on OSCN first. Then visit the Court Clerk during business hours.

1. Search OSCN to confirm the exact case number and party names.
2. Visit the Court Clerk on the second floor, or use the Broken Arrow office for marriage and divorce copies.
3. Tell staff the record you need and that you want a certified copy.
4. Pay the copy and certification fee.
5. Receive the certified copy with the official seal of the court.

Court Clerk vs County Clerk

Tulsa County has two separate clerk offices, and the names confuse people. The Court Clerk keeps court case records. The County Clerk records land and real estate documents and county administrative records. A divorce decree comes from the Court Clerk. A deed comes from the County Clerk.

The two sit in different buildings downtown. For land records, deeds, and liens, see the Tulsa County Clerk page. For court files, the Court Clerk is your office.

One more practical note. The Court Clerk's website states plainly that it offers general information only and not legal advice. Staff can tell you how to file and what a fee is, but they cannot tell you what to file or how a case may turn out. For legal advice, the office points people to an attorney or to free legal-aid resources.