Tulsa County Probate Records

Tulsa County probate records are official materials generated during the probate process. They document the administration of a deceased person's estate and debts. The term "probate" refers to distributing a deceased individual's assets, settling their debts, and addressing other financial responsibilities.

Probate records include wills and subsequent amendments (also called codicils), appointment documents (for executors or administrators), records comprising details of the decedent's assets, records of notices, and all additional affidavits supporting the probate process. Like Tulsa County court records, courts maintain probate records in different formats (paper, digital image, microfilm), which are crucial for various reasons.

Probate records can be used in legal disputes regarding a decedent's assets, debts, or financial obligations. They also help protect the rights of beneficiaries (heirs), creditors, and other connected parties and ensure transparency in the distribution of assets. Public records are crucial for verifying ownership, providing evidence for financial transactions, and transferring titles.

Are Probate Records Public?

Yes. Probate records are categorized as public records in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, under the Oklahoma Open Records Act (OORA) §51-24A.3. This Act requires public agencies to grant access to members of the public for investigation and duplication of court records. Thus, interested members of the public may request probate records from the county court for investigation and duplication.

However, while most probate records are considered public, specific information types can be subject to redaction or exempt from disclosure. These include:

• Records connected to proposed guardianship or conservatorship
• Juvenile records
• Records of capacity declarations
• Fee waiver applications
• Records of financial statements
• Records of ongoing investigation

What is Probate Court in Tulsa County?

The Probate Division of the Tulsa County District Court handles all probate cases, such as validating wills, the administration of estates, appointing administrators or executors, settling debts, inventorying assets, and disbursing the remaining assets in compliance with Oklahoma Statutes. This division also oversees legal cases like conservatorships, guardianships, and adoptions. Below is the address of the Probate Division in Tulsa County:

Probate Division of the Tulsa County District Court
500 South Denver,
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103

Probate Court Case Lookup

To perform a Tulsa County Probate record search in Oklahoma, researchers can:

• Visit the Tulsa County District Court's Probate Division physically to query records in person at the address:

Probate Division of the Tulsa County District Court
500 South Denver,
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103

• Probe the Tulsa County Court clerk's office in person. The County Court Clerk's office generally maintains records of all public records in Tulsa County, including probate records.

How to Find Probate Records Online Free

Researchers can find Tulsa County probate records online for free by following the steps below:

• Visit the Tulsa County Clerk's online website.
• Click on the Services section
• Click on the "Learn More" link under "Land Records"
• Scroll down and tap on the County Clerk Land Records link.
• Choose the search option to use in looking up the document (case party's name, document number, book/page, Date Range/Document Type, consideration, record date, parcel number, case number, Subdivision/Condo, or alpha index).
• Register an account or log in
• Provide the details
• From the search results, select the record in question.

Alternatively, inquirers can obtain probate records online for free on the Oklahoma State Courts Network (OSCN) website. To do so, follow the steps below:

• Visit the OSCN site.
• Click on the Case Search link
• Under "County or Courts" dropdown, click on Tulsa County District Courts
• Under Choose a District or Lower Court Party Type, select "All Parties"
• Choose Probate under "District Court Case Type"
• Requesters can provide the search information and click on the "Go" button to search

Typically, government agencies offer record search services to members of the public for free; however, for extensive searches and requests requiring duplication, a nominal fee will apply.

How Long Does Probate Take in Oklahoma?

Probate processes in Oklahoma take 9 to 18 months, but it may take longer to be finalized, depending on certain factors. These factors include:

• The complexity and size of the estate
• The availability of the presiding court
• The existence of a valid will.

Are Wills Public Record?

Yes. In Tulsa County, wills become public records immediately they are filed for probate process in court. Thus, they can be accessed and investigated by any member of the public (to the limits permitted by the Oklahoma State law).

On the contrary, wills might be classified as public records, whereas certain aspects of the will might be restricted or exempt from public access.

How to Find Out If Someone Has a Will

While a testator is alive, the will is classified as confidential. Therefore, interested parties can only find out if a person has a will by asking the testator in person.

Otherwise, if the testator is deceased, interested parties can look up a probate record at the Probate Court in the county where the individual lived, had a property(-ies), or died. State laws don't demand testators to deposit their wills with the probate court. So, if the Probate Division doesn't have the will in question, researchers can contact the decedent's estate planning executor or attorney (if known).

Alternatively, researchers can also search for the will at the deceased's storage locations (office, home, safety deposit box, hard drive, etc.) to identify the document.

Tulsa County Family Court Case Search

Researchers can look up Tulsa County family court records by visiting the Oklahoma State Courts Network official site. Upon visiting the website, the researcher should:

• Locate and click on "Case Search" on the right of the screen.
• Under "County or Court," click on Tulsa County District Court
• Researchers can search by inserting the required information and searching for the record.

Researchers can also look up family records in person by visiting the Tulsa County District Court Clerk's office to query the office at the address below.

Tulsa County Courthouse
#500 South Denver Avenue,
Room 200
Tulsa, OK 74103

Mail-in requests can also be made to the Tulsa County Court Clerk's office at the following address:

Tulsa County Court Clerk, OK
Tulsa County Courthouse
500 South Denver Avenue,
Room 200
Tulsa, OK 74103