Oklahoma Code § 21-856

Title 21. Crimes And Punishments: Causing, aiding, abetting or encouraging minor to be
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delinquent or runaway child, to commit felony or to become involved
with criminal street gang.
A.  1.  Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, every
person who shall knowingly or willfully cause, aid, abet or
encourage a minor to be, to remain, or to become a delinquent child

or a runaway child, upon conviction, shall, for the first offense,
be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county
jail not to exceed one (1) year, or by a fine not to exceed One
Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.
2.  For purposes of prosecution under this subsection, a
"runaway child" means an unemancipated minor who is voluntarily
absent from the home without a compelling reason, without the
consent of a custodial parent or other custodial adult and without
the parent or other custodial adult's knowledge as to the child's
whereabouts.  "Compelling reason" means imminent danger from incest,
a life-threatening situation, or equally traumatizing circumstance.
A person aiding a runaway child pursuant to paragraph (4) of
subsection (a) of Section 5 of Title 76 of the Oklahoma Statutes or
aiding a child based upon a reasonable belief that the child is in
physical, mental or emotional danger and with notice to the
Department of Human Services or a local law enforcement agency of
the location of the child within twelve (12) hours of aiding the
child shall not be subject to prosecution under this section.
B.  Every person convicted of a second or any subsequent
violation of this section shall be guilty of a Class D3 felony
offense punishable by imprisonment as provided for in subsections B
through F of Section 20P of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or by
a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both
such fine and imprisonment.
C.  Every person eighteen (18) years of age or older who shall
knowingly or willfully cause, aid, abet, or encourage a minor to
commit or participate in committing an act that would be a felony if
committed by an adult shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class
B5 felony offense punishable by the maximum penalty allowed for
conviction of the offense or offenses which the person caused,
aided, abetted, or encouraged the minor to commit or participate in
committing.
D.  Every person who shall knowingly or willfully cause, aid,
abet, encourage, solicit, or recruit a minor to participate, join,
or associate with any criminal street gang, as defined by subsection
F of this section, or any gang member for the purpose of committing
any criminal act shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class B5
felony offense punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the
Department of Corrections for a term of not more than five (5)
years, or a fine not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or
both such fine and imprisonment.
E.  Every person convicted of a second or subsequent violation
of subsection D of this section shall be guilty of a Class B4 felony
offense punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department
of Corrections for a term not less than five (5) years nor more than
ten (10) years, or by a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars
($5,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.

F.  "Criminal street gang" means any ongoing organization,
association, or group of five or more persons that specifically
either promotes, sponsors, or assists in, or participates in, and
requires as a condition of membership or continued membership, the
commission of one or more of the following criminal acts:
1.  Assault, battery, or assault and battery with a deadly
weapon, as defined in Section 645 of this title;
2.  Aggravated assault and battery as defined by Section 646 of
this title;
3.  Robbery by force or fear, as defined in Sections 791 through
797 of this title;
4.  Robbery or attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon or
imitation firearm, as defined by Section 801 of this title;
5.  Unlawful homicide or manslaughter, as defined in Sections
691 through 722 of this title;
6.  The sale, possession for sale, transportation, manufacture,
offer for sale, or offer to manufacture controlled dangerous
substances, as defined in Section 2-101 et seq. of Title 63 of the
Oklahoma Statutes;
7.  Trafficking in illegal drugs, as provided for in the
Trafficking in Illegal Drugs Act, Section 2-414 of Title 63 of the
Oklahoma Statutes;
8.  Arson, as defined in Sections 1401 through 1403 of this
title;
9.  The influence or intimidation of witnesses and jurors, as
defined in Sections 388, 455 and 545 of this title;
10.  Theft of any vehicle, as described in Section 1720 of this
title;
11.  Rape, as defined in Section 1111 of this title;
12.  Extortion, as defined in Section 1481 of this title;
13.  Transporting a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, in
violation of Section 1289.13 of this title;
14.  Possession of a concealed weapon, as defined by Section
1289.8 of this title;
15.  Shooting or discharging a firearm, as defined by Section
652 of this title;
16.  Soliciting, inducing or enticing another to commit an act
of prostitution, as defined by Section 1030 of this title;
17.  Human trafficking, as defined by Section 748 of this title;
or
18.  Possession of a firearm after former conviction of a
felony, as defined by Section 1283 of this title.
Added by Laws 1939, p. 15, § 1.  Amended by Laws 1989, c. 157, § 3,
emerg. eff. May 8, 1989; Laws 1990, c. 272, § 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1990;
Laws 1992, c. 182, § 1, emerg. eff. May 7, 1992; Laws 1993, c. 212,
§ 1, emerg. eff. May 24, 1993; Laws 1996, c. 196, § 1, eff. July 1,
1996; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 254, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st

Ex. Sess., c. 5, § 158, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2011, c. 168, § 1,
eff. Nov. 1, 2011; Laws 2019, c. 220, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2019; Laws
2025, c. 486, § 106, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.

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