– Arraignment – Plea – Failure to plead or appear. A. In addition to other provisions of law for posting bail, any person, whether a resident of this state or a nonresident, who is arrested by a law enforcement officer solely for a misdemeanor violation of a state traffic law or municipal traffic ordinance, shall be released by the arresting officer upon personal recognizance if: 1. The arrested person has been issued a valid license to operate a motor vehicle by this state, another state jurisdiction within the United States, which is a participant in the Nonresident Violator Compact or any party jurisdiction of the Nonresident Violator Compact; 2. The arresting officer is satisfied as to the identity of the arrested person and certifies the date and time and the location of the violation, as evidenced by the electronic signature of the officer; 3. The arrested person acknowledges, as evidenced by the electronic signature of the person, a written promise to appear as provided for on the citation, unless the person is unconscious or injured and requires immediate medical treatment as determined by a treating physician; and 4. The violation does not constitute: a. a felony, b. negligent homicide, c. driving or being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle while impaired or under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances, unless the person is unconscious or injured and requires immediate medical treatment as determined by a treating physician, d. eluding or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, e. operating a motor vehicle without having been issued a valid driver license or while the driving privilege and driver license is under suspension, revocation, denial or cancellation, f. an arrest based upon an outstanding warrant, or g. a traffic violation coupled with any offense stated in subparagraphs a through f of this paragraph. B. If the arrested person is eligible for release on personal recognizance as provided for in subsection A of this section, then the arresting officer shall on the citation: 1. Designate the traffic charge; 2. Record information from the driver license of the arrested person on the citation form, including the name, address, date of birth, physical description, type of driver license, driver license number, issuing state, and expiration date; 3. Record the motor vehicle make, model and tag information; 4. Record the date and time on which, or before which, the arrested person promises, as evidenced by the electronic signature of the person, to contact, pay, or appear at the court, as applicable to the court; 5. Record the electronic signature of the arrested person which shall serve as evidence and acknowledgment of a promise to contact, pay, or appear at the court, as provided for in the citation; and 6. Record the electronic signature of the arrested person which shall serve as evidence to certify the date and time and the location that the arrested person was served with a copy of the citation and notice to appear, after which, the arresting officer shall then release the person upon personal recognizance based upon the acknowledged promise to appear. The citation shall contain a written notice to the arrested person that release upon personal recognizance based upon an acknowledged promise to appear, as evidenced by the electronic signature of the person, for arraignment is conditional and that failure to timely appear for arraignment shall result in the suspension of the driving privilege and driver license of the arrested person in this state, or in the home state of the nonresident pursuant to the Nonresident Violator Compact. C. The court, or the court clerk as directed by the court, may continue or reschedule the date and time of arraignment at the discretion of the court or upon request of the arrested person or the attorney for that person. If the arraignment is continued or rescheduled, the arrested person shall remain on personal recognizance and acknowledged promise to appear until such arraignment, in the same manner and with the same consequences as if the continued or rescheduled arraignment was entered on the citation by the arresting officer and electronically signed by the defendant. An arraignment may be continued or rescheduled more than one time. Provided, however, the court shall require an arraignment to be had within a reasonable time. It shall remain the duty of the defendant to appear for arraignment unless the citation is satisfied as provided for in subsection D of this section. D. A defendant released upon personal recognizance may elect to enter a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to the violation charged at any time before the defendant is required to appear for arraignment by indicating such plea on the copy of the citation furnished to the defendant or on a legible copy, together with the date of the plea and signature of the defendant, or such plea may be entered by the defendant using an electronic method provided by the court for such purposes, either through the website of the court or otherwise. The defendant shall be responsible for assuring full payment of the fine and costs to the appropriate court clerk. Payment of the fine and costs may be made by personal, cashier's, traveler's, certified or guaranteed bank check, postal or commercial money order, or other form of payment approved by the court in an amount prescribed as bail for the offense. Provided, however, the defendant shall not use currency for payment by mail. Payment of the fine and costs which is not accompanied by a written plea of guilty or nolo contendere shall constitute a plea of nolo contendere entered by the defendant as allowed by law, and shall function as a written, dated and signed citation form acceptable to the court. A plea of guilty or nolo contendere as provided for in this subsection shall be accepted by the court and the amount of the fine and costs shall be: 1. As prescribed in Section 1115.3 of this title as bail for the violation; 2. In case of a municipal violation, as prescribed by municipal ordinance for the violation charged; or 3. In the absence of such law or ordinance, then as prescribed by the court. E. 1. If, pursuant to the provisions of subsection D of this section, the defendant does not timely elect to enter a plea of guilty or nolo contendere and fails to timely appear for arraignment, the court may issue a warrant for the arrest of the defendant. The municipal or district court clerk, within one (1) calendar year from the date the citation was issued by the arresting officer, shall notify Service Oklahoma that: a. the defendant was issued a traffic citation and released upon personal recognizance after acknowledging a written promise to appear for arraignment as provided for in the citation, b. the defendant has failed to appear for arraignment without good cause shown, c. the defendant has not posted bail, paid a fine, or made any other arrangement with the court to satisfy the citation, and d. the citation has not been satisfied as provided by law. Additionally, the court clerk shall request Service Oklahoma to either suspend the driving privilege and driver license of the defendant to operate a motor vehicle in this state, or notify the home state of the defendant and request suspension of the driving privilege and driver license of the defendant in accordance with the provisions of the Nonresident Violator Compact. The notice and request shall be on a form approved or furnished by Service Oklahoma. 2. The court clerk shall not process the notification and request provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection if, with respect to such charges: a. the defendant was arraigned, posted bail, paid a fine, was jailed, or otherwise settled the case, b. the defendant was not released upon personal recognizance upon an acknowledged written promise to appear as provided for in this section or if released, was not permitted to remain on such personal recognizance for arraignment, c. the violation relates to parking or standing, or d. a period of one (1) calendar year or more has elapsed from the date the citation was issued by the arresting officer. F. Following receipt of the notice and request from the court clerk for driving privilege and driver license suspension as provided for in subsection E of this section, Service Oklahoma shall proceed as provided for in Section 1115.5 of this title. G. The municipal or district court clerk shall maintain a record of each request for driving privilege and driver license suspension submitted to Service Oklahoma pursuant to the provisions of this section. When the court or court clerk receives appropriate bail or payment of the fine and costs, settles the citation, makes other arrangements with the defendant, or otherwise closes the case, the court clerk shall furnish proof thereof to the defendant, if the defendant personally appears, or shall mail such proof by first- class mail, postage prepaid, to the defendant at the address noted on the citation or at such other address as is furnished by the defendant or by email if the defendant has furnished an email address for such purposes. Additionally, the court or court clerk shall notify the home jurisdiction of the defendant as listed on the citation, if such jurisdiction is a member of the Nonresident Violator Compact, and shall, in all other cases, notify Service Oklahoma of the resolution of the case. The form of proof and the procedures for notification shall be approved by Service Oklahoma. Provided however, failure by the court or court clerk to furnish such proof or notice in the manner provided for in this subsection shall in no event create any civil liability upon the court, the court clerk, the State of Oklahoma or any political subdivision thereof, or any state department or agency or any employee thereof but duplicate proof shall be furnished to the person entitled to such proof or notice upon request. H. For purposes of this section, "electronic signature" shall have the same meaning as defined in Section 15-102 of Title 12A of the Oklahoma Statutes. Added by Laws 2009, c. 84, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2009. Amended by Laws 2013, c. 13, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2013; Laws 2013, c. 61, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2013; Laws 2021, c. 20, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2021; Laws 2023, c. 310, § 7, eff. July 1, 2023; Laws 2024, c. 57, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2024. NOTE: Laws 2023, c. 310, was vetoed by the Governor on April 26, 2023. The veto was overridden by the Oklahoma Legislature on May 25, 2023, and filed with the Secretary of State on May 26, 2023.
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