Self-Defense Laws in Oklahoma

Stand your ground. A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

A person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm when using defensive force intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm if the person against whom it was used was unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, occupied vehicle, place of business, occupied premises, or place of worship (or was removing or attempting to remove someone against their will), and the defender knew or had reason to believe this was occurring; or if the defender reasonably believed the intruder was entering to commit a forcible felony and force was necessary to prevent it. The presumption does not apply if the person against whom force is used has the right to be in or is a lawful resident of the dwelling, residence, or vehicle (such as an owner, lessee, or titleholder) and there is no domestic-violence protective order or written pretrial no-contact order against that person; if the persons sought to be removed are children or grandchildren or in the lawful custody or guardianship of the person against whom force is used; or if the defender is engaged in an unlawful activity or using the place to further one. A person who unlawfully and by force enters or attempts to enter is presumed to intend an unlawful act involving force or violence. A person using defensive force as permitted is justified and is immune from criminal prosecution (including charging) and civil action; police may not arrest unless there is probable cause the force was unlawful; and the court shall award reasonable attorney fees, court costs, compensation for loss of income, and expenses to a defendant found immune in a civil action.