Oklahoma Eviction Laws
Oklahoma rules on eviction for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: 5 days' written notice demanding payment. If rent is not paid within 5 days after the notice, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement. The demand counts as a demand for possession; no further notice to quit is required. 41 O.S. § 131
The rules in Oklahoma
| Notice for unpaid rent | 5 days' written notice demanding payment. If rent is not paid within 5 days after the notice, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement. The demand counts as a demand for possession; no further notice to quit is required. The demand may be given before or after the landlord files the eviction action. Last amended 1995. Source: 41 O.S. § 131 |
|---|---|
| Notice for lease violations | Material noncompliance: written notice stating a termination date at least 15 days after receipt; tenant has 10 days to remedy, otherwise the lease ends on the stated date. A repeat breach allows immediate termination on written notice. Imminent, irremediable harm or criminal / drug-related activity allows immediate termination by filing forcible entry and detainer. For breaches curable by repair/cleaning, landlord may give 10 days' notice, then do the work and bill the cost as rent (§ 132(A)). Source: 41 O.S. § 132(B)-(D) |
| Lockouts & utility shutoffs | Self-help eviction prohibited in effect: if a landlord wrongfully removes or excludes the tenant, the tenant may recover possession or terminate, and recover the greater of twice the average monthly rent or twice actual damages. If the landlord willfully or negligently cuts essential services, tenant may terminate, buy substitute services and deduct, recover diminished rental value damages, or obtain substitute housing excused from rent. On termination after lockout the landlord must return all recoverable deposits and prepaid unearned rent. § 121(C) source: https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/DeliverDocument.asp?CiteID=71770 Source: 41 O.S. § 123; 41 O.S. § 121(C) |
How an eviction case works in Oklahoma
Eviction cases are heard in: District Court (forcible entry and detainer; often heard on the small claims docket).
- Notice: 5-day demand for rent (41 O.S. § 131) or 15/10-day breach notice (§ 132), or 30-day notice for month-to-month (§ 111)
- File forcible entry and detainer petition in district court (12 O.S. § 1148.1)
- Summons issued setting appearance date 5 to 10 days after issuance; must be served at least 3 days before trial (12 O.S. §§ 1148.4, 1148.5)
- Trial / hearing; tenant may answer at or before trial (12 O.S. § 1148.6)
- Judgment for possession, rent, costs and attorney fee
- Writ of execution issued to the county sheriff directing removal 'forthwith'; motion for new trial within 3 days does not stay execution (12 O.S. § 1148.10)
- Removal by sheriff
Landlords: how to evict a tenant in Oklahoma — steps, costs, timeline and forms.
Eviction court and fees by county
- Oklahoma County (Oklahoma City)
- Tulsa County (Tulsa)
- Cleveland County (Norman, Moore)
- Comanche County (Lawton)
- Payne County
- Canadian County
Free calculators
- Notice Deadline Calculator — Enter the date a notice was delivered and see the date it runs out under your state's law.
Templates
Related questions
- Can a landlord evict you without going to court, change the locks or shut off utilities?
- How long does an eviction take?
- How much notice does a landlord have to give before an eviction?
Oklahoma vs. neighboring states
| State | Notice for unpaid rent | Notice for lease violations | Lockouts & utility shutoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | 5 days' written notice demanding payment. If rent is not paid within 5 days after the notice, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement. The demand counts as a demand for possession; no further notice to quit is required. 41 O.S. § 131 | Material noncompliance: written notice stating a termination date at least 15 days after receipt; tenant has 10 days to remedy, otherwise the lease ends on the stated date. A repeat breach allows immediate termination on written notice. Imminent, irremediable harm or criminal / drug-related activity allows immediate termination by filing forcible entry and detainer. 41 O.S. § 132(B)-(D) | Self-help eviction prohibited in effect: if a landlord wrongfully removes or excludes the tenant, the tenant may recover possession or terminate, and recover the greater of twice the average monthly rent or twice actual damages. If the landlord willfully or negligently cuts essential services, tenant may terminate, buy substitute services and deduct, recover diminished rental value damages, or obtain substitute housing excused from rent. 41 O.S. § 123; 41 O.S. § 121(C) |
| Arkansas | For a civil unlawful detainer, the landlord must give three days' written notice to vacate before filing. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304 | Three days' written notice to vacate before filing an unlawful detainer, the same as for nonpayment. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-304 | Lockouts and other self-help evictions are not allowed. The Arkansas Supreme Court held in Gorman v. Ratliff (1986) that under the forcible entry and detainer law a landlord may not re-enter a rental or carry away a tenant's belongings without first going to court, and that lease clauses allowing self-help are invalid. A tenant who wins can recover costs and damages. No statute specifically addresses utility shutoffs by a landlord. The legal routes to regain possession are unlawful detainer (§§ 18-60-301 et seq., 3 days' written notice) and eviction in district court (§§ 18-17-901 et seq.), with the sheriff executing the writ. Gorman v. Ratliff, 289 Ark. 332, 712 S.W.2d 888 (1986); Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-60-301 et seq., 18-17-901 |
| Colorado | 10-day written demand to pay rent or deliver possession. Exempt residential agreements get 5 days; employer-provided housing gets 3 days. The tenant may pay the full amount in the notice, plus any rent that has since come due, at any time until the judge enters a judgment for possession. Payment can go to the landlord or the court, and the case is then dismissed. For a "covered dwelling" under the federal CARES Act (for example, housing with a federal subsidy or a federally backed mortgage), the landlord must also follow the notice rule in 15 U.S.C. § 9058(c) as enacted on March 27, 2020 (a 30-day notice to vacate), even if federal law later changes (C.R.S. § 38-12-1502, since May 29, 2025). C.R.S. §§ 13-40-104(1)(d), 13-40-106, 13-40-115(4); 38-12-1502 (added by HB 25-1240) | 10-day written notice to comply with the violated condition or covenant, or deliver possession (5 days for exempt residential agreements, 3 days for employer-provided housing). A repeat violation of the same covenant after a prior notice allows termination 10 days after written notice, with no cure. Substantial violations, such as certain violent or drug-related criminal acts, are handled under § 13-40-107.5. C.R.S. §§ 13-40-104(1)(e), (1)(e.5), 13-40-107.5 | Unlawful for a landlord to remove or exclude a tenant without court process, including by willfully cutting utilities or removing doors, windows, or locks. Exceptions are abandonment, mutual consent, and meth-lab cleanup rules. The tenant is awarded statutory damages equal to actual damages plus the higher of three times monthly rent or $5,000, plus attorney fees and costs, and the court may restore possession. C.R.S. § 38-12-510 |
| Kansas | 3 days' written notice to pay or the lease terminates (three consecutive 24-hour periods from delivery or posting; add 2 days if mailed). Before filing, a 3-day notice to leave the premises is also required; it may be combined with the RLTA notice. K.S.A. 58-2564(b); K.S.A. 61-3803 | Written notice that the lease will terminate on a date at least 30 days after receipt unless the breach is remedied within 14 days. If the same or a similar breach recurs after the 14-day period, the landlord may give a 30-day termination notice with no opportunity to cure. K.S.A. 58-2564(a) | If the landlord unlawfully removes or excludes the tenant or willfully interrupts electric, gas, water or other essential services, the tenant may recover possession or terminate the lease and recover the greater of 1.5 months' rent or actual damages. K.S.A. 58-2563 |
| Missouri | No fixed pay-or-quit notice period. Landlord must demand the rent; if it is unpaid, landlord may file a rent-and-possession statement. The one-month termination notice of 441.060 is not required before filing. RSMo 535.020 | 10 days' notice to vacate for breach of a written lease condition, unauthorized assignment/sublet, or waste (violations of 441.030), and for illegal use under 441.020 (gambling, bawdyhouse, controlled substances). The statute provides no right to cure. RSMo 441.030, 441.040, 441.020 | Prohibited. A landlord who removes or excludes a tenant or the tenant's property without judicial process and court order, or removes doors or locks, is guilty of forcible entry and detainer. The same applies to willfully interrupting essential services (electric, gas, water, sewer) unless done for health or safety reasons. Tenant can sue under Ch. 534, which awards double damages and double monthly rents/profits until restitution. RSMo 441.233; 534.330 |
| New Mexico | 3-day written notice of nonpayment and intent to terminate. Tender of the full amount due, in the manner stated in the notice, before the 3 days expire bars an action for nonpayment. NMSA 1978, § 47-8-33(D) | First material noncompliance: 7-day written notice to cure (tenancy ends in not less than 7 days if not remedied). Second material noncompliance within 6 months: 7-day notice to terminate with no right to cure. Substantial violation (serious criminal-type conduct): 3-day notice to terminate with no cure. NMSA 1978, § 47-8-33(A)-(C), (I) | Without a court order, an owner may not exclude or remove a resident by fraud, changing/plugging locks, blocking entrances, interfering with utilities or services, removing belongings, disabling appliances, or making the unit inaccessible/uninhabitable. Resident may abate 100% of rent for each affected day, recover a civil penalty of 2x monthly rent, recover possession or terminate, and get damages. NMSA 1978, §§ 47-8-36, 47-8-48(C) |
| Texas | At least 3 days' written notice to vacate before filing, unless the written lease provides a shorter or longer period. For a tenant evicted solely for nonpayment who was not delinquent before the month of the notice, the notice must be a notice to pay rent or vacate. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 24.005(a) | Same 3-day written notice to vacate as for other defaults, unless the lease provides otherwise. No statutory right to cure. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 24.005(a) | Landlord may not intentionally exclude a tenant except by judicial process, with narrow exceptions including a lock change for rent delinquency if allowed by the lease and preceded by written notice (5 days if mailed, 3 days if hand-delivered/posted), and a new key must be available 24 hours a day regardless of payment. Remedy: possession or termination, plus one month's rent + $1,000, actual damages, costs and attorney's fees. Interrupting utilities (except for repairs, construction, emergency, or authorized submetered electric cutoffs) carries the same one month's rent + $1,000 remedy. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.0081; Sec. 92.008 |
City rules that may add to state law
More Oklahoma rental law
- Oklahoma Security Deposit Law
- Oklahoma Notice to Vacate Rules
- Landlord Entry Rules in Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Repairs & Tenant Remedies
- Oklahoma Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
- Breaking a Lease in Oklahoma
- Squatters' Rights in Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Rental Fee Rules
- Oklahoma Section 8, Records & Right to Counsel
- Oklahoma Mold, Pests, Heat & AC Rules
- Oklahoma Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
- Oklahoma Landlord Selling the House
- Oklahoma Lockouts, Utility Shutoffs & Retaliation
- Oklahoma Subletting, Lease Endings & Tenant Death
- All Oklahoma landlord-tenant rules
- Free legal help in Oklahoma
Compare eviction in all 50 states and DC →
Oklahoma Eviction Laws FAQ
How much notice does a landlord have to give before evicting for unpaid rent in Oklahoma?
5 days' written notice demanding payment. If rent is not paid within 5 days after the notice, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement. The demand counts as a demand for possession; no further notice to quit is required. (41 O.S. § 131)
How much notice is required to evict for a lease violation in Oklahoma?
Material noncompliance: written notice stating a termination date at least 15 days after receipt; tenant has 10 days to remedy, otherwise the lease ends on the stated date. A repeat breach allows immediate termination on written notice. Imminent, irremediable harm or criminal / drug-related activity allows immediate termination by filing forcible entry and detainer. (41 O.S. § 132(B)-(D))
Can a landlord change the locks or shut off utilities in Oklahoma?
Self-help eviction prohibited in effect: if a landlord wrongfully removes or excludes the tenant, the tenant may recover possession or terminate, and recover the greater of twice the average monthly rent or twice actual damages. If the landlord willfully or negligently cuts essential services, tenant may terminate, buy substitute services and deduct, recover diminished rental value damages, or obtain substitute housing excused from rent. (41 O.S. § 123; 41 O.S. § 121(C))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.