Oklahoma Court Records

Major Oklahoma courts that kept records of genealogical value were established as follows:

1844- U.S. district courts
From 1844 to 1889, the present U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas had jurisdiction over criminal and some civil matters in the Indian Territory. Beginning in 1889, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas assumed this jurisdiction.

1890- District courts of Oklahoma
Beginning in 1890 the Oklahoma Territory was divided into several court districts that serve one or more counties. A district court judge now serves in each county. These courts are often referred to as county courts. They have jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases, including probate records. The Family History Library has some of the early court records, such as 128 microfilms of Logan County territorial records, 1890 to 1907.

The Supreme Court is a statewide appellate court, as are the Court of Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals.

The Family History Library does not have county, supreme, or appeals court records. You can obtain copies of these records by contacting the clerk's office in each county. For contact details of each county court see http://www.genealogy.com/00000265.html. Some of the federal court records for the territorial era are at the Oklahoma Historical Society.