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County Government
County Government
At the time of Oklahoma's land opening in 1889, county lines were not designated, although county seats had been named at Guthrie, Oklahoma City, Norman, El Reno, Kingfisher, and Stillwater. Territorial Governor George Steele laid out the counties designated as First, Second, and so on through the Sixth County. Counties resulting from other land openings were given letters of the alphabet, later assuming their present names.
Oklahoma entered the Union in 1907 with seventy-five counties named for territorial leaders, eminent Americans or Indian tribes or leaders. Bryan County was named for William Jennings Bryan, the "cross of gold" orator who campaigned vigorously for the populist constitution written at the convention. Rogers County honors Clem Rogers, father of humorist Will Rogers and a leading member of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention. Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Osage, Seminole, and Pottawatomie are named for Indian tribes or nations who were removed to the area. Osage, the state's largest county, was the Osage Indian Reservation during territorial days. Congress required separate county status for the Reservation in the 1906 Enabling Act. Shortly after statehood, two more counties were created under state constitutional provisions, raising the number to the present seventy-seven. Harmon County was created from a portion of giant Greer County in May 1909. Cotton County was carved from Comanche County in August 1912.
According to the Oklahoma Constitution, a new county must have at least 400-square miles of taxable area, 15,000 in population, and $2.5 million in taxable wealth. Furthermore, the boundary of a new county cannot be closer than ten miles from the seat of an existing county. These constitutional standards have been made more stringent by legislative enactment and now require 500-square miles of taxable area, 20,000 in population, and $4 million taxable wealth. Creation of any county requires a vote of the area's residents. To dissolve a county, the constitution provides if the taxable wealth drops below the minimum amount, a petition signed by a fourth or more of the county's qualified electors requires an election on de-organization. If a majority of voters approve, the county will be dissolved and attached to the adjoining county with the lowest taxable property valuation.
Although county powers are delegated by the state and are almost entirely for the administration of state law, county officers are locally elected. Every county elects three county commissioners, a county clerk, assessor, treasurer and sheriff. (Formerly, a county superintendent of schools was elected, but this position was abolished in 1993.) County attorneys were elected in each county until a 1967 law created a district attorney system. Courts also have been reorganized, substituting a district system for the previous county-elected judiciary.
County general government is supported by tax levies on real estate, personal property, and aircraft registration fees. Counties may levy a sales tax on some products and services and may also impose an occupation tax on liquor establishments when those establishments are located outside municipal boundaries. County road, bridge, and highway funds are derived from a formula distribution of state collected fees.
(Source: Association of Central Oklahoma Governments)
Oklahoma County Seats
- Adair County
- PO Box 169, Stilwell 74960
918/696-7633
- Alfalfa County
- 300 S Grand, Cherokee 73728
580/596-3523
- Atoka County
- 200 E Court Street, Atoka 74525
580/889-5157
- Beaver County
- PO Box 338, Beaver 73932
580/625-3418
- Beckham County
- 302 E Main Street, Sayre 73662
580/928-3383
- Blaine County
- 212 N Weigel Street, Watonga 73772
580/623-5890
- Bryan County
- 402 W Evergreen, Durant 74701
580/924-2202
- Caddo County
- PO Box 68, Anadarko 73005
405/247-6609
- Canadian County
- 201 N Choctaw, El Reno 73036
405/262-1070
- Carter County
- First & "B" Street #101, Ardmore 73402
580/223-8162
- Cherokee County
- 213 W Delaware, Tahlequah 74464
918/456-3171
- Choctaw County
- 300 E Duke, Hugo 74743
580/326-3778
- Cimarron County
- PO Box 145, Boise City 73933
580/544-2251
- Cleveland County
- 201 S Jones, Norman 73069-6099
405/366-0240
- Coal County
- 4 N Main, Coalgate 74538
580/927-2103
- Comanche County
- 315 SW 5th Street, Lawton 73501
580/355-5214
- Cotton County
- 301 N Broadway, Walters 73572
580/875-3026
- Craig County
- 301 W Canadian, Vinita 74301
918/256-2507
- Creek County
- 317 E Lee, Suite 100, Sapulpa 74066
918/224-4084
- Custer County
- PO Box 300, Arapaho 73620
580/323-1221
- Delaware County
- PO Drawer 309, Jay 74346
918/253-4520
- Dewey County
- PO Box 368, Taloga 73667
580/328-5361
- Ellis County
- 100 S Washington, Arnett 73832
580/885-7301
- Garfield County
- 114 W Broadway, Enid 73701
580/237-0225
- Garvin County
- PO Box 239, Pauls Valley 73075
405/238-5596
- Grady County
- PO Box 1009, Chickasha 73023
405/224-7388
- Grant County
- PO Box 167, Medford 73759
580/395-2274
- Greer County
- PO Box 207, Mangum 73554
580/782-3664
- Harmon County
- 114 W Hollis, Hollis 73550
580/688-3658
- Harper County
- PO Box 369, Buffalo 73834
580/735-2012
- Haskell County
- 202 E Main, Stigler 74462
918/967-2884
- Hughes County
- 200 N Broadway, Suite 5, Holdenville 74848
405/379-5487
- Jackson County
- PO Box 515, Altus 73522
580/482-4070
- Jefferson County
- 220 N Main, Room 103, Waurika 73573
580/228-2029
- Johnston County
- 403 W Main, Tishomingo 73460
580/371-3184
- Kay County
- PO Box 450, Newkirk 74647
580/362-3116
- Kingfisher County
- 101 S Main, Room 3, Kingfisher 73750
405/375-3887
- Kiowa County
- PO Box 73, Hobart 73651
580/726-5286
- Latimer County
- 109 N Central, Rm. 103, Wilburton 74578
918/465-3543
- LeFlore County
- PO Box 218, Poteau 74953
918/647-5738
- Lincoln County
- PO Box 126, Chandler 74834
405/258-1264
- Logan County
- 301 E Harrison, Suite 102, Guthrie 73044
405/282-8925
- Love County
- 405 W Main, Marietta 73448
580/276-3059
- Major County
- PO Box 379, Fairview 73737
580/227-4732
- Marshall County
- County Offices, Rm. 101, Madill 73446
580/795-3220
- Mayes County
- 1 Court Place, Pryor 74361
918/825-2426
- McClain County
- PO Box 629, Purcell 73080
405/527-3360
- McCurtain County
- PO Box 1078, Idabel 74745
580/286-2370
- McIntosh County
- PO Box 110, Eufaula 74432
918/689-2741
- Murray County
- PO Box 442, Sulphur 73086
580/622-3920
- Muskogee County
- PO Box 1008, Muskogee 74402
918/682-2169
- Noble County
- 300 Courthouse Drive, #11, Perry 73077
580/336-2141
- Nowata County
- 229 N Maple, Nowata 74048
918/273-2480
- Okfuskee County
- PO Box 108, Okemah 74859
918/623-1724
- Oklahoma County
- 320 Robert S Kerr, Oklahoma City 73102
405/270-0082
- Okmulgee County
- PO Box 904, Okmulgee 74447
918/756-0788
- Osage County
- PO Box 87, Pawhuska 74056
918/287-2615
- Ottawa County
- 102 E Central Avenue, Miami 74354
918/542-3332
- Pawnee County
- 500 Harrison, Room 202, Pawnee 74058
918/762-2732
- Payne County
- 315 W 6th, Suite 202, Stillwater 74074
405/747-8347
- Pittsburg County
- PO Box 3304, McAlester 74502
918/423-6865
- Pontotoc County
- PO Box 1425, Ada 74820
580/332-1425
- Pottawatomie County
- 325 N Broadway, Shawnee 74801
405/273-8222
- Pushmataha County
- 302 SW "B" Street, Antlers 74523
580/298-3626
- Roger Mills County
- PO Box 708, Cheyenne 73628
580/497-3366
- Rogers County
- 219 S Missouri, Claremore 74017
918/341-2518
- Seminole County
- PO Box 1180, Wewoka 74884
405/257-2501
- Sequoyah County
- 120 E Chickasaw, Sallisaw 74955
918/775-4516
- Stephens County
- 101 S 11, Room 203, Duncan 73533
580/255-0977
- Texas County
- PO Box 197, Guymon 73942
580/338-3233
- Tillman County
- PO Box 992, Frederick 73542
580/335-3421
- Tulsa County
- 500 S Denver, Suite 120, Tulsa 74103
918/596-5801
- Wagoner County
- 307 E Cherokee, Wagoner 74467
918/485-2216
- Washington County
- 400 S Johnston, Bartlesville 74003
918/337-2820
- Washita County
- PO Box 397, Cordell 73632
580/832-3548
- Woods County
- PO Box 386, Alva 73717
580/327-0942
- Woodward County
- 1600 Main, Woodward 73801
580/256-3625
