Oklahoma § 19-510 - County sheriff - Qualifications

§ 19-510. County sheriff - Qualifications

A. As used in this section, “peace officer” shall mean a fulltime duly appointed or elected officer who is currently or has

previously been paid for working more than twenty-five (25) hours

per week and whose duties include or included preserving the public

peace, protection of life and property, prevention of crime, service

of warrants, and the enforcement of:

1. Federal laws;

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 19. Counties and County Officers

2. The laws of this state;

3. The laws of any other state in the United States; or

4. The local ordinances of any political subdivision of such

state.

B. Any person, otherwise qualified, who has been a resident of

this state for two (2) years, has been a registered voter of the

party whose nomination he or she seeks, or a registered Independent,

within the county from which such person seeks election for the six

(6) months next preceding the first day of the filing period, is at

least twenty-five (25) years of age next preceding the date of

filing for office, possesses at least a high school education, and

has served as a duly certified peace officer, in a full-time

capacity, for a period of four (4) years or more prior to the date

of filing for the office of county sheriff, shall be eligible to

file for or hold the office of county sheriff.

C. A candidate shall present proof of peace officer

qualification at the time of filing a declaration of candidacy with

the secretary of the county election board as described in Section

5-111 of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The Secretary of the

State Election Board may prescribe a form to be included as part of

the documented proof of police or veteran experience as required by

this section.

D. Any veteran who has served as military police may count four

(4) or more years of service as military police to meet the

experience requirement listed in subsection B of this section. A

veteran shall present a Certificate of Release or Discharge from

Active Duty (DD Form 214) when filing a declaration of candidacy as

verification of military police experience.

E. Within twelve (12) months of taking office, all newly

elected or appointed sheriffs shall complete a sheriff’s

administrative school which has been developed by the Oklahoma

Sheriffs’ Association and which has been approved by the Council on

Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET). Failure to complete

the sheriff’s administrative school within the specified period

shall preclude the new sheriff from obtaining CLEET certification.

New sheriffs with prior CLEET certification, who fail to attend the

sheriff’s administrative school, shall have their CLEET

certification revoked. Provided, however, the provisions of this

section relating to qualifications shall not apply to any person

serving as a county sheriff or to any person previously serving as

county sheriff prior to the adoption of this statute.

Added by Laws 1976, c. 157, § 1, emerg. eff. May 28, 1976. Amended

by Laws 1992, c. 181, § 4, eff. July 1, 1992; Laws 1999, c. 37, § 1,

eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2000, c. 15, § 1, emerg. eff. April 3, 2000;

Laws 2003, c. 184, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2003; Laws 2004, c. 53, § 5,

emerg. eff. April 1, 2004; Laws 2017, c. 258, § 1, eff. Nov. 1,

2017; Laws 2025, c. 253, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2025.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 19. Counties and County Officers