Oklahoma § 21-649.3 - Harming, mistreating or killing service animal – Willful

§ 21-649.3. Harming, mistreating or killing service animal – Willful

interference with service animal’s performance - Permitting animal

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 21. Crimes and Punishments

to fight, injure or kill service animal – Penalties – Exemption from

registration or license fees.

A. No person shall willfully harm, including torture, torment,

beat, mutilate, injure, disable, or otherwise mistreat or kill a

service animal that is used for the benefit of any handicapped

person in the state.

B. No person including, but not limited to, any municipality or

political subdivision of the state, shall willfully interfere with

the lawful performance of any service animal used for the benefit of

any handicapped person in the state.

C. Except as provided in subsection D of this section, any

person convicted of violating any of the provisions of this section

shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by the imposition of a

fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by

imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one (1) year, or by

both such fine and imprisonment.

D. Any person who knowingly and willfully and without lawful

cause or justification violates the provisions of this section,

during the commission of a misdemeanor or felony, shall be guilty of

a Class B6 felony offense, punishable by the imposition of a fine

not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by imprisonment

in the Department of Corrections not exceeding two (2) years, or by

both such fine and imprisonment.

E. Any person who encourages, permits or allows an animal owned

or kept by such person to fight, injure, disable or kill a service

animal used for the benefit of any handicapped person in this state,

or to interfere with a service animal in any place where the service

animal resides or is performing, shall, upon conviction, be guilty

of a misdemeanor punishable as provided in subsection C of this

section. In addition to the penalty imposed, the court shall order

the violator to make restitution to the owner of the service animal

for actual costs and expenses incurred as a direct result of any

injury, disability or death caused to the service animal, including

but not limited to costs of replacing and training any new service

animal when a service animal is killed, disabled or unable to

perform due to injury. For purpose of this subsection, when a

person informs the owner of an animal that the animal is a threat

and requests the owner to control or contain the animal and the

owner disregards the request, the owner shall be deemed to have

encouraged, permitted or allowed any resulting injury to or

interference with a service animal.

F. Notwithstanding any ordinance in effect as of the effective

date of this act, no municipality or political subdivision of the

state, or any official thereof, may enact or enforce any ordinance

or rule that requires any registration or licensing fee for any

service animal as defined in this section that is used for the

purpose of guiding or assisting a disabled person who has a sensory,

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 21. Crimes and Punishments

mental, or physical impairment. Any official violating the

provisions of this paragraph shall be guilty of a misdemeanor

punishable by a fine of not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00).

G. As used in this section, “service animal” means an animal

that is trained for the purpose of guiding or assisting a disabled

person who has a sensory, mental, or physical impairment.

Added by Laws 2004, c. 281, § 1, emerg. eff. May 10, 2004. Amended

by Laws 2005, c. 158, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2005; Laws 2025, c. 486, §

180, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.