| Court Clerk | Payne County Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Clerk address | Payne County Courthouse, 606 S Husband St, Rooms 206 & 207, Stillwater, OK 74074 |
| Phone | (405) 372-4774 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; open during the lunch hour; closed on holidays |
| Earliest records noted | 1994 |
| Plain copy fee | $1.00 for the first page, $0.50 for each additional page |
| Certified copy fee | $0.50 per instrument, in addition to the copy fee |
Payne County, home to Stillwater and Oklahoma State University, keeps its district-court records with the Payne County Court Clerk in Rooms 206 and 207 of the Payne County Courthouse at 606 S Husband Street. The office maintains its own website with unusually detailed guidance on copies, record searches, and each case type, which makes Payne one of the easier Oklahoma counties to research. The District Court of Payne County is one of two courts in the Ninth Judicial District; the other is Logan County, which shares a district judge but keeps its own separate records in Guthrie.
The Court Clerk states that its files run from the early 1900s to the present, and that everything except juvenile, mental-health, and adoption cases is open for public inspection. Cases from 1994 forward are searchable free on OSCN; the office points researchers there first. Most files are kept at the courthouse, but criminal records more than about ten years old may be stored at another location and take longer to pull.
Payne is also one of the few Oklahoma counties that publishes a flat fee for a staff-conducted name search: $5 per search, available in person, by mail, or by email. That is useful when you know a person's name and date of birth but not a case number, or when you need something older than the OSCN index.
Search Payne County court records online
Court Clerk
Payne County Court Clerk
- Cost
- Free docket search on OSCN; $5 per staff-conducted name search; copies $1.00 first page, $0.50 each additional, $0.50 certification
- Coverage
- All district-court case types filed in Payne County — civil, small claims, probate, domestic, juvenile, adoption, mental health, protective orders, felony, misdemeanor, and traffic — with files dating from the early 1900s
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
The clerk's site lists copy prices, search fees, hours, and a dedicated Record Searches page. Copies requested by mail take one to two weeks; in-person copies are usually immediate except for criminal files more than ten years old, which are stored off site.
Other courts
OSCN Docket Search — Payne County
- Cost
- Free
- Coverage
- Case dockets for Payne County District Court, 1994 to present
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, Traffic
Select "Payne County District Court" from the county list. The Court Clerk's Record Searches page directs the public to OSCN for cases filed from 1994 forward.
What is available online
Payne County is an OSCN county. The Court Clerk's site says cases filed from 1994 to the present can be searched by the public at oscn.net, with docket entries for civil, criminal, domestic, probate, small claims, and traffic matters and document images for many recent filings. Cases older than 1994, and files the clerk describes as dating to the early 1900s, exist on paper at the courthouse or in off-site storage and require a request to the office. Juvenile, mental-health, and adoption records are closed to the public in every format.
Which clerk has your record
In Oklahoma, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Oklahoma page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| District Courts (77 counties) | Felony and misdemeanor criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family cases; Civil suits of any amount | Court Clerk of the county |
| Municipal Courts | City ordinance violations; Traffic tickets issued by city police | Municipal court clerk for that city |
Request records in person or by mail
Payne County clerk offices
Payne County Courthouse, 606 S Husband St, Rooms 206 & 207, Stillwater, OK 74074
Phone: (405) 372-4774
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; open during the lunch hour; closed on holidays
Online. Search OSCN's docket for Payne County District Court by party name or case number. The clerk's Record Searches page notes this covers cases from 1994 to the present.
In person. Visit Rooms 206 and 207 at the Payne County Courthouse, 606 S Husband Street, Stillwater, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Copies are $1.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each page after, plus a $0.50 certification fee per document, and are usually available immediately. Criminal files more than ten years old may be in off-site storage and take longer.
Staff record search ($5). If you do not have a case number, the office will search by name for a flat $5 fee. In person, provide the full name and date of birth of the person and any other details that help. By mail, send a letter with the full name, date of birth, and the years to be searched, along with the $5 fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The same search can be requested by email to the clerk's office.
By mail (copies). Send the case number or party names, the documents wanted, whether you need certified copies, and payment or a request for a quote to the courthouse address. Allow one to two weeks because of mail volume.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Oklahoma |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | $1.00 for the first page, $0.50 for each additional page |
| Certified copy | $0.50 per instrument, in addition to the copy fee |
Set by state statute (28 O.S. § 31, fees of court clerks) and charged the same way in every county. Some counties add small local fund assessments to filing fees, but the per-page copy and certification fees above are the statewide statutory rate. Confirm with the Court Clerk before mailing payment, since older document formats (microfilm, bound volumes) can carry a separate retrieval fee.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Oklahoma court records are open to the public unless a statute or court order closes them. The main paths to a closed record are:
The Oklahoma guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
How far back do Payne County court records go?
The Court Clerk states its files run from the early 1900s to the present. Cases from 1994 forward are searchable online through OSCN; older cases are on paper at the courthouse or in storage and must be requested from the office.
How much does a name search cost in Payne County?
The Court Clerk charges a flat $5 per staff-conducted record search, whether requested in person, by mail, or by email. You must supply the person's full name and date of birth.
What do copies cost at the Payne County Court Clerk?
$1.00 for the first page, $0.50 for each additional page, and a $0.50 certification fee, the same statutory rates used statewide. Mail requests take one to two weeks.
Which court records are not public in Payne County?
Juvenile, mental-health, and adoption cases are closed, along with anything sealed or expunged by court order. Everything else filed in the district court is available for public inspection.
Sources
- Payne County Court Clerk (official site) — https://courtclerk.paynecounty.org/
- Payne County Court Clerk — Record Searches — https://courtclerk.paynecounty.org/record-searches/
- Payne County Court Clerk — Contact Us — https://courtclerk.paynecounty.org/sample-page/
- OSCN — Payne County court page — https://www.oscn.net/courts/payne
- OSCN Docket Search — https://www.oscn.net/dockets/Search.aspx
- Oklahoma State Courts Network (OSCN) — https://www.oscn.net/
- On Demand Court Records (ODCR) — https://odcr.com/
- OSBI Criminal History Reporting Unit — https://oklahoma.gov/osbi/services/information-services-division/criminal-history-reporting-unit.html
- OSBI CHIRP (Criminal History Information Request Portal) — https://oklahoma.gov/osbi/chirp/chirp.html
- Oklahoma Statutes, Title 22 § 18 — Expungement of Records — https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/deliverdocument.asp?cite=22+OS+18
- Oklahoma Statutes, Title 22 § 19 — Sealing and Unsealing of Records — https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/deliverdocument.asp?cite=22+OS+19
- Oklahoma Statutes, Title 28 § 31 — Fees of Court Clerks — https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/deliverdocument.asp?cite=28+OS+31
- Oklahoma Appellate Courts Case Search — https://www.oscn.net/applications/oscn/index.asp?ftdb=STOKCS&level=1
- PACER — Federal court records — https://pacer.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Oklahoma counties.