OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation authored by Rep. Marilyn Stark, R-Bethany, updating Oklahoma’s process for correcting death certificates has become law without the governor’s signature. 

House Bill 3931 updates state law governing requests to correct a death certificate. Under current law, corrections may only be made within one year of issuance. The measure extends that timeframe, allowing individuals to file a petition through the administrative hearing process to correct false information beyond the one-year limit. 

"Oklahomans deserve to have an accurate record of their life and death," Stark said. "When a family is grieving, paperwork is not always the first thing on their mind. If an error is discovered later, they should still have a fair opportunity to make it right. We heard from families who had been waiting and following this bill closely because these records matter deeply to them and their loved ones." 

The measure helps ensure official records remain accurate while providing families additional flexibility to address errors that may not be identified immediately following a loved one’s death. 

Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher, is the Senate author of the bill.