Vehicle Code

The Oklahoma State Vehicle Code is where you'll find all the rules, laws, regulations, requirements, penalties, and anything else having to do with motor vehicles, drivers, roads, rules of the road, and anything else vehicular. It is what gets changed when new laws are added and when old laws are updated or deleted.

What Is the Vehicle Code?

The Oklahoma Vehicle Code is used by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to write the Driver's Manual and the Motorcycle Operator's Manual for citizens of Oklahoma.

May I Read It?

The Oklahoma State Courts Network makes the vehicle code, which is Title 47: Motor Vehicles, available online for all citizens.

It is also available in book form at any law library in Oklahoma. New laws and updated code are printed in insert format to be added to the books or placed in a binder. If any existing code is affected by a change in law, that code entry is noted in the permanent books and the new code supersedes it. Every few years, new books are printed with all the updated code to date added.

Contents of the Vehicle Code

The vehicle code contains all of the laws that apply to driving, motor vehicles, transportation, commercial vehicle, roads, streets, highways, turnpikes, and anything else related to vehicular movement.

In each chapter of the code, the code heading tells the reader what is discussed in the chapter. For instance, in Chapter 1-104, you will find all the laws concerning bicycles―Bicycle, Electric-Assisted Bicycle, and Motorized Bicycle. You will not find laws concerning cars, turnpikes, commercial trucks, or farm equipment. To find the law you need, simply go through the alphabetized chapter heading until you find what you need.

Some chapters are even dedicated entirely to definitions of the terms that will be discussed in following sections.

How to Use the Code

Let's say you own a demolition company and need to know the rules for carrying explosives on the highway and on the turnpike. The first place to look would be under section 1-117, explosives.

If you don't find what you're looking for there, think of other places it might be. Check under section 1-184 Turnpike and turnpike authority or section 1-122 Highway. It could even be covered under section 1-119, flammable substances, depending on what you're carrying.

If you don't find what you're looking for at first, write down the words that relate to your question or to the issue you need to clarify. If you still come up empty-handed, you can ask the librarian at your local law library. Some law librarians will even answer your questions over the phone.