§ 19-510 — County sheriff - Qualifications.

A. As used in this section, “peace officer” shall mean a full- time 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; 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.

Legislative History

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.