Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 21-1161: Unlawful removal of dead body - Violation of or damage to

casket or burial vault.

A. No person shall intentionally remove the dead body of a

human being or any part thereof from the initial site where such

dead body is located for any purpose, unless such removal is

authorized by a district attorney or his authorized representative

or medical examiner or his authorized representative, or is not

required to be investigated pursuant to the provisions of Section

938 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, said authorization by the

district attorney or medical examiner shall not be required prior to

the removal of said body. A district attorney having jurisdiction

may refuse to prosecute a violation of this subsection if the

district attorney determines that circumstances existed which would

justify such removal or that such removal was not an act of malice

or wantonness.

B. No person shall remove any part of the dead body of a human

being from any grave or other place where the same has been buried,

or from any place where the same is deposited while awaiting burial,

with intent to sell the same, or to dissect it without authority of

law, or from malice or wantonness.

C. No person shall willfully or with malicious intent violate

or cause damage to the casket or burial vault holding the deceased

human remains.

D. Any person convicted of violating any of the provisions of

this section shall be guilty of a Class D1 felony offense and shall

be punished by imprisonment as provided for in subsections B through

F of Section 20N of this title, or by a fine not exceeding Five

Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.

R.L. 1910, § 2456. Amended by Laws 1986, c. 281, § 1, eff. Nov. 1,

1986; Laws 1989, c. 193, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1989; Laws 1997, c. 133,

§ 300, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 201, eff.

July 1, 1999; Laws 2025, c. 486, § 401, eff. Jan. 1, 2026.

NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective

date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 300 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.