{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-1158","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 21-1158","heading":"Right to control disposition of the remains of a deceased","body":"person.\n\nThe right to control the disposition of the remains of a\n\ndeceased person, the location, manner and conditions of disposition,\n\nand arrangements for funeral goods and services vests in the\n\nfollowing order, provided the person is eighteen (18) years of age\n\nor older and of sound mind:\n\n1. The decedent, provided the decedent has entered into a pre-\n\nneed funeral services contract or executed a written document that\n\nmeets the requirements of the State of Oklahoma;\n\n2. A representative appointed by the decedent by means of an\n\nexecuted and witnessed written document meeting the requirements of\n\nthe State of Oklahoma;\n\n3. The surviving spouse;\n\n4. The sole surviving adult child of the decedent whose\n\nwhereabouts is reasonably ascertained or if there is more than one\n\nadult child of the decedent, the majority of the surviving adult\n\nchildren whose whereabouts are reasonably ascertained;\n\n5. The surviving parent or parents of the decedent, whose\n\nwhereabouts are reasonably ascertained;\n\n6. The surviving adult brother or sister of the decedent whose\n\nwhereabouts is reasonably ascertained, or if there is more than one\n\nadult sibling of the decedent, the majority of the adult surviving\n\nsiblings, whose whereabouts are reasonably ascertained;\n\n7. The guardian of the person of the decedent at the time of\n\nthe death of the decedent, if one had been appointed;\n\n8. The person in the classes of the next degree of kinship, in\n\ndescending order, under the laws of descent and distribution to\n\ninherit the estate of the decedent. If there is more than one\n\nperson of the same degree, any person of that degree may exercise\n\nthe right of disposition;\n\n9. If the decedent was an indigent person or other person the\n\nfinal disposition of whose body is the financial responsibility of\n\nthe state or a political subdivision of the state, the public\n\nofficer or employee responsible for arranging the final disposition\n\nof the remains of the decedent; and\n\n10. In the absence of any person under paragraphs 1 through 9\n\nof this section, any other person willing to assume the\n\nresponsibilities to act and arrange the final disposition of the\n\nremains of the decedent, including the personal representative of\n\nthe estate of the decedent or the funeral director with custody of\n\nthe body, after attesting in writing that a good-faith effort has\n\nbeen made to no avail to contact the individuals under paragraphs 1\n\nthrough 9 of this section.\n\nR.L. 1910, § 2453. Amended by Laws 1997, c. 197, § 2, eff. Nov. 1,\n\n1997; Laws 2011, c. 208, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2011.","path":["OK Code","Title 21"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os21.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"1a25a0687ec88a0be6e2e1806efff7f2b71766e74d8382ae9e37c98565a21737","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-1157","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-1158a"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}