{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-1533","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 21, § 21-1533","heading":"Penalties - Definitions - Certain defenses excluded","body":"A. Except as provided in subsection B of this section, every\n\nperson who falsely personates any public officer, civil or military,\n\nany firefighter, any law enforcement officer, any emergency medical\n\ntechnician or other emergency medical care provider, or any private\n\nindividual having special authority by law to perform any act\n\naffecting the rights or interests of another, or who assumes,\n\nwithout authority, any uniform or badge by which such officers or\n\npersons are usually distinguished, and in such assumed character\n\ndoes any act whereby another person is injured, defrauded, harassed,\n\nvexed or annoyed, upon conviction, is guilty of a misdemeanor\n\npunishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six (6)\n\nmonths, or by a fine not exceeding Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00),\n\nor by both such fine and imprisonment.\n\nB. Every person who falsely personates any public officer or\n\nany law enforcement officer in connection with or relating to any\n\nsham legal process shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class D3\n\nfelony offense, punishable by imprisonment as provided for in\n\nsubsections B through F of Section 20P of this title, or a fine not\n\nexceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or both such fine and\n\nimprisonment.\n\nC. Every person who falsely asserts authority of law not\n\nprovided for by federal or state law in connection with any sham\n\nlegal process shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class D3 felony\n\noffense, punishable by imprisonment as provided for in subsections B\n\nthrough F of Section 20P of this title, or a fine not exceeding Five\n\nThousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or both such fine and imprisonment.\n\nD. Every person who, while acting falsely in asserting\n\nauthority of law, attempts to intimidate or hinder a public official\n\nor law enforcement officer in the discharge of official duties by\n\nmeans of threats, harassment, physical abuse, or use of sham legal\n\nprocess shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class D3 felony\n\noffense punishable by imprisonment as provided for in subsections B\n\nthrough F of Section 20P of this title, or a fine not exceeding Five\n\nThousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or both such fine and imprisonment.\n\nE. Any person who, without authority under federal or state\n\nlaw, acts as a supreme court justice, a district court judge, an\n\nassociate district judge, a special judge, a magistrate, a clerk of\n\nthe court or deputy, a notary public, a juror or other official\n\nholding authority to determine a controversy or adjudicate the\n\nrights or interests of others, or signs a document in such capacity,\n\nshall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class D3 felony offense\n\npunishable by imprisonment as provided for in subsections B through\n\nF of Section 20P of this title, or a fine not exceeding Five\n\nThousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or both such fine and imprisonment.\n\nF. Every person who uses any motor vehicle or motor-driven\n\ncycle usually distinguished as a law enforcement vehicle or equips\n\nany motor vehicle or motor-driven cycle with any spot lamps, audible\n\nsirens, or flashing lights, in violation of Section 12-217, 12-218\n\nor 12-227 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or in any other\n\nmanner uses any motor vehicle or motor-driven cycle:\n\n1. Which, by markings that conform to or imitate the markings\n\nrequired or authorized in subsection B of Section 151 of Title 47 of\n\nthe Oklahoma Statutes and used by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol\n\nDivision of the Department of Public Safety, conveys to any person\n\nthe impression or appearance that it is a vehicle of the Oklahoma\n\nHighway Patrol shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor\n\npunishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one\nquired or authorized in subsection B of Section 151 of Title 47 of\n\nthe Oklahoma Statutes and used by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol\n\nDivision of the Department of Public Safety, conveys to any person\n\nthe impression or appearance that it is a vehicle of the Oklahoma\n\nHighway Patrol shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor\n\npunishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one\n\n(1) year, or by a fine not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00),\n\nor both fine and imprisonment; provided, nothing in this paragraph\n\nshall be construed to prohibit the use of such a vehicle for\n\nexhibitions, club activities, parades, and other functions of public\n\ninterest and which is not used on the public roads, streets, and\n\nhighways for regular transportation; or\n\n2. For the purpose of falsely personating a law enforcement\n\nofficer and who in such assumed character commits any act whereby\n\nanother person is injured, defrauded, harassed, vexed or annoyed\n\nshall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class C2 felony offense\n\npunishable by imprisonment as provided for in subsections B through\n\nF of Section 20M of this title, or by a fine not exceeding Ten\n\nThousand Dollars ($10,000.00), or by both such fine and\n\nimprisonment.\n\nG. 1. Any person who displays or causes to be displayed the\n\nwords “State Police” alone or in conjunction with any other word or\n\nwords on any motor vehicle, badge, clothing, identification card, or\n\nany other object or document with the intent to communicate peace\n\nofficer or investigating authority shall, upon conviction, be guilty\n\nof a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding One Thousand\n\nDollars ($1,000.00). This paragraph shall not apply to any officer\n\nwith statewide investigatory or law enforcement authority.\n\n2. Any person who displays or causes to display such words as\n\nprovided in this subsection for the purpose of falsely personating a\n\nlaw enforcement officer and as such commits any act whereby another\n\nperson is injured, defrauded, harassed, vexed or annoyed shall, upon\n\nconviction, be guilty of a Class D1 felony offense punishable by\n\nimprisonment as provided for in subsections B through F of Section\n\n20N of this title, or by a fine not exceeding Ten Thousand Dollars\n\n($10,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.\n\nH. As used in this section:\n\n1. “Sham legal process” means the issuance, display, delivery,\n\ndistribution, reliance on as lawful authority, or other use of an\n\ninstrument that is not lawfully issued, whether or not the\n\ninstrument is produced for inspection or actually exists, and\n\npurports to do any of the following:\n\na. to be a summons, subpoena, judgment, arrest warrant,\n\nsearch warrant, or other order of a court recognized\n\nby the laws of this state, a law enforcement officer\n\ncommissioned pursuant to state or federal law or the\n\nlaw of a federally recognized Indian tribe, or a\n\nlegislative, executive, or administrative agency\n\nestablished by state or federal law or the law of a\n\nfederally recognized Indian tribe,\n\nb. to assert jurisdiction or authority over or determine\n\nor adjudicate the legal or equitable status, rights,\n\nduties, powers, or privileges of any person or\n\nproperty, or\n\nc. to require or authorize the search, seizure,\n\nindictment, arrest, trial, or sentencing of any person\n\nor property; and\n\n2. “Lawfully issued” means adopted, issued, or rendered in\n\naccordance with the applicable statutes, rules, regulations, and\n\nordinances of the United States, a state, or a political subdivision\n\nof a state.\n\nI. It shall not be a defense to a prosecution under subsection\n\nB, C, D or E of this section that:\n\n1. The recipient of the sham legal process did not accept or\n\nbelieve in the authority falsely asserted in the sham legal process;\n\n2. The person violating subsection B, C, D or E of this section\n\ndoes not believe in the jurisdiction or authority of this state or\npolitical subdivision\n\nof a state.\n\nI. It shall not be a defense to a prosecution under subsection\n\nB, C, D or E of this section that:\n\n1. The recipient of the sham legal process did not accept or\n\nbelieve in the authority falsely asserted in the sham legal process;\n\n2. The person violating subsection B, C, D or E of this section\n\ndoes not believe in the jurisdiction or authority of this state or\n\nof the United States government; or\n\n3. The office the person violating subsection B, C, D or E of\n\nthis section purports to hold does not exist or is not an official\n\noffice recognized by state or federal law.\n\nR.L. 1910, § 2691. Amended by Laws 1990, c. 320, § 4, emerg. eff.\n\nMay 30, 1990; Laws 1993, c. 13, § 1, emerg. eff. March 24, 1993;","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":"a7dd8f01357dd03d6c3a6db22cc286c2318748ff5e4c29b06e01c686c8734ccb","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-1532","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-21-21-1533.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}