{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-698.16a","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 59-698.16a","heading":"Animal health records – Disclosure – Liability","body":"A. Animal health records shall be the property of the owner or\n\nmanager of a veterinary practice that has prepared such records, and\n\nshall include, but not be limited to, written records and notes,\n\nradiographs, sonographic images, video tapes, photographs,\n\nlaboratory reports, or other diagnostic or case management\n\ninformation received as the result of consulting with other licensed\n\nveterinarians or medical specialists.\n\nB. Each licensed veterinarian shall keep and maintain a legible\n\npatient record for a period of thirty-six (36) months from the date\n\nof the last visit of the patient. Each licensed or certificate\n\nholder veterinarian shall maintain records in a manner that will\n\npermit any authorized licensed veterinarian to proceed with the care\n\nand treatment of the animal, if required, by reading the medical\n\nrecord of that particular patient, and the record shall clearly\n\nexplain the initial examination. The State Board of Veterinary\n\nMedical Examiners shall promulgate such rules as may be necessary to\n\nensure that patient records include certain necessary elements.\n\nC. The owner or manager of any veterinary practice maintaining\n\nanimal health records shall provide the client or client’s agent\n\ncopies or a detailed written summary within ten (10) working days of\n\na request made in writing by the owner, unless the records are\n\nrequired in an immediate life-threatening situation, at which time\n\nthe original records, copies of the written records or a detailed\n\nwritten summary shall be forwarded to the attending or primary care-\n\nlicensed veterinarian within the same working day. The owner or\n\nmanager of any veterinary practice maintaining records shall furnish\n\nthe copies pertaining to the case upon tender of the expense of such\n\ncopy or copies. Cost of each copy shall not exceed the amount\n\nspecified in the Open Records Act per page, and no more than a\n\nreasonable cost of duplicating diagnostic images, tapes, or\n\nradiographs. There shall be no search fees assessed for the\n\nproduction or retrieval of any medical records.\n\nD. 1. No veterinarian licensed pursuant to the Oklahoma\n\nVeterinary Practice Act shall be required to disclose any\n\ninformation concerning the licensed veterinarian’s care of an animal\n\nexcept on written authorization or by other waiver by the licensed\n\nveterinarian’s client or on appropriate court order, by subpoena or\n\nas otherwise provided by this section.\n\n2. Copies of or information from veterinary records shall be\n\nprovided without the owner’s consent to public or animal health,\n\nwildlife or agriculture authorities, employed by federal, state or\n\nlocal governmental agencies who have a legitimate interest in the\n\ncontents of said records for the protection of animal and public\n\nhealth.\n\nE. 1. Any licensed veterinarian releasing information under\n\nwritten authorization or other waiver by the client or under court\n\norder, by subpoena or as otherwise provided by this section shall\n\nnot be liable to the client or any other person.\n\n2. The privilege provided by this section shall be waived to\n\nthe extent that the licensed veterinarian’s client or the owner of\n\nthe animal places the licensed veterinarian’s care and treatment of\n\nthe animal or the nature and extent of injuries to the animal at\n\nissue in any civil or criminal proceeding.","path":["OK Code","Title 59"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os59.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"9d0097f203d097162f5a14fb5e6e211dbb7c922db08b8d54488cb99bb202128a","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-698.16","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-59-59-698.16b"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}