A. In addition to other provisions of law for posting bail, any person, whether a resident of this state or a nonresident, who is arrested by a law enforcement officer solely for a misdemeanor violation of a state traffic law or municipal traffic ordinance, shall be released by the arresting officer upon personal recognizance if:
1. The arrested person has been issued a valid license to operate a motor vehicle by this state, another state jurisdiction within the United States, which is a participant in the Nonresident Violator Compact or any party jurisdiction of the Nonresident Violator Compact;
2. The arresting officer is satisfied as to the identity of the arrested person;
3. The arrested person signs a written promise to appear as provided for on the citation, unless the person is unconscious or injured and requires immediate medical treatment as determined by a treating physician; and
4. The violation does not constitute:
B. If the arrested person is eligible for release on personal recognizance as provided for in subsection A of this section, then the arresting officer shall:
1. Designate the traffic charge;
2. Record information from the arrested person's driver license on the citation form, including the name, address, date of birth, personal description, type of driver license, driver license number, issuing state, and expiration date;
3. Record the motor vehicle make, model and tag information;
4. Record the date and time on the citation on which, or before which, the arrested person promises to contact, pay, or appear at the court, as applicable to the court; and
5. Permit the arrested person to sign a written promise to contact, pay, or appear at the court, as provided for in the citation.
The arresting officer shall then release the person upon personal recognizance based upon the signed promise to appear. The citation shall contain a written notice to the arrested person that release upon personal recognizance based upon a signed written promise to appear for arraignment is conditional and that failure to timely appear for arraignment shall result in the suspension of the arrested person's driving privilege and driver license in this state, or in the nonresident's home state pursuant to the Nonresident Violator Compact.
C. The court, or the court clerk as directed by the court, may continue or reschedule the date and time of arraignment upon request of the arrested person or the attorney for that person. If the arraignment is continued or rescheduled, the arrested person shall remain on personal recognizance and written promise to appear until such arraignment, in the same manner and with the same consequences as if the continued or rescheduled arraignment was entered on the citation by the arresting officer and signed by the defendant. An arraignment may be continued or rescheduled more than one time. Provided, however, the court shall require an arraignment to be had within a reasonable time. It shall remain the duty of the defendant to appear for arraignment unless the citation is satisfied as provided for in subsection D of this section.
D. A defendant released upon personal recognizance may elect to enter a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to the violation charged at any time before the defendant is required to appear for arraignment by indicating such plea on the copy of the citation furnished to the defendant or on a legible copy thereof, together with the date of the plea and signature. The defendant shall be responsible for assuring full payment of the fine and costs to the appropriate court clerk. Payment of the fine and costs may be made by personal, cashier's, traveler's, certified or guaranteed bank check, postal or commercial money order, or other form of payment approved by the court in an amount prescribed as bail for the offense. Provided, however, the defendant shall not use currency for payment by mail. If the defendant has entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere as provided for in this subsection, such plea shall be accepted by the court and the amount of the fine and costs shall be:
1. As prescribed in Section 1115.3 of this title as bail for the violation; or
2. In case of a municipal violation, as prescribed by municipal ordinance for the violation charged; or
3. In the absence of such law or ordinance, then as prescribed by the court.
E. 1. If, pursuant to the provisions of subsection D of this section, the defendant does not timely elect to enter a plea of guilty or nolo contendere and fails to timely appear for arraignment, the court may issue a warrant for the arrest of the defendant and the municipal or district court clerk, within one hundred twenty (120) calendar days from the date the citation was issued by the arresting officer, shall notify the Department of Public Safety that:
Additionally, the court clerk shall request the Department of Public Safety to either suspend the defendant's driving privilege and driver license to operate a motor vehicle in this state, or notify the defendant's home state and request suspension of the defendant's driving privilege and driver license in accordance with the provisions of the Nonresident Violator Compact. Such notice and request shall be on a form approved or furnished by the Department of Public Safety.
2. The court clerk shall not process the notification and request provided for in paragraph 1 of this subsection if, with respect to such charges:
F. Following receipt of the notice and request from the court clerk for driving privilege and driver license suspension as provided for in subsection E of this section, the Department of Public Safety shall proceed as provided for in Section 1115.5 of this title.
G. The municipal or district court clerk shall maintain a record of each request for driving privilege and driver license suspension submitted to the Department of Public Safety pursuant to the provisions of this section. When the court or court clerk receives appropriate bail or payment of the fine and costs, settles the citation, makes other arrangements with the defendant, or otherwise closes the case, the court clerk shall furnish proof thereof to such defendant, if the defendant personally appears, or shall mail such proof by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the defendant at the address noted on the citation or at such other address as is furnished by the defendant. Additionally, the court or court clerk shall notify the home jurisdiction of the defendant as listed on the citation, if such jurisdiction is a member of the Nonresident Violator Compact, and shall, in all other cases, notify the Department, of the resolution of the case. The form of proof and the procedures for notification shall be approved by the Department of Public Safety. Provided, however, the court or court clerk's failure to furnish such proof or notice in the manner provided for in this subsection shall in no event create any civil liability upon the court, the court clerk, the State of Oklahoma or any political subdivision thereof, or any state department or agency or any employee thereof but duplicate proof shall be furnished to the person entitled thereto upon request.
Added by Laws 1986, c. 250, § 2, operative July 1, 1987. Amended by Laws 1990, c. 203, § 1, emerg. eff. May 10, 1990; Laws 1995, c. 193, § 4, eff. July 1, 1995; Laws 1995, c. 313, § 9, eff. July 1, 1995; Laws 1997, c. 193, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 1997; Laws 2006, c. 204, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2006.