Oklahoma End of Life Guide

Advance Directives 

Advance Directives are legal documents that allow you to make known your end-of-life care ahead of time. The state of Oklahoma recognizes your right to decide the terms of your own medical treatment and to assign a person to make those decisions when you are not able to do so. 

Here are some important questions to consider before beginning this process:

• Is this document(s) state specific? No

• Does this document(s) need to be notarized? No

• Does this document(s) require witnesses? If so, how many? Yes / 2

• Can you legally use Aging With Dignity's 5 Wishes Doc? No

There is a single Advance Directive form for Oklahoma that you can download by clicking the button below:

OKLAHOMA ADVANCE DIRECTIVE FORM

(Source: Oklahoma Department of Human Services)

Death With Dignity

Death with Dignity laws allow the dying more control of their death and end-of-life decisions. These laws allow terminally-ill, able-minded state residents to request and receive prescription medication to hasten their death. 

In Oklahoma, Death With Dignity legislation has not been passed nor submitted under a House or Senate Bill. 

Designated Funeral Agent

Oklahoma law supports the appointment of a designated funeral agent to follow through on your written personal preferences (see below) or make funeral arrangements on your behalf if no written preferences are indicated.

This comes in the form of a combined personal preference and designated agent statute §21-1151,

"A person may assign the right to direct the manner in which his or her body shall be disposed of after death by executing a sworn affidavit stating the assignment of the right and the name of the person or persons to whom the right has been assigned."

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is not available directly from any state agency. Some counties do provide burial or cremation assistance and you would need to contact your county social services office to inquire. There are also a few indigent and Native American burial assistance programs available in Oklahoma. 

See our Financial Assistance Chart for more details.

Home Funeral

Home funerals, or family led funerals, are 100% legal in Oklahama. Your family or appointed agent may care for the deceased and handle all your funeral arrangements and necessary paperwork (permits and certificates) without a funeral director:

Check with the National Home Funeral Alliance for up-to-date details on how to navigate home funerals in Oklahoma.

Personal Preference Law

Personal preference laws for body disposition obligate your survivors to follow your written [or verbal] personal preferences. This often goes hand-in-hand with designating a funeral agent to follow through with your funeral or body disposition preferences.

In Oklahoma, your personal preferences are honored under statute §21-1151,

"Any person has the right to direct the manner in which his or her body shall be disposed of after death, and to direct the manner in which any part of his or her body which becomes separated there from during his or her lifetime shall be disposed of. The provisions of this article do not apply where such person has given directions for the disposal of his or her body or any part thereof inconsistent with these provisions."

These preferences are best in written format and then shared with your spouse, next-of-kin, or designated funeral agent.