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Oklahoma · Green Country · South Central · #100 Most Populous County in the US
Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Oklahoma's second-largest county - home to Tulsa, the "Oil Capital of the World," Art Deco architecture, and the Arkansas River. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Tulsa County residents.
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Tulsa County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Office: Tulsa County Emergency Management – (918) 596-8546
Services: Operates 102 outdoor-warning sirens alerting roughly 1 million county residents to tornadoes, flooding, and other hazards; coordinates disaster recovery grant programs (e.g., FEMA/HUD-funded flood buyout programs following major flood events).
Related: City of Tulsa Office of Emergency Management (separate municipal office for city residents).
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-44, I-244, US-75, and the Arkansas River corridor serve Tulsa, the county seat and Oklahoma’s second-largest city
Transit: Tulsa Transit (Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority) operates city bus routes.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Tulsa Permit Center – 2nd Street, 4th Floor, Tulsa, OK 74103, (918) 596-9456 | Email: [email protected] | Hours: Mon–Fri 8 AM–4 PM
Notes: Tulsa County Inspections – 500 S. Cincinnati Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119, (918) 596-5293, handles unincorporated-area permits. Suburban cities (Broken Arrow, Owasso, Jenks, Sand Springs, Bixby, Sapulpa) each issue their own in-town permits.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
County VSO: Tulsa County Veterans Service Officer – Tulsa County Courthouse, Tulsa, OK
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Tulsa City-County Library (TCCL) – main branch 400 Civic Center, Tulsa, OK | (918) 549-7323
Services: Genuinely one of Oklahoma’s largest library systems, with roots to public library service in the early 1900s; the city and county formally merged their library operations in 1962; today 24 branches serve all of Tulsa County, holding over 1.7 million items (books, ebooks, audiobooks, DVDs, magazines) and circulating nearly 6 million items annually.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Tulsa County’s seat, Tulsa, was genuinely transformed almost overnight by the discovery of oil at the nearby Glenn Pool Oil Reserve in 1905, earning it the enduring nickname “the Oil Capital of the World” – by 1920, Tulsa served as headquarters for more than 400 petroleum companies, and its population exploded from just 1,390 residents in 1900 to over 72,000 by 1920; that oil wealth financed a genuinely remarkable concentration of Art Deco architecture, and downtown Tulsa today holds 61 registered historic buildings, an unusually rich collection for a city of its size, including the historic Mayo Hotel, which once hosted Charles Lindbergh, Elvis Presley, and financier J. Paul Getty; Tulsa’s history also includes one of the most consequential and tragic chapters in American history – the Greenwood District, a thriving, self-sufficient Black neighborhood so prosperous that Booker T. Washington called it “Black Wall Street,” was home to roughly 11,000 residents supporting newspapers, banks, hotels, schools, and hundreds of Black-owned businesses before it was almost entirely destroyed in the racially motivated violence of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre; the community rebuilt in the years that followed, and today Greenwood Rising, a history center in the heart of the historic district, and the nearby John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park, with its 25-foot Tower of Reconciliation, honor this history of both devastating loss and profound resilience; Tulsa is also genuinely home to the Gathering Place, a $465 million, 100-acre riverfront park along the Arkansas River that opened in 2018 and was named USA Today’s “America’s Best New Attraction,” alongside the Philbrook Museum of Art, housed in oilman Waite Phillips’s 1927 72-room Italian Renaissance villa, and the Gilcrease Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of American Western art; the 76-foot Golden Driller statue, honoring the city’s oil-worker heritage, has stood at the Tulsa Expo Center since 1966
Notes: Tulsa’s genuine identity as the historic “Oil Capital of the World,” home to both a remarkable Art Deco skyline and the profound, still-unfolding history of Greenwood/Black Wall Street, makes Tulsa County one of the most historically significant and complex counties found anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Tulsa County GIS/INCOG – (918) 584-7526, accessible via www2.tulsacounty.org
Parcel Search: Tulsa County Assessor – Tulsa, OK
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Tulsa County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Tulsa Animal Services (City of Tulsa) – 3031 N. Erie Ave, Tulsa, OK 74115 | (918) 596-8010 (adoptions/lost pets) | (918) 596-8001 (report a problem) | Hours: daily 2–6 PM (closed second Wednesday of each month)
Services: All adoptions include spay/neuter, vaccinations, and microchipping; modest adoption fees reinstated February 2026; partners with Tulsa Fire Department on a microchip-scanner reunification program.
Related: Tulsa SPCA – (918) 428-7722, an independent nonprofit shelter operating since 1913, receives no government funding.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) – deq.ok.gov
Notes: Contact your specific municipality directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details, as services vary across Tulsa and the county’s many suburban cities.
NOTES
Tulsa County’s seat is genuinely the historic “Oil Capital of the World,” home to a remarkable concentration of Art Deco architecture and the profound history of Greenwood/Black Wall Street, honored today at Greenwood Rising. All contact information above was sourced from official county, city, library, and shelter pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Tulsa County
Tulsa County is the heart of Oklahoma’s “Green Country” – the northeastern corner of the state where the Ozark Plateau meets the Arkansas River valley. Tulsa, the county seat, is Oklahoma’s second-largest city and one of the most architecturally distinctive mid-sized American cities, home to a remarkable collection of Art Deco architecture from the 1920s oil boom that rivals Miami’s Art Deco district in scope and preservation. The oil industry made Tulsa wealthy in the early 20th century, earning it the title “Oil Capital of the World” – a heritage still present in the city’s Philbrook Museum (a former oil baron’s Italian Renaissance villa), Gilcrease Museum, and the historic Greenwood District. Tulsa’s Greenwood neighborhood was the site of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre – one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history, in which a thriving Black commercial district was destroyed. The area is now recognized nationally and the Greenwood Rising History Center opened in 2021.
The county’s modern economy includes energy (oil and gas, aerospace manufacturing – American Airlines maintains a major aircraft maintenance facility at Tulsa International Airport), healthcare, financial services, and a growing technology sector. County government is a three-member Board of County Commissioners, with elected offices for the County Assessor, County Clerk, District Attorney, Sheriff, County Treasurer, and Court Clerk.
This is the 100th and final county in the CountyOffices.com Top 100 Most Populous Counties guide.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Oklahoma assesses residential property at 11% of fair cash value (market value). A Tulsa County home with a fair cash value of $200,000 has an assessed value of $22,000, to which millage rates from the county, city, school district, and other taxing authorities are applied. This keeps absolute bills modest relative to property values. The Homestead Exemption removes $1,000 from assessed value for qualifying primary residences.
The Tulsa County Assessor at 218 W. 6th Street, 5th Floor, Tulsa (918-596-5100) determines all property values annually as of January 1. Tax bills are mailed by the Tulsa County Treasurer in late November, due by December 31 (first half) and March 31 of the following year (second half). A 3% annual cap limits assessment increases on homesteaded properties.
The appeal process:
Step 1 – Informal appeal (OTC Form 974): File with the Tulsa County Assessor within 30 days of receiving a Notice of Increase in Valuation (or by the first Monday in April if no notice was issued). If you were not mailed a notice of increase, the last day to file an informal appeal without a notice is noted on the Assessor’s important dates calendar. The Assessor issues a written decision within 7 calendar days.
Step 2 – Board of Equalization (BOE) appeal (OTC Form 976): If unsatisfied with the Assessor’s informal decision, file with the Tulsa County Board of Equalization (through the County Clerk’s office) within 15 calendar days of the date the Assessor’s decision is mailed. The BOE adjourns May 31 unless it votes to extend to June 30. Hearings may be conducted in person, by telephone, or by other electronic means.
Step 3: If unsatisfied with the BOE decision, appeal to Tulsa County District Court within 30 days of the BOE decision.
Important: If your taxes become delinquent, you lose your right to appeal on certain grounds. Pay taxes even while an appeal is pending.
Senior Valuation Limitation (Senior Freeze): Qualifying homeowners age 65 or older who also qualify for the Homestead Exemption and have gross household income at or below the HUD Median Income ($90,300 for Tulsa County for the 2025 tax year / 2026 property taxes) may freeze their Taxable Fair Cash Value – it cannot increase above the level established at the time of application as long as they remain qualified. Apply by March 15 at the Tulsa County Assessor’s office. No annual reapplication is required unless income exceeds the HUD median, in which case the owner must notify the Assessor.
Additional exemptions:
– Additional Homestead Exemption (Double Homestead): for qualifying low-income homeowners
– 100% Disabled Veterans: full exemption of homestead Fair Cash Value
– Oklahoma Circuit Breaker (Form 538-H): property tax credit for low-income seniors/disabled – apply by June 30 with the Oklahoma Tax Commission
Oklahoma has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax.
OWNWELL CTA: Tulsa County’s informal appeal window is 30 days from your notice, with only 15 days after the Assessor’s decision to escalate to the BOE. Senior Valuation Freeze income limit is $90,300 – most Tulsa seniors qualify. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Tulsa County's informal appeal window is 30 days from your notice, with only 15 days after the Assessor's decision to escalate to the BOE. Senior Valuation Freeze income limit is $90,300 - most Tulsa seniors qualify. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
The Tulsa County District Court at 500 S. Denver Avenue, Tulsa (918-596-5000) handles all civil, criminal, family, and probate matters. The Tulsa County Court Clerk (918-596-5221) maintains all court records including probate records. The Tulsa County Clerk at 500 S. Denver Avenue (918-596-5801) maintains land records – deeds, mortgages, and recorded documents. Records are searchable through the County Clerk’s online portal.
Oklahoma probate is governed by the Oklahoma Statutes, Title 58. Oklahoma has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax – only federal estate tax applies. Oklahoma recognizes Transfer on Death deeds for real property. Small estate affidavit procedures are available for qualifying estates.
The 1921 Race Massacre and estate records: The Tulsa Race Massacre of May 31–June 1, 1921 resulted in the destruction of approximately 35 blocks of the Greenwood District, displacing more than 10,000 Black Tulsans. Many property records, deeds, and estate documents from that period were lost or destroyed. Researchers and descendants seeking genealogical or property records from pre-1921 Greenwood should contact the Tulsa County Clerk and the Greenwood Cultural Center (918-596-1020), which maintains historical research resources.
Senior Services: The Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa and the Eastern Oklahoma Area Agency on Aging (EOAAA) (918-382-3900) coordinate senior programming, home-delivered meals, transportation, SHIP Medicare counseling, Adult Protective Services, and connections to Oklahoma Medicaid long-term care programs. Oklahoma’s ADvantage Waiver provides Medicaid-funded home and community-based care for qualifying seniors.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
500 South Denver Ave, Tulsa, OK 74103
(918) 596-5561
COURT CLERK
500 South Denver Ave, Tulsa, OK 74103
(918) 596-5000
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Tulsa County District Court, Tulsa (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Tulsa City-County Library and Gilcrease Museum hold significant genealogical and historical collections.
Local societies
No dedicated Tulsa County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Tulsa County District Court 500 South Denver Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74103 (918) 596-5000 Tulsa County is in northeastern Oklahoma, seated in Tulsa – Oklahoma’s second most populous county.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Oklahoma has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code, maintaining its own probate statutes under Title 58 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Probate cases are handled by the District Court in each of Oklahoma’s 77 counties.
Small Estate Affidavit (58 O.S. § 393) – available when the total value of probate personal property (not counting real estate) is $50,000 or less. At least 10 days must have passed since death. This process skips court entirely: the affidavit is signed, notarized, and presented directly to whoever holds the asset (a bank, for example), along with a certified death certificate. Real estate can never be transferred this way – even a small estate with real property still needs some form of court proceeding.
Summary Administration – available when the total probate estate does not exceed $200,000, or when the decedent has been dead more than 5 years, or lived outside Oklahoma. This is an abbreviated form of probate – still court-supervised, but faster and less expensive than full administration.
Regular (Full) Administration – the standard court-supervised process, required for larger or more complex estates, or wherever real property is involved and the shortcuts above don’t apply. A personal representative (executor or administrator) is formally appointed by the court.
Step 2: filing for administration
A Petition for Probate is filed in the District Court of the county where the decedent resided; if there’s a will, the original is filed with the petition.
The court sets a hearing date and requires notice be given to heirs and interested parties.
The court appoints a personal representative (executor if named in a will, administrator if intestate) and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
Creditors are notified; claims against the estate must be presented within the statutory period.
The personal representative inventories assets, pays valid debts and taxes, and distributes what remains according to the will or Oklahoma’s intestacy laws.
The estate is closed once a final accounting is filed and approved by the court.
What it costs
Filing fees vary by county – check with Tulsa County directly for current fees.
Oklahoma has a statutory attorney fee schedule for probate, which provides more predictability than states without one.
No state estate tax, no state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
300 North Denver Ave, Tulsa, OK 74103
(918) 596-5601
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTION BOARD
555 North Denver Ave, Tulsa, OK 74103
(918) 596-5780
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Tulsa Health Department
5051 South 129th East Ave, Tulsa, OK 74134
(918) 582-9355
Department of Human Services
5330 East 31st St, Tulsa, OK 74135
(918) 623-6600
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Tulsa Health Department – (918) 582-9355
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
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