Oklahoma Construction Lien Resources
Pre-lien notice within 75 days, sub lien within 90 days, original contractor lien within 4 months of last furnishing. Sue within 1 year of filing. Everything a contractor, subcontractor or supplier needs to protect lien rights in Oklahoma.
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Send the pre-lien notice after last furnishing (subs and suppliers)
File a sub or supplier lien after last furnishing
File an original contractor lien after last furnishing
Sue to enforce after the lien is filed
Oklahoma deadline calculator
Enter your dates and see every deadline in order. Red rows are the ones that can cost you the lien.
How an Oklahoma lien comes together
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First day of work or delivery
Lien priority starts
A perfected lien has priority over liens and encumbrances that attach after work begins. Keep a record of your first furnishing date.
42 O.S. 141
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Within 75 days after last furnishing
Pre-lien notice (subs and suppliers)
A claimant other than the original contractor sends a pre-lien notice to the original contractor and an owner. Use hand delivery with a delivery receipt, an automated transaction, or certified mail, return receipt requested.
42 O.S. 142.6
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Within 90 days after last furnishing
Sub or supplier files lien statement
File a verified lien statement with the county clerk where the land sits. Include a notarized affidavit that you complied with the pre-lien notice rules.
42 O.S. 143; 42 O.S. 142.6
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Within 4 months after last furnishing
Original contractor files lien statement
A contractor hired by the owner files a verified lien statement with the county clerk. It lists the amount, items, owner, contractor, claimant, and legal description.
42 O.S. 142
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Within 5 business days after filing
County clerk mails notice of the lien
The county clerk mails notice of the filing to the property owner by certified mail, return receipt requested. The claimant gives the clerk last-known addresses and pays the fee.
42 O.S. 143.1
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Within 1 year after filing
Enforce the lien
Bring a civil action in the district court of the county where the land sits. If no action is filed within 1 year of filing, the lien is canceled by limitation of law.
42 O.S. 172; 42 O.S. 177
The Oklahoma rules, abstracted
A working summary of the Oklahoma Mechanics’ and Materialmen’s Lien Law for notice, recording and enforcement.
Who has lien rights
Anyone who contracts with the owner to perform labor, furnish material, or rent equipment used on the land for a building, improvement, or structure has a lien. This is the original contractor. Subcontractors, artisans and day laborers of the contractor, and those who furnish labor, material, or equipment to a subcontractor also have lien rights. The lien can include applicable profit and overhead owed at the time of filing.
Pre-lien notice
Before filing a lien, a claimant other than the original contractor must send a pre-lien notice to the original contractor and an owner. Send it no later than 75 days after your last date of supply. Delivery is by hand with a delivery confirmation receipt, an automated transaction, or certified mail, return receipt requested. The notice is not required for claims under $10,000, for retainage, or for residential projects of four or fewer units that no owner occupies. It is always required if an owner occupies the property as a dwelling. One notice covers later supply on the same project. If the original contractor does not give you owner information within 5 days of your written request, the notice-to-owner requirement is unenforceable. Any portion of the claim with no notice sent is invalid and unenforceable.
Notice of commencement or completion
Oklahoma’s lien statute does not use a notice of commencement or notice of completion. Deadlines run from your own last date of furnishing labor, material, or equipment.
The lien statement
File a lien statement, verified by affidavit, with the county clerk of the county where the land is located. An original contractor files within 4 months after last furnishing. A subcontractor or supplier files within 90 days after last furnishing under the subcontract. Subs and suppliers also give the clerk a notarized affidavit confirming pre-lien notice compliance at the same time.
Service of the lien
The county clerk, not the claimant, mails notice of the filing. It goes to the property owner by certified mail, return receipt requested, within 5 business days after filing. The claimant supplies the last-known addresses of the owner and the party the claim is against, and pays the clerk’s fee. If they cannot be found with due diligence, the claimant may file an affidavit and serve the occupant within 60 days of filing, or post a copy on unoccupied property.
Enforcement deadline
A lien is enforced by civil action in the district court of the county where the land sits. The action must be brought within 1 year from the date the lien was filed. If no action is filed in that time, the lien is canceled by limitation of law. The party who wins judgment may recover a reasonable attorney fee set by the court.
Owner protections
An owner is not liable to a sub or supplier for more than the owner agreed to pay the original contractor. An owner can discharge a lien by depositing cash or a surety bond equal to 125% of the lien amount with the county clerk. The claimant then must proceed against that security in the same time and manner as a lien foreclosure. On owner-occupied dwellings, a lien is not valid unless the pre-lien notice was sent within 75 days, no matter the claim amount.
Oklahoma quirk: construction trust funds
Money payable under a building or remodeling contract is held as trust funds for the payment of lienable claims once a contractor or subcontractor receives it. Misuse of these funds can carry criminal penalties. The trust fund rules do not prevent filing or enforcing a lien.
Where Oklahoma liens go wrong
- Skipping the pre-lien notice on an owner-occupied home because the claim is under $10,000.
- Counting the 75 and 90 day deadlines from the invoice date instead of the last day of supply.
- Forgetting the notarized pre-lien affidavit when filing the lien statement.
- Letting the 1-year enforcement deadline pass after the lien is filed.
What do I need to send?
- Track your last date of supplying labor, material, or equipment.
- Send the pre-lien notice to the original contractor and an owner within 75 days of last supply, if required.
- File a verified lien statement with the county clerk within 90 days of last supply.
- Give the clerk the notarized pre-lien notice affidavit when you file the lien statement.
- Give the clerk last-known addresses for the owner and the party you claim against.
- Record your first and last furnishing dates.
- File a verified lien statement with the county clerk within 4 months of last furnishing.
- Answer a written request for owner information within 5 days.
- Treat contract payments as trust funds for lienable claims.
- Sue to enforce within 1 year of filing, if needed.
- Keep pre-lien notices you receive and match them to payments.
- Watch for the county clerk’s certified-mail notice of a lien filing.
- To clear title, consider a cash deposit or surety bond of 125% of the lien amount.
- After 1 year with no enforcement action, a filed lien is canceled; the owner can file an affidavit noting this with the county clerk.
Public projects: payment bonds
You can’t lien public property. On state and local jobs, your security is the contractor’s payment bond under the Before award of a contract over $100,000 for construction or repair on public real property, the contractor must furnish a bond. It covers what the contractor owes subcontractors and suppliers of labor, material, and equipment rental..
- The bond covers all indebtedness the contractor incurs for subcontractors and suppliers of labor, material, and rental of machinery or equipment.
- A claimant with a contract with a subcontractor, but no contract with the prime contractor, must give written notice within 90 days of last furnishing.
- Mail the notice by registered or certified mail to the contractor, with a copy to the surety.
- Sue on the bond within 1 year of last furnishing, or within 2 years if a prior claim was filed within 1 year.
61 O.S. 1; 61 O.S. 2
Lien waivers
Oklahoma’s lien statute does not provide statutory lien waiver forms. Parties use contract or custom forms. Read every waiver for whether it is conditional on payment and what dates and amounts it covers.
Okla. Stat. tit. 42, 141 et seq. (no waiver form provision found)
Federal projects
The Miller Act governs federal jobs in every state. Second-tier claimants give written notice to the prime contractor within 90 days after last furnishing; suit within 1 year after last furnishing.
40 U.S.C. 3133
Read the Oklahoma law
We link to the official statute instead of hosting a copy, so you always read the current version. Our summaries were last checked against these sources on October 7, 2026.
Oklahoma services
Flat pricing per document. Premium members pay less on every filing.
Basic: free with signup. Premium: $299 per year.
Basic Membership
Create your free LienNow account to access all our services at standard pricing. No cost, no commitment. Sign up in minutes and start filing right away at our standard pricing. It’s a good fit for contractors and suppliers who file occasionally.
Premium Membership
Premium includes everything in Basic, plus discounted pricing across our service offerings. If you file notices or liens regularly, the savings can quickly cover the annual fee.
| Service | Premium | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-lien notice (subs and suppliers) | Starting at $75 | Starting at $110 |
| Lien statement: prepare, record and serve | Starting at $225 | Starting at $395 |
| Lien release / discharge | Starting at $110 | Starting at $165 |
| Public job bond notice or claim | Starting at $210 | Starting at $375 |
| Miller Act bond notice or claim (federal jobs) | Starting at $195 | Starting at $350 |
| Title search and legal description | Starting at $300 | Starting at $350 |
| Rush service (within 7 business days) | Starting at $75 | Starting at $150 |
| Same-day service (24-hour turnaround) | Starting at $125 | Starting at $200 |
| Electronic recording (e-file) | Starting at $45 | Starting at $75 |
Prices are LienNow service fees per document. County recording fees, state registry or portal fees, certified mail, postage and notary fees are billed at cost. Court actions to enforce a lien are handled by an attorney and are not included.
Oklahoma lien questions
Do I need to send a pre-lien notice in Oklahoma?
Claimants other than the original contractor must send one within 75 days of last supply. It is not required for claims under $10,000, for retainage, or for residential projects of four or fewer units that no owner occupies. It is always required on property an owner occupies as a dwelling.
How long do I have to file a lien in Oklahoma?
An original contractor files within 4 months after last furnishing. A subcontractor or supplier files within 90 days after last furnishing under the subcontract.
Do I have to serve the lien on the owner myself?
No. The county clerk mails notice of the filing to the owner by certified mail within 5 business days. You give the clerk the last-known addresses and pay the fee.
How long does an Oklahoma lien last?
You must bring an action to enforce the lien within 1 year from the date it was filed. If no action is filed, the lien is canceled by limitation of law.
Working an Oklahoma job?
Send us the job. We prepare, serve and record your Oklahoma notices and liens, and track every deadline.
The information on this page is general information about Oklahoma law as of the review date shown. It is not legal advice, and LienNow is not a law firm. Deadlines depend on the facts of each project. Consult a licensed Oklahoma attorney about your specific situation.