The testimony of a subscribing witness is not necessary to authenticate a record unless required by the laws of the jurisdiction governing the validity of the record.
§ 2903.Subscribing Witness' Testimony Unnecessary
Chapter 40: Oklahoma Evidence Code · Last amended November 1, 2002 · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceEliminates the need for a subscribing witness's testimony to authenticate a record unless the law governing the validity of that particular record requires the subscribing witness to testify.
Full Text of § 2903
Amendment History
Laws 1978, SB 276, c. 285, § 903, eff. 10/1/1978; Amended by Laws 2002, HB 1939, c. 468, §64, eff. 11/1/2002.
Plain-English Summary
A record with a subscribing witness -- someone who signed to attest its execution -- doesn't need that witness to testify before the record can be authenticated. The only exception is when the law governing the validity of the record itself demands the witness's testimony, rather than just the record's proof at trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to call the person who witnessed a signature to authenticate a document?
Not generally -- only if the law governing that record's validity requires the subscribing witness's testimony.
What is a subscribing witness?
Someone who signed a document to attest to its execution, as distinct from the person who authored or executed it.
When would a subscribing witness's testimony still be required?
When the law governing the validity of the particular record -- not this Code -- imposes that requirement.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: subscribing witness testimony oklahoma12 O.S. § 2903FRE 903 oklahoma equivalentauthenticating a record without a witness oklahoma