He shall, upon the return of every summons, enter upon the appearance docket whether or not service has been made; and, if the summons has been served, the name of the defendant or defendants summoned and the day and manner of the service upon each one. The entry shall be evidence in case of the loss of the summons.
§ 32.Entry On Return of Summons
Chapter 2: General Provisions · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSection 32 requires the clerk to note on the appearance docket, when a summons is returned, whether service was made and — if it was — each defendant's name and the day and manner of service, creating a record that stands as evidence if the summons is lost.
Full Text of § 32
Amendment History
R.L. 1910, § 5332; Amended by Laws 1953, HB 911, p. 47, § 1.
Plain-English Summary
Section 32 ties the appearance docket to proof of service. Whenever a summons comes back to the clerk, the clerk enters on the docket whether it was served at all. If it was, the entry names each defendant served and records the day and manner of service for each one.
That entry does double duty: if the summons is ever lost, the docket entry stands as evidence of what happened, sparing the parties from having to reconstruct service some other way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the clerk record when a summons is returned?
Section 32 requires the clerk to note on the appearance docket whether service was made, and if so, each defendant's name and the day and manner of service.
What if the original summons gets lost?
Section 32 makes the clerk's docket entry evidence of service in case the summons itself is lost.
Does the clerk record an entry even if the summons wasn't served?
Yes. Section 32 requires an entry upon the return of every summons whether or not service has been made.
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: summons return entry appearance docketproof of service record oklahomaclerk entry on return of summonslost summons evidence