A. This act affirms the power of the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma to issue standards for extending full faith and credit to the records and judicial proceedings of any court of any federally recognized Indian nation, tribe, band or political subdivision thereof, including courts of Indian offenses.
§ 728.Standards For Recognizing Records and Proceedings of Tribal Courts - Reciprocity
Chapter 12: Judgment · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSection 728 confirms the Oklahoma Supreme Court's authority to set standards extending full faith and credit to tribal court judgments, letting the Court recognize whatever types of tribal judgments it deems appropriate where the tribe agrees to reciprocate for Oklahoma judgments.
Full Text of § 728
B. In issuing any such standard the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma may extend such recognition in whole or in part to such type or types of judgments of the tribal courts as it deems appropriate where tribal courts agree to grant reciprocity of judgments of the courts of the State of Oklahoma in such tribal courts.
Amendment History
Added by Laws 1992, SB 871, c. 384, § 1, eff. 9/1/1992.
Plain-English Summary
Tribal court judgments don't automatically get full faith and credit the way sister-state judgments do, so this section gives the Oklahoma Supreme Court explicit authority to fix that by rule. It affirms the Court's power to issue standards recognizing the records and judicial proceedings of any federally recognized Indian nation, tribe, band, or subdivision, including courts of Indian offenses.
The recognition isn't automatic or one-sided. The Supreme Court can extend it to whichever categories of tribal judgments it decides are appropriate, but only where the tribal court agrees to grant the same reciprocity to Oklahoma court judgments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Oklahoma automatically enforce tribal court judgments?
No. The Oklahoma Supreme Court sets the standards for recognizing tribal court judgments, and recognition depends on the tribal court agreeing to reciprocate for Oklahoma judgments.
Which tribal courts does this section cover?
Any court of a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe, band, or political subdivision, including courts of Indian offenses.
Who decides which tribal judgments Oklahoma will recognize?
The Oklahoma Supreme Court, through standards it issues, and it can extend recognition in whole or in part as it deems appropriate.
What does the tribe have to do in return?
Agree to grant reciprocity — recognizing Oklahoma court judgments in its own tribal courts — as a condition of Oklahoma extending recognition to that tribe's judgments.
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: tribal court judgment recognition oklahomafull faith and credit tribal court oklahomareciprocity tribal court judgments oklahoma supreme court