How to Get Text Reminders for Your Court Date in Oklahoma

Oklahoma now has a program where they will text you automated reminders of your court appearances. If you’re a party to a court case, you don’t have to participate in the program, but if you want text messages to remind you of court dates, here’s how to opt in:

Step 1: Look up your case

First, look up your case on www.oscn.net.

In an earlier blog post, I tell you how to look up your case on oscn.net. Go to this blog post, and scroll down to “How to Find Court Records on OSCN.” I’ve also created a video tutorial to show you how you can find court records on OSCN.

You may watch the video here:

Step 2: Select "Get Text Reminders"

As soon as you find your case, click on it. You should see a page that looks something like this:

Do you see the icon that says “Get Text Reminders”? I’ve drawn a red arrow pointing to that icon. Click on “Get Text Reminders” and you should see a screen that looks like this:

Step 3: Subscribe

When you see this screen, either scan the QR Code, or text “subscribe” to the number provided.

You should then receive a text message on your phone. The message will read:

“Do you wish to get alerts for [name of case]? Reply “YES” to confirm OR “NO” to discard. Text “STOP” to stop."

After you receive this message, you will receive a response that says:

“Thank you, you will receive a reminder approx. 48 hrs in advance of a case event.”

My Experience with the System

I have tried this on my phone, and it worked. I subscribed to a case in which I was counsel of record, and, 48 hours before my court hearing, it sent me a reminder. The reminder said, “OSCN reminder: there is an upcoming event on 12/10/2025” and then it contained a link to the case page.

If you’re a party to a court case, I highly recommend that you sign up to receive texts. Many people forget to show up for their court dates, and failure to appear can have severe consequences. (For the past six years, I have used automated text reminders in my office, and I send all clients text reminders a day in advance and an hour in advance of every court hearing.)

Important Considerations

However, you should be aware of the following:

1. Your Responsibility: If you don’t receive a text message, you’re still responsible for appearing in court, and you still may be punished for not appearing. If you’ve signed up for the program and they make a mistake and don’t text you, they’re not responsible for their own mistakes – you are.

2. Multiple Cases: If you are a party to multiple cases, you have to subscribe separately for each case, in order to get texts for each case.

Managing Your Subscriptions

The text messaging service also offers the following options:

• Text “STOP”: It will unsubscribe you and prevent future text messages.

• Text “LIST”: It will show you a list of all cases to which you’ve subscribed.

• Text "DEL [Number]": When you see a case on that list, there will be a number next to the case number. If you text “DEL” and then the number, it won’t send to texts about that case. (For example, if a case is number 1 on the list, and you text “DEL 1” it will unsubscribe you from Case No. 1)

• Text “CLEAR”: It will unsubscribe you from all cases.

For more information on the Oklahoma courts’ text messaging reminder system and how to use it, click here and here.

Why Reminders Matter

I have long advocated that court use text messaging to remind parties of their court dates. In courts that have done this, people who receive text reminders are far more likely to show up for their court appearances. This benefits the parties, because if they show up for court, they won’t have to risk having a default judgment or an arrest warrant issued or a contempt charge against them for failure to appear. It also benefits the court system, because it’s expensive to send out law enforcement officers to arrest people with outstanding warrants, and it’s a lot cheaper for the courts to use text messaging.