The Oklahoma Do Not Resuscitate form is a short state-issued document that tells emergency responders and healthcare workers not to attempt CPR if your heart or breathing stops. To be honored, it needs the patient’s (or an authorized representative’s) signature, the signatures of two qualifying witnesses, and identifying information that matches the patient’s records. The form is governed by the Oklahoma Do-Not-Resuscitate Act at Title 63, Sections 3131.1 through 3131.14 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and it takes effect the moment it is properly signed and witnessed.
Where to Get the Form
The Oklahoma Legislature wrote a preferred DNR consent form directly into the statute, and any form that meets the Act’s requirements is acceptable.1Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-3131.5 – Consent Form You can download it from the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s advance directives page, and most hospitals, physicians’ offices, and licensed healthcare facilities keep blank copies on hand.2Oklahoma State Department of Health. Advance Directives The form is traditionally printed on bright yellow paper so first responders can spot it fast.
Who Signs the Form
Any competent adult can sign for themselves. Oklahoma does not require you to have a terminal illness or to be near death; an adult of sound mind can decide in advance that they do not want resuscitation.
If the patient cannot make their own healthcare decisions, a representative signs instead. Under the Act, “representative” means one of three specific people: an attorney-in-fact under the Oklahoma Health Care Agent Act, a healthcare proxy designated in an advance directive, or a court-appointed guardian of the person.3Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-3131.3 – Definitions
When an incapacitated patient has none of those three, a separate statute at Title 63, Section 3102.4 sets a surrogate priority list. Working from top to bottom, the order is: guardian of the person, healthcare proxy or alternate proxy, attorney-in-fact, spouse, adult children, parents, adult siblings, other adult relatives by closeness of kinship, and finally a close friend who is familiar with the patient’s values. A close friend acting in this role has to sign an affidavit documenting the relationship.4Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-3102.4 – Classes and Priorities for Surrogate Decision-Makers You only move to a lower rank when nobody in a higher one is available or willing to act, and whoever signs must follow the patient’s known wishes or, if those are unknown, act in the patient’s best interests.
Filling Out the Front of the Form
The front asks for basic information and a signature. Enter the patient’s full legal name and date of birth exactly as they appear on official records so paramedics and hospital staff can confirm identity in an emergency. Below the printed statement requesting no resuscitation, the patient or the representative signs and dates the form.
If a representative is signing, the form has a line identifying that person’s relationship to the patient and the authority they are acting under (for example, healthcare proxy under an advance directive, or attorney-in-fact under the Health Care Agent Act). Fill this in even if it seems obvious. Providers reading the form later need to see the source of authority on the page.
Witness Requirements
Two witnesses must sign after the patient or representative signs. Each witness must be at least 18 years old, and neither can be someone who would inherit from the patient. The statute names them as “legatees, devisees or heirs at law,” which covers anyone who would take property under the patient’s will or through intestate succession if there is no will.1Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-3131.5 – Consent Form
Being a relative does not automatically disqualify someone, but if that relative stands to inherit, they cannot serve. The cleanest approach is to pick witnesses with no family tie and no financial interest: a neighbor, a coworker, a social worker at the facility. Both witnesses should be in the room when the patient or representative signs, because they are attesting that the signature was given voluntarily.
When a Physician Signs the Back
There is one situation where the front of the form stays blank. If the patient is incapacitated and has no representative and no available surrogate, the attending physician can complete a certification on the back. The physician needs clear and convincing evidence that the patient, while still competent, decided against CPR. That evidence can come from oral statements, written documents, or other communications the patient made to family, providers, or others who knew their wishes.1Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-3131.5 – Consent Form This is the only path that lets a physician authorize a DNR without a patient or representative signature.
Where to Keep the Signed Form
A DNR that nobody can find during an emergency does not help. Display the original somewhere visible at home. Above the bed and on the front of the refrigerator are the two spots paramedics are trained to check. Give copies to every provider involved in the patient’s care: the primary care physician should add it to the medical record, and any hospital or extended care facility the patient uses should have a copy on file.
DNR Bracelets, Necklaces, and Wallet Cards
Oklahoma law recognizes three standardized DNR identification devices: a necklace, a bracelet, and a wallet card.3Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-3131.3 – Definitions These signal to EMS personnel that a valid DNR consent exists even when the paper form is not in reach. If the patient travels, spends time away from home, or lives in more than one place, a bracelet or necklace fills a gap the refrigerator form cannot.
The identification device supplements the signed form. It does not replace it. The underlying consent form still has to exist and still has to be properly signed and witnessed.
How to Revoke the DNR Later
A DNR consent can be revoked at any time, and the method depends on where the patient is when they change their mind.
- Inside a healthcare facility, the patient can revoke by telling a physician or any healthcare provider, verbally, in writing, or through any other act of communication. The attending physician must then immediately cancel the order and notify the care team.5Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-3131.7 – Revocation of Consent
- Outside a facility, the patient revokes by physically destroying the form and removing all DNR identification (bracelets, necklaces, cards). The patient is then responsible for telling their attending physician about the revocation.5Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-3131.7 – Revocation of Consent
A representative can revoke on behalf of an incapacitated patient the same way: inside a facility by notifying a provider in writing or telling the attending physician directly; outside a facility by destroying the form, removing all identification, and notifying the physician afterward.5Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-3131.7 – Revocation of Consent For a minor with a DNR, either parent or the guardian may revoke it, and the minor may revoke it directly if capable of understanding the consequences, regardless of age.
Forms Signed in Another State
Oklahoma recognizes advance directives executed in other states when they complied with that state’s law and do not exceed what Oklahoma law authorizes, but that recognition language sits under the Oklahoma Advance Directive Act, not the DNR Act. If you are moving to Oklahoma or plan to spend significant time here, complete a fresh Oklahoma DNR consent form rather than relying on one from another state. The Oklahoma form is short, and a clean copy avoids ambiguity that could slow responders down.