A Kasey Alert in Oklahoma is a statewide emergency notification used to help find a missing adult who is believed to be in immediate danger. It covers people 18 and older whose whereabouts are unknown and who law enforcement has reason to believe face serious bodily injury or death. Created by House Bill 1077 and signed into law in April 2023, the Kasey Alert Act took effect on November 1, 2023 and is codified at Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Sections 1-1990.9 through 1-1990.14, under the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.1Oklahoma State Senate. Bill Establishing Kasey Alert Sent to Governor’s Desk
The alert is named for Kasey Russell, a 29-year-old Cherokee Nation citizen who went missing in July 2016. At the time, no Oklahoma alert system covered adults his age who disappeared under suspicious circumstances, and his mother’s effort to change that drove the legislation.1Oklahoma State Senate. Bill Establishing Kasey Alert Sent to Governor’s Desk
Who Qualifies as a Critically Missing Adult
The statute defines a “critically missing adult” as someone who meets all three of these conditions: the person is at least 18 years old, their whereabouts are unknown, and law enforcement believes they face immediate danger of serious bodily injury or death.2New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Oklahoma Code 63-1-1990.9 – Definitions There is no upper age limit in the Kasey Alert Act itself.
The law lists four categories of immediate danger that can support an alert:
- Physical or mental disability that puts the person at risk when they are on their own.
- Being the victim of violence, where evidence suggests the person was harmed or attacked before or during their disappearance.
- Kidnapping, meaning the person was taken against their will.
- Any other dangerous circumstance, a catch-all that gives law enforcement discretion when the facts point to immediate danger but do not fit the first three categories.2New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Oklahoma Code 63-1-1990.9 – Definitions
Routine missing persons cases without evidence of danger do not qualify. Someone who stops answering their phone for a day, with no signs of foul play or vulnerability, would not meet the threshold.
How Oklahoma’s Three Alert Systems Differ
Oklahoma runs three distinct missing persons alert systems, and a person who does not qualify for one may qualify for another.
- AMBER Alert covers children age 17 and younger, or individuals with a proven physical or mental disability, and requires evidence of abduction and imminent danger of serious harm or death.
- Silver Alert covers individuals over 60 who are believed to have dementia or another cognitive impairment, whose whereabouts are unknown, and whose disappearance poses a credible threat to their safety.
- Kasey Alert covers adults 18 and older whose whereabouts are unknown and who are believed to be in immediate danger of serious bodily injury or death. No cognitive impairment is required.2New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Oklahoma Code 63-1-1990.9 – Definitions
A person over 60 who is in danger but does not have a cognitive impairment could qualify for a Kasey Alert rather than a Silver Alert.
How a Kasey Alert Gets Issued
When a law enforcement agency receives a report about a potentially critically missing adult, the statute requires three things before an alert goes out. The agency must enter the missing person into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center database as soon as it has enough information. Officers must investigate whether the person was likely abducted or taken against their will. And the agency must collect identifying details and any other information that could help the public assist in a safe recovery.3New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Oklahoma Code 63-1-1990.12 – Law Enforcement Duties
Only after those steps can a Kasey Alert be activated, and only if the agency determines there is enough information to issue one.3New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Oklahoma Code 63-1-1990.12 – Law Enforcement Duties Families do not request a Kasey Alert directly; law enforcement makes the activation decision based on the facts of the case.
What the Alert Contains and How It Reaches You
The statute requires a Kasey Alert to include all appropriate information that could lead to the safe recovery of the critically missing adult. In practice that means the person’s name, physical description, photograph, last known location, and any vehicle details. Every Kasey Alert must also carry a statement directing anyone with information about a missing Native American or Indigenous person to contact law enforcement or tribal authorities.4Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-1-1990.13 – Alert Information
The Commissioner of Public Safety is the statewide coordinator of the system and works with media outlets for rapid public announcements.5New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Oklahoma Code 63-1-1990.11 – Statewide Coordinator of System – Promulgation of Rules Alerts can reach the public through broadcast media, digital highway signs, official websites, and social media.
At the federal level, the FCC established a new Missing Endangered Persons event code for the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts, effective September 8, 2025. The code was designed for cases that fall outside AMBER Alert criteria and gives state and local agencies a way to send push notifications to mobile devices for a wider range of missing persons situations.6Federal Communications Commission. Missing Endangered Persons Emergency Alert System Code That gives Oklahoma an additional federally supported channel to distribute Kasey Alerts directly to phones in the affected area.
When a Kasey Alert Ends
A Kasey Alert ends in one of two ways. The issuing law enforcement agency must terminate the alert when the notification period expires, with that time frame set by Department of Public Safety rules. And any law enforcement agency that locates the missing person must immediately notify the Department of Public Safety so the alert can be pulled from all channels.7Justia. Oklahoma Code 63-1-1990.14 – Termination of Alerts The statute itself does not state the length of the notification period; that detail is set by DPS rulemaking.
What to Do if Someone You Know Is Missing
You do not need to wait 24 or 48 hours to file a missing persons report in Oklahoma. That waiting period is a myth. If someone you know has disappeared and you believe they are in danger, contact your local police department or county sheriff’s office right away.
Have as much of the following ready as you can: a recent photograph, a detailed physical description including tattoos or scars, the person’s last known location and the time they were last seen, vehicle information if relevant, and anything suggesting they are in danger. Be direct about why you believe the person is endangered. “They sent a text saying someone was threatening them and haven’t responded since” gives officers far more to work with than “they didn’t come home.” Concrete evidence of danger helps law enforcement move faster through the three statutory steps required before a Kasey Alert can go out.