A. An appeal to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, if taken, must be commenced by filing a petition in error with the Clerk of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma within thirty (30) days from the date a judgment, decree, or appealable order prepared in conformance with Section 696.3 of this title is filed with the clerk of the trial court. If the appellant did not prepare the judgment, decree, or appealable order, and Section 696.2 of this title required a copy of the judgment, decree, or appealable order to be served upon the appellant, and the court records do not reflect the service of a copy of the judgment, decree, or appealable order to the appellant within three (3) days, exclusive of weekends and holidays, after the filing of the judgment, decree, or appealable order, the petition in error may be filed within thirty (30) days after the earliest date on which the court records show that a copy of the judgment, decree, or appealable order was served upon the appellant.

B. The filing of the petition in error may be accomplished either by delivery or mailing by certified or first-class mail, postage prepaid, to the Clerk of the Supreme Court. The date of filing or the date of mailing, as shown by the postmark affixed by the post office or other proof from the post office of the date of mailing, shall constitute the date of filing of the petition in error. If there is no proof from the post office of the date of mailing, the date of receipt by the Clerk of the Supreme Court shall constitute the date of filing of the petition in error.

C. The Supreme Court shall provide by rule, which shall have the force of statute, and be in furtherance of this method of appeal:

1. For the filing of cross-appeals;

2. The procedure to be followed by the trial courts or tribunals in the preparation and authentication of transcripts and records in cases appealed under this act; and

3. The procedure to be followed for the completion and submission of the appeal taken hereunder.

D. In all cases the record on appeal shall be complete and ready for filing in the Supreme Court within the time prescribed by rule.

E. Except for the filing of a petition in error as provided herein, all steps in perfecting an appeal are not jurisdictional.

F. 1. If a petition in error is filed before the time prescribed in this section, it shall be dismissed as premature; however, if the time to commence the appeal accrues before the appeal is dismissed, the appellant may file a supplemental petition in error, without the payment of any additional costs. Such supplemental petition in error shall state when the time for commencing the appeal began and shall set out all matters which have occurred since the filing of the original petition in error and which should be included in a timely petition in error. When a proper supplemental petition in error is filed, the appeal shall not be dismissed on the ground that it was premature.

2. If an appeal is dismissed on the ground that it was premature, the appellant may file a new petition in error within the time prescribed in this section for filing petitions in error or within thirty (30) days after notice is mailed to the parties which states that the appeal was dismissed on the ground that it was premature, whichever date is later. A notice that an appeal was dismissed on the ground that it was premature shall include the date of mailing and the ground for dismissal.

G. 1. No designation of record shall be accepted by the district court clerk for filing unless it contains one of the following:

a.where a transcript is designated: A signed acknowledgment from the court reporter who reported evidence in the case indicating receipt of the request for transcript, the date received, and the amount of deposit received, if applicable, in substantially the following form: I, ________, court reporter for the above-styled case, do hereby acknowledge this request for transcript on this ____ day of____, 20__, and have received a deposit in the sum of $____., or

b.where a transcript is not designated: A signed statement by the attorney preparing the designation of record stating that a transcript has not been ordered and a brief explanation why, in substantially the following form: I, ________, attorney for the appellant, hereby state that I have not ordered a transcript because:

(1)a transcript is not necessary for this appeal, or

(2)no stenographic reporting was made.

2. No counter-designation of record shall be accepted by the district court clerk for filing unless it contains one of the following:

a.where additional transcript is designated: A signed acknowledgment from the court reporter who reported evidence in the case indicating receipt of the request for transcript and the date received, in substantially the following form: I, ________, court reporter for the above-styled case, do hereby acknowledge this request for transcript on this ____ day of____, 20__., or

b.where no additional transcript is designated: A signed statement by the attorney preparing the designation of record stating that a transcript has not been ordered and a brief explanation why, in substantially the following form: I, ________, attorney for the appellant, hereby state that I have not ordered a transcript because:

(1)no additional transcript is necessary for this appeal, or

(2)no stenographic reporting was made.

Added by Laws 1991, c. 251, § 15, eff. June 1, 1991. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 351, § 18, eff. Oct. 1, 1993; Laws 1994, c. 343, § 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Laws 1997, c. 102, § 7, eff. May 1, 1997; Laws 2002, c. 468, § 6, eff. Nov. 1, 2002; Laws 2011, c. 13, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2011; Laws 2017, c. 147, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2017.