Are Tasers Legal in Oklahoma? What You Should Know

If pepper spray and firearms just aren’t a good fit for your self-defense plan, you might consider picking up a taser.

Tasers can provide you with good defensive capability, offering you better range than pepper spray and greater stopping capability, all without the ethical and legal implications of using a firearm against another human being. There’s a good reason why police agencies all around the world rely on tasers!

Unfortunately, the legal landscape that covers tasers varies considerably from state to state, and they aren’t legal everywhere. How about in Oklahoma? Are tasers legal in Oklahoma?

Yes, tasers and stun guns are completely legal in Oklahoma. They’re legal to own and carry without a permit, and aren’t in the same category as firearms. However, criminal misuse of a taser will entail significant charges against you.

Tasers and stun guns alike are easy to get and easy to carry in Oklahoma, especially since the state implemented constitutional carry back in 2019.

However, owning and using a taser is not a carefree experience, and there is an awful lot you’ll need to know if you want to stay safe and stay on the right side of the law. Keep reading, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the taser laws in Oklahoma.

How are Tasers Classified in Oklahoma?

In Oklahoma tasers and stun guns fall under the category of dangerous weapons, itself as distinct from deadly weapons.

We can learn this by inference, basically, considering that conductive energy weapons are mentioned in 21-645, the statute covering assault, battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The fact that “conductive energy weapons” are mentioned, itself a catch-all term for electrical weapons like tasers and stun guns, tells us what we need to know about the classification of these devices in Oklahoma.

21-645. Assault, battery, or assault and battery with dangerous weapon.

Every person who, with intent to do bodily harm and without justifiable or excusable cause, commits any assault, battery, or assault and battery upon the person of another with any sharp or dangerous weapon, or who, without such cause, shoots at another, with any kind of firearm, air gun, conductive energy weapon or other means whatever, with intent to injure any person, although without the intent to kill such person or to commit any felony, upon conviction is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary not exceeding ten (10) years, or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one (1) year.

Are Stun Guns Legal in Oklahoma?

Yes, they are. Stun guns are distinct devices compared to tasers, relying on direct physical contact to administer a shock, compared to tasers which can administrate shock from a safer distance through the use of wired electrodes that are fired from the gun-shaped launcher.

Also note that stun guns are categorized as dangerous weapons the same way that tasers are, as both fall under the umbrella term of “conductive energy weapon” detailed above.

Can You Carry a Taser Openly in Oklahoma?

Yes, you can carry a Taser or stun gun openly in Oklahoma. As long as you can legally be in possession of the device and you are carrying it anywhere that it can lawfully go, open carry is fine.

Can You Carry a Taser Concealed in Oklahoma?

Yes, you can also carry a Taser or stun gun concealed in Oklahoma and you won’t even need a concealed weapons permit to do it.

It’s worth noting that Oklahoma is considered a constitutional carry state, one that allows citizens to carry concealed weapons, including firearms, legally without needing a concealed weapons permit as long as they may be in legal possession of a given weapon.

And just a reminder, tasers and stun guns aren’t considered the same as firearms (deadly weapons) and are instead classified as “dangerous weapons.” Dangerous weapons don’t fall under the same statutes.

Are there Age Restrictions on Taser Ownership or Possession in Oklahoma?

No. There is no age restriction on Taser or stun gun purchase and possession in Oklahoma.

What Do You Need to Do to Purchase a Taser in Oklahoma?

All you need to do to purchase a taser of your own in Oklahoma is to head to any retailer where these devices are sold. Typically this will be a gun shop, well-stocked sporting goods retailer, hunting store, or security supply shop.

For a stun gun, it will likely be cash and carry. Purchasing a taser, however, will likely entail the retailer recording your personal information and getting a copy of your ID to submit to the manufacturer.

The manufacturer of the most common taser device, Axon, records purchaser information for their database so they can supply it to law enforcement anytime a taser is discharged.

But assuming there are no hang-ups when you’re buying a taser, you may then possess it and carry it in Oklahoma.

Is Training Mandatory for Taser Ownership in Oklahoma?

No. The state of Oklahoma doesn’t mandate any sort of training or other certification process for purchasing, possessing or carrying a taser or stun gun.

Where Can You Carry a Taser in Oklahoma?

Tasers can go in most places, including some places where guns can’t, but they cannot go just everywhere in Oklahoma.

For starters, you can never take your taser, or other weapons for that matter, into a courtroom or courthouse, into any police department, sheriff’s office or any other related law enforcement building or installation, you can’t take it into a treatment center.

As always, you can’t take a taser or any other weapons, including a stun gun, into any sort of government office, government building or installation, be it local, state or federal. And don’t forget that tasers cannot go beyond the security checkpoint in an airport.

When Can You Use a Taser to Defend Yourself?

The only time you can use your taser to protect yourself in Oklahoma is in case of a genuine need of self-defense against a threat to your life or threat of great bodily injury. Or, a threat against someone else that you care enough about to defend.

Keep in mind that tasers are rightly seen as dangerous weapons in Oklahoma, and that means the use of a dangerous weapon entails a certain amount of risk concerning the injuries it can inflict. Yes, when the taser works correctly someone will get hit by it and then basically fall to the ground after losing control of their body for a short period of time. However tasers can, and they have, inflicted significant injuries including death even when they work correctly.

Accordingly, you must never use your taser on anyone else for any reason except legitimate and serious self-defense. See 21-643 and 21-1272.3.

21-643. Force against another not unlawful, when – Self-defense – Defense of property.

To use or to attempt to offer to use force or violence upon or toward the person of another is not unlawful in the following cases:

…

3. When committed either by the person about to be injured, or by any other person in such person’s aid or defense, in preventing or attempting to prevent an offense against such person, or any trespass or other unlawful interference with real or personal property in such person’s lawful possession; provided the force or violence used is not more than sufficient to prevent such offense;

4. When committed by a parent or the authorized agent of any parent, or by any guardian, master or teacher, in the exercise of a lawful authority to restrain or correct such person’s child, ward, apprentice or scholar, provided restraint or correction has been rendered necessary by the misconduct of such child, ward, apprentice or scholar, or by the child’s refusal to obey the lawful command of such parent or authorized agent or guardian, master or teacher, and the force or violence used is reasonable in manner and moderate in degree;

…

21-1272.3. Unlawful discharge of stun gun or deleterious agent – Penalties.

It is unlawful for any person to knowingly discharge, or cause to be discharged, any electrical stun gun, tear gas weapon, mace, tear gas, pepper mace or any similar deleterious agent against another person knowing the other person to be a peace officer, corrections officer, probation or parole officer, firefighter, or an emergency medical technician or paramedic who is acting in the course of official duty. Any person violating the provisions of this section, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term of not exceeding ten (10) years, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term of not exceeding one (1) year.