A. All records of the Department, other than those declared by law to be confidential for the use of the Department, shall be open to public inspection during office hours.

B. The Commissioner shall supervise the maintaining of all records of the Department and shall adopt rules concerning the destruction and retention of records. Records of the Department shall not be subject to the provisions of:

1. Sections 305 through 317 of Title 67 of the Oklahoma Statutes or be transferred to the custody or control of the State Archives Commission;

2. Section 590 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes; or

3. The Records Management Act, Sections 201 through 215 of Title 67 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

The Commissioner may, pursuant to an adopted rule, order destruction of records deemed to be no longer of value to the Department in carrying out the powers and duties of the Department.

C. 1. The Commissioner may cause any or all records kept by the Department of Public Safety to be photographed, microphotographed, photostated, reproduced on film, or stored on computer storage medium. The film or reproducing material shall be of durable material, and the device used to reproduce the records on the film or reproducing material shall accurately reproduce and perpetuate the original records in all detail.

2. The photostatic copy, photograph, microphotograph, photographic film or computerized image of the original records shall be deemed to be an original record for all purposes and shall be admissible as evidence in all courts or administrative agencies. A facsimile, exemplification, or certified copy thereof shall be deemed to be a transcript, exemplification, or certified copy of the original.

3. The photostatic copies, photographs, microphotographs, reproductions on film, or computerized images shall be placed in conveniently accessible files and provisions made for preserving, examining, and using the copies, photographs, microphotographs, reproductions on film and computerized images. The Commissioner of Public Safety is empowered to authorize the disposal, archival storage, or destruction of the original records or papers.

Added by Laws 1961, p. 327, § 2-111, eff. Sept. 1, 1961. Amended by Laws 2000, c. 342, § 2, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2005, c. 199, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2005; Laws 2007, c. 62, § 7, emerg. eff. April 30, 2007; Laws 2007, c. 326, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2007.