Oklahoma will soon allow the removal of discriminatory language from property records under a new law taking effect today. According to the Oklahoma House of Representatives, House Bill 2171 permits property owners and homeowner associations to eliminate unlawful and racist land covenants, some of which date back more than a century.
Authored by Rep. John Pfeiffer, R-Orlando, the bill builds on earlier laws that aimed to remove discriminatory wording from county and municipal property records. Pfeiffer noted that similar measures have already been implemented in other states such as Texas and Florida. The law addresses outdated covenants that once restricted property ownership based on race or ethnicity, particularly against African Americans.
Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled racially restrictive housing covenants illegal in 1948, some of the language has remained in official records. Pfeiffer stated that HB2171 provides a process to ensure these terms can now be permanently removed.
The legislation was developed with input from Realtors, abstractors, and county clerks to create a uniform procedure for updating property records. It also aligns Oklahoma’s property standards with those in other states by incorporating language from the Uniform Commercial Code.
Effective today, the law ensures property documents reflect current legal standards and removes outdated discriminatory language from state records.
