Okla. Stat. tit. 25, §§ 1451–1453, 1501–1508 § 1453
Exemptions
Operative Text
A. Nothing provided for in Sections 1451 through 1453 of this title shall: 1. Prohibit a religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society, from limiting the sale, rental, or occupancy of housing which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons of the same religion, or from giving preferences to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, or national origin. Nor shall anything in Sections 1451, 1452, 1453, 1501 and 1505.1 of this title apply to a private membership club which is a bona fide club and which is exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954; 2. Prohibit a religious organization, association, or society, or a nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society, from: a. limiting the sale, rental, or occupancy of dwellings that it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons of the same religion, or b. giving preference to persons of the same religion, unless membership in the religion is restricted because of race, color, or national origin; or 3. Prohibit a private club not open to the public that, as an incident to its primary purpose, provides lodging that it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose from limiting the rental or occupancy of that lodging to its members or from giving preference to its members. B. Nothing provided for in Sections 1451 through 1453 of this title relating to familial status applies to housing for older persons. As used in this section, "housing for older persons" means housing: 1. That the Attorney General's Office of Civil Rights Enforcement determines is specifically designed and operated to assist elderly persons pursuant to a federal or state program; 2. Intended for, and solely occupied by, persons sixty-two (62) years of age or older; or 3. Intended and operated for occupancy by at least one person fifty-five (55) years of age or older per unit as determined by rules of the Attorney General's Office of Civil Rights Enforcement. C. 1. Subject to division (2) of subparagraph a of this paragraph, Sections 1451 through 1453 of this title do not apply to: a. the sale or rental of a single-family house sold or rented by an owner if: (1) the owner does not: (a) own more than three single-family houses at any one time, or (b) own any interest in, or is there owned or reserved on his or her behalf, pursuant to any express or voluntary agreement, title to or any right to any part of the proceeds from the sale or rental of more than three single-family houses at any one time, and (2) the house was sold or rented without: (a) the use of the sales or rental facilities or services of a real estate broker, agent, or salesman licensed pursuant to the Oklahoma Real Estate License Code, or of an employee or agent of a licensed broker, agent, or salesman, or the facilities or services of the owner of a dwelling designed or intended for occupancy by five or more families, or (b) the publication, posting, or mailing of a notice, statement, or advertisement prohibited by Section 1452 of this title, or b. the sale or rental of rooms or units in a dwelling containing living quarters occupied or intended to be occupied by no more than four families living independently of each other, if the owner maintains and occupies one of the living quarters as the owner's residence. 2. The exemption in subparagraph a of paragraph 1 of this subsection applies to only one sale or rental in a twenty-four-month period, if the owner was not the most recent resident of the house at the time of the sale or rental. D. Nothing provided for in Sections 1451 through 1453 of this title shall prohibit a person engaged in the business of furnishing appraisals of real property from taking into consideration factors other than race, color, age, religion, gender, disability, familial status, or national origin. E. Nothing provided for in Sections 1451 through 1453 of this title shall affect a reasonable local or state restriction on the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling or restriction relating to health or safety standards. F. Nothing provided for in Sections 1451 through 1453 of this title shall prevent or restrict the sale, lease, rental, transfer, or development of housing designed or intended for the use of the disabled. G. Nothing provided for in Sections 1451 through 1453 of this title shall affect a requirement of nondiscrimination in any other state or federal law. H. Nothing provided for in Sections 1451 through 1453 of this title shall prohibit the transfer of property by will, intestate succession, or by gift.
Oklahoma's 25 O.S. § 1453 carves out specific categories of housing transactions from the state's fair housing protections established in Sections 1451–1453. Religious organizations operating non-commercial housing, qualifying senior housing communities, small private clubs providing lodging to members, and individual owners selling or renting a limited number of single-family homes under certain conditions may operate outside those anti-discrimination requirements. The exemptions do not override other state or federal nondiscrimination laws, and they do not permit discrimination based on race, color, or national origin even within the exempt categories.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators who believe their property qualifies under one of the 25 O.S. § 1453 exemptions—such as a religious organization's non-commercial housing, a senior community meeting the Attorney General's Office of Civil Rights Enforcement criteria, or an owner-occupied building with no more than four units—generally document that they meet every element of the applicable exemption before relying on it. For the single-family home exemption, compliant owners typically track how many single-family properties they hold at one time and avoid using licensed real estate professionals or publishing discriminatory notices, since either step can void the exemption. Even within an exempt category, operators generally ensure their practices do not cross into race, color, or national origin discrimination, which remains prohibited regardless of exemption status.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
If you believe a housing provider is improperly claiming an exemption under 25 O.S. § 1453 to justify differential treatment, it is worth knowing that the exemptions have specific, narrow requirements—for example, the single-family home exemption is limited to owners of no more than three such properties and does not apply if a licensed broker was used. Tenants who suspect a claimed exemption is being misapplied, or that discrimination based on race, color, or national origin is occurring even within an otherwise exempt category, can file a complaint with the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office of Civil Rights Enforcement or explore federal fair housing complaint channels. Consulting a tenant-rights organization familiar with Oklahoma fair housing law can help clarify whether a particular exemption legitimately applies to a given housing situation.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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