Cash payments made to Oklahoma state and local governments will soon be rounded to the nearest nickel under a new state law taking effect later this year.
House Bill 3075, known as the Oklahoma Common Cents Act, was authored by Oklahoma Representative Derrick Hildebrant and Oklahoma Senator Chuck Hall.
The law applies only to cash transactions involving state agencies and political subdivisions. Electronic payments, debit cards, credit cards and checks will not be affected.
“This is a practical solution that reflects how people are already using cash today,” Hildebrant said. “As the use of the penny continues to decline, there is a need for clear statutory authority allowing state agencies and political subdivisions to round cash transactions in a consistent manner.”
Under the law, totals ending in one or two cents will round down, while totals ending in three or four cents will round up to the nearest nickel. Amounts ending in six or seven cents will round down, while amounts ending in eight or nine cents will round up.
The legislation was requested by Rogers County Treasurer Jason Carini after the county analyzed several years of cash transaction data and found the financial impact of rounding was minimal.
According to the analysis, Rogers County saw a net gain of 21 cents in 2023, 75 cents in 2024 and 86 cents in 2025 through rounding.
The law takes effect Nov. 1 for state agencies. Cities, counties and other political subdivisions will have until July 1, 2027, to comply with the new requirements.
