The Oklahoma County Clerk’s Office is now responsible for handling Effective Financing Statement filings, commonly known as EFS or agricultural lien filings, following a transfer authorized by Senate Bill 988.
The transition moves EFS filing responsibilities from the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s Office to the Oklahoma County Clerk’s Office after receiving federal approval. The Secretary of State’s Office accepted its final EFS filings on July 17, and the transfer was completed without a filing blackout period.
EFS filings provide public notice of security interests in farm products and are commonly used by agricultural lenders, financial institutions, farm product buyers, attorneys, producers and agricultural businesses during financing and purchasing transactions.
Oklahoma County Clerk Maressa Treat said the office is prepared to manage the records while providing improved access and customer service.
“Effective Financing Statements play an important role in Oklahoma’s agricultural economy, and the people who rely on these records deserve a system that is accessible, responsive, and easy to use,” Treat said.
The Clerk’s Office said its online filing system includes expanded search options, allowing users to search by debtor, secured party, instrument number and date range. Users can also export search results, view unofficial PDF copies and purchase official or certified records.
Before the transition, the office conducted testing with banking, lending and agricultural users to ensure the filing and search functions met industry needs.
Treat also thanked state lawmakers, the Secretary of State’s Office and members of Oklahoma’s agricultural and financial communities for assisting with the transition.
“Our team is committed to providing clear information, helpful service, and reliable access to these important records,” Treat said.
The Oklahoma County Clerk’s Office said training materials and user guidance are available for financial institutions, agricultural businesses and other EFS users. The office plans to publish its first master list on Aug. 20.
