Frequently Asked Questions
- Forms, Vital Records, & Draft Registration
- Congress, Government Officials, & Legal Information
- Statistics, Travel, & Country Information
- Labor Laws, Worker's Compensation, Small Business, & Job Information
- Education, Homeschooling, Debate Topics, & Citation Guides
- Hot Topics & Miscellaneous Information
More questions and answers are located in the Fast Facts Online Database.
If you have questions you would like to see added to this page please contact Robbie Sittel or by phone at (918) 596-7946.FORMS, VITAL RECORDS, & DRAFT REGISTRATION
- Where do I go to get a birth or death certificate?
- How do I change my name?
- How do I get a Social Security Card?
- How do I check my Social Security earnings statement?
- Where can I get a copyright form?
- Where can I get Federal and State tax forms and publications?
- How do I register for the draft?
- Where can I obtain military records?
- Where can I find a listing of government forms available on the Internet?
- Where can I find the IRS 990-PFs for private foundation tax returns?
CONGRESS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND LEGAL INFORMATION
- Who is my representative in the Oklahoma Legislature?
- Who is my representative in the United States Congress?
- Where can I find information on campaign contributions?
- Where can I find general information on the structure of the United States Government?
- Where can I find a directory of United States Government Department and Agencies?
- Where can I find the name of current U.S. officials like the Secretary of State?
- What is the Congressional Record?
- How does a bill become a law?
- Where can I find the laws for the United States?
- Where can I find the laws for Oklahoma and other states?
- Where can I find the laws for the City of Tulsa and other cities?
- Where can I find out about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?
- Where can I find the Child Support Guidelines for the State of Oklahoma?
STATISTICS, TRAVEL, AND COUNTRY INFORMATION
- Where can I get a passport and/or visa?
- Where can I find tips, regulations, health advisories and warnings for traveling outside the United States?
- Can you help me find information on a specific country?
- Where can I find demographic and economic statistics?
- Where can I find out about recreation and camping sites in the United States?
- Where can I find out about Oklahoma road conditions?
- Where can I find out about travel delays from U.S. airports?
- Where can I find statistics on Internet and computer usage in America?
LABOR LAWS, WORKER'S COMPENSATION, SMALL BUSINESS, & JOB INFORMATION
- Where can I find out about state and federal government job openings and how to apply?
- Can you help me find information on starting, financing, and running a small business?
- What are the Child Labor Laws for the State of Oklahoma?
- What is the minimum wage?
- Where can I find wage estimates for a particular occupation?
- Where can I find out about Licensed Occupations in Oklahoma and other states?
- Where can I find out about Oklahoma's Workers' Compensation System?
- Where can I find information about companies that have been awarded government contracts and how to do business with the government?
EDUCATION, HOMESCHOOLING, DEBATE TOPICS, & CITATION GUIDES
- Where can I find information on the annual High School Debate Topic?
- How do I cite government publications in my paper?
- Where can I find homeschooling information?
- What are ERIC documents and how can I access them?
- Where can I find information about public schools and school districts?
- Where can I find information and statistics on school violence and prevention?
- Where can I find a map of school districts in Oklahoma?
HOT TOPICS & MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
- What are the Oklahoma Lemon Laws?
- Can you help me find information on a doctor in Oklahoma?
- Where is my nearest Oklahoma tag agency?
- Where can I find out about Oklahoma social service agencies?
- Where can I find information on Medal of Honor recipients?
- Where can I find out about Ozone Alerts for Tulsa?
- What time is it?
- Where can I find information on "free money" from the government?
- Where can I find Unclaimed Property Information for Oklahoma?
- Where can I find information on tornadoes and tornado shelters?
- Where can I find information on flood insurance, flood safety, and flood protection?
- Where can I find Made in Oklahoma products?
- Where can I find a listing of the FIPS codes for states and counties?
- Where can I find information on patents and trademarks?
- Where can I find information on government auctions?
- Are there any deactivated missile bases in Oklahoma?
- What is "use tax"?
- Where can I find information on freezing the taxable value of a home for seniors?
FORMS, VITAL RECORDS, & DRAFT REGISTRATION
Where do I go to get a birth or death certificate?
The Department of Health and Human Services publishes a document titled "Where
to Write for Vital Records." Look up the state in which the event
occurred to find the address and fee information for obtaining birth, death,
marriage, and divorce certificates. Since vital records are handled
at the state level, Internet services vary greatly. You can find
the home pages for all fifty state governments by using State
and Local Government on the Net. From the state home page you can
search for information on how to request vital records from that state.
For Oklahoma the information can be found on the Oklahoma
State Department of Health web site.
How do I change my name?
Title
12, Chapter 33, Sections 1631-1637 of the Oklahoma Statutes outline the
necessary steps to petition for a legal name change. A guideline for the Petition
for Change of Name to be filed with the District Court is available here
(MS word).
How do I get a
Social Security Card?
The Social Security
Office has detailed instructions and the necessary forms to obtain
a new or replace
a lost Social Security Card available on their web site.
How do I check my Social
Security earnings statement?
You should check your social security earnings statement at least once every
three years for errors. To do so you need to request a Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement from the Social Security
Administration.
Where can I get a copyright form?
The copyright office has basic information on copyrights
and the necessary forms
available on their web site.
Paper versions of Form TX (literary works); Form VA (visual arts works); Form PA (performing arts works, including motion pictures); Form SR (sound recordings); and Form SE (single serials) are still available. The fee for a basic registration using one of these forms is $45 payable by check or money order. Form CON (continuation sheet for applications) is also still available in paper. These paper forms are not accessible on the Copyright Office website; however, staff will send them to you by postal mail upon request. Remember that online registration through eCO and fill-in Form CO (see above) can be used for the categories of works applicable to Forms TX, VA, PA, SR, and SE. Information about Group Registrations is available here.
Where can I get Federal
and State tax forms and publications?
Federal
tax forms and publications are available from 1992 to the current tax
year on the Internal Revenue Service web site. Oklahoma
tax forms and publications are available for the current tax year and
some are available from past years back to 1996. The Research Center on the
4th floor of the Central
Library has copies of federal and state tax forms for previous years in
their collection. The Federation of Tax Administrators web site includes links
to other state
tax forms. For more information check out the Tax
Information page.
How do I register for the
draft?
The Selective
Service System has information regarding the draft including a section
for registering online.
Where can I obtain
military records?
Military and Federal civilian employee records are housed at the National
Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.
Where can I find a listing
of government forms available on the Internet?
Uncle
Sam-Forms from the Feds is a listing of downloadable government electronic
forms. The site is not comprehensive, however, it does contain the forms most
asked for by the public.
Where can I find the
IRS 990-PFs for private foundation tax returns?
Tulsa City County Library's Research Center provides access to the Foundation Directory Online that contains 990 forms for foundations in Oklahoma and nationwide. Many of these forms can also be found on the internet through the Foundation Center's 990 Finder or through GuideStar. Simply type the name of the foundation or nonprofit and click "Search". GuideStar requires a login name and password to access 990s, the Foundation Center 990 Finder does not. For more information on the 990-PF and 990 forms check out The Foundation Center @ TCCL Form 990 and 990-PF FAQs.
CONGRESS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND LEGAL INFORMATION
Who
is my representative in the Oklahoma Legislature?
Look up both the Senator and Representative for your district by zip code. Enter your nine digit zip code in the search box on the
left hand side of the page. If you do not know your nine digit zip code,
visit the U.S. Postal Service zip
code look up page.
Who is my representative
in the United States Congress?
Oklahoma is represented by two senators and six
representatives. The
senators each represent the entire state while the representatives are
broken down by district. Listing
of Oklahoma delegation to Washington (Senators & Representatives).
Not sure which district you are in? Then try this lookup service by zip
code
Where can I find information on campaign
contributions?
Opensecrets.org maintains
a web site with information on money spent in U.S. elections. It includes
information on individual states. The Oklahoma Ethics Commission maintains
a database of contributions
made to statewide campaigns. For similar information on candidates
running for federal office visit the Federal
Election Commission web site.
Where can I find general
information on the structure of the United States Government?
The House of
Representatives and the Congressional Research
Service have provided answers to frequently asked questions regarding the
Constitution, Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court in the
publication Our
American Government. For information on the United States Court System
go to the Federal
Judiciary Frequently Asked Questions page.
Where can I find a directory
of United States Government Department and Agencies?
The U.S.
Government Manual is the official handbook of the Federal Government.
It contains comprehensive information on government agencies including: a
listing of principal officers, telephone numbers, addresses and a general
overview of the purpose and role the agency has in the Federal Government.
The U.S. Government
TTY Directory has department phone numbers for individuals who are deaf,
hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities. The
U.S. Government Blue Pages Online Directory is a directory of government
agencies and federal services. It includes many toll free numbers.
Where can I find the
name of current U.S. officials like the Secretary of State?
The White House provides a listing
of Cabinet Members. The University of North Texas provides lists of current
Congressional
Officers and Supreme
Court Justices.
What is the
Congressional Record?
The Congressional
Record is the most widely recognized published account of the debates,
proceedings, and activities of the United States Congress.
How does a bill become a
law?
The legislative process is detailed in both a senate and a house
report. Click on one of the following links for an explanation of how a
bill becomes a law.
The
Legislative Process Tying It All Together
Summary of House Description of the Legislative Process
How
Our Laws Are Made
House description of the legislative process
Enactment
of a Law
Senate description of the legislative process
Where can I find the laws of the
United States?
The United
States Code contains the text of laws currently in force. Laws recently
enacted by Congress and not yet codified into the US Code are found in the Public
Laws. Regulations issued by executive branch agencies are available in
the Code
of Federal Regulations. Proposed regulations and regulations adopted so
recently that they are not yet in the Code of Federal Regulations, may be
found in the Federal
Register or through Regulations.gov.
For laws of other countries go to the Library of Congress Guide
to Law Online. For Tribal Constitutions and Codes go to the Native
American Constitution and Law Digitization Project.
Where can I find the laws for
Oklahoma and other states?
The Oklahoma Statutes contain the text of current laws enacted by the Oklahoma
Legislature. Laws currently being debated in the Oklahoma Legislature can
be searched from the Oklahoma
Legislative Information Service web page. Regulations are available in
the Oklahoma
Administrative Code. Statutes for other states can be found using
the following sources: State Statutes and Legislation and FindLaw
State Resources.
Where can I find the laws for
the City of Tulsa and other cities?
The Tulsa
City Ordinances contain the laws for the City of Tulsa. For a list of
other cities in Oklahoma try Municipal
Code Corporation or the Seattle Public Library's Municipal
Codes Online.
Where can I find out about the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?
The publication Your
Right to Federal Records (pdf) will answer some basic questions about
FOIA requests.
Where can I find the
Child Support Guidelines for the State of Oklahoma?
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services Child
Support Enforcement Division has information on child support in the
state of Oklahoma on their web site including the current child
support guidelines table from the Oklahoma Statutes Title 43 Section
119. In addition, the Oklahoma
State Courts Network has information for computing the guidelines and
a form for withholding income to pay child support. From their home
page, click on "forms" in the left frame and then "child
support" in the right frame. For more information on Tulsa
County requirements and forms for divorces involving children go to the Families
in Transition web site.
STATISTICS, TRAVEL, AND COUNTRY INFORMATION
Where can I get a passport
and/or visa?
The Consular Affairs office has information on passport and visa services and application forms available on their web site.
Where can I find tips,
regulations, helath advisories, and warnings for traveling outside the
United States?
Find out about foreign
entry requirements,
travel warnings, general
travel tips, health
advisories and custom
regulations from government web sites.
Can you help me find
information on a specific country?
The government has several publications that contain general information about
specific countries. Some of these include the CIA World Factbook, Country
Studies, Background
Notes, and Country
Commercial Guides (account required). For more in depth information, Export.gov provides a market
research library for individuals wishing to export materials.
Where can I find
demographic and economic statistics?
The best sites for demographic and economic statistics produced by the federal
government are Economic
Indicators, the Census
Bureau, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the Bureau of
Economic Analysis, Economic Statistics Briefing Room, the Social
Statistics Briefing Room, the Statistical Abstract of the United States, and FedStats.
For Oklahoma statistics you might also want to check out the Oklahoma
Department of Commerce web site and the ORIGINS database.
Where can I find out
about recreation and camping sites in the United States?
For information about recreation on federal lands try Recreation.GOV.
For information on National Parks try ParkNet.
Where can I find out
about Oklahoma road conditions?
The Oklahoma
Department of Public Safety has information regarding road conditions.
Where can I find out about travel delays from
U.S. airports?
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) maintains the Air
Traffic Control System Command Center on the web. This site offers
real-time status reports on many of the nation's busiest airports. For
information on a particular airlines performance history, including delays
and consumer complaints, visit the web site of the FAA Aviation Consumer Protection Division. This site also includes
some travel tips. For flights to and from Tulsa International Airport
check out the real-time flight information available on the Tulsa
Airport Authority web site.
Where can I find statistics
on Internet and computer usage in America?
The Pew Internet &
American Life Project provides current and ongoing reports on the impact
of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools,
health care and civic/political life. These two federal publications also
offer Internet statistics (open as PDFs): Falling through the Net:
Toward Digital Inclusion (October
2000) and A Nation Online: How Americans are Expanding Their Use of
the Internet (September
2004, February
2002).
LABOR LAWS, WORKER'S COMPENSATION, SMALL BUSINESS, & JOB INFORMATION
Where can I find out
about state and federal government job openings and how to apply?
USAjobs.gov is the portal
site for Federal job opportunities. This site includes forms,
personalized
job searches and resumes and information
specifically for veterans. The Oklahoma
Office of Personnel Managemnt provides information regarding employment
opportunities with the state of Oklahoma .
Can you help me find information
on starting, financing, and running a small business?
There are several government web sites containing small business information.
Business.gov is the
official business link to the U.S. government. This site provides links to
business finance,
start up information,
and links to
local resources. The Small
Business Administration and the Internal
Revenue Service are also helpful resources for new and exisiting small
business owners
Information specific to Oklahoma businesses can be obtained from the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center. The OSBDC offers workshops for developing a small business and serve as an intermediary for the SBA's loan programs.
For tax and business registering requirements , check the Oklahoma Secretary of State for Business Registration Forms, the Oklahoma Tax Commission's site for Business Tax Forms and the Oklahoma District Office of the SBA. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce also has state information on their site under Business Development.
If you are starting a business in Tulsa be sure to check out the One-Stop Permit and Licensing Center.
If you are starting a child care business then you will want to look at Starting a Child Care Center in Oklahoma. It is a planning guide from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services offering a step by step look at starting a child care business.
For further information the Oklahoma House of Representatives standing committee on Small Business has compiled a Small Business Resource List and Selected Bibliography. In addition, check out the Tulsa City-County Library Business and Finance Subject Guide or visit the Tulsa Metro Chamber's small business resource center for new and expanding businesses.
What are the Child
Labor Laws for the State of Oklahoma?
The Oklahoma Department of Labor has a brief overview of
Child Labor Laws on their web site. For information on federal labor
laws for teenagers go to the Youth
Rules section of the U.S. Department of Labor's web site.
What is the minimum wage?
The current federal
minimum wage and state
minimum wage laws can be found on the U.S. Department of Labor web site.
For additional information see Questions
and Answers About the Minimum Wage on the Department of Labor web site.
Where can I find wage
estimates for a particular occupation?
Wages by Area and
Occupation and Occupational
Employment and Wage Estimates are available on the Internet from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Where can I find
out about Licensed Occupations in Oklahoma and other states?
The
Licensed Occupations Tool allows you to search by state or occupation
to find out about licensing requirements for specific occupations.
Where can I find
out about Oklahoma's Workers' Compensation System?
The Oklahoma Department of Labor has a web site for the Workers'
Compensation Division which provides a general overview of the system
and answers to frequently asked questions about workers' compensation. This
site includes a link to sections of Title
85 of the Oklahoma Statutes which contains the actual laws governing the
system. This may not contain recent changes to the law. For current legislation
check the Oklahoma
Legislative Service Bureau web site. For forms, pay out charts,
and other publications go to the
Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Court web site.
Where can I
find information about companies that have been awarded government contracts
and how to do business with the government?
A list of contracts awarded by the City of Tulsa are available off of the
Purchasing
Department's web page. From the home page click on "Existing
Contracts".
For information on contracts awarded by the State of Oklahoma you can view a list of awarded bids.
Information on federal government contractors is available from a variety of sites. FedBizOpps.gov is the U.S. Government's one-stop virtual marketplace, allowing commercial vendors and government buyers to post and share business opportunities.
The Federal
Procurement Data Center has a database that is searchable by contractor
name or geographic location. You will need to register to access the contractor
search. Top requests and select reports are available without the login.
The Central
Contractor Registration Database provides access to information on over
150,000 vendors registered to do business with the Department of Defense,
NASA, and the Department of Transportation (this site also requires a login).
The Small Business Administration offers the Dynamic
Small Business Search and Sub-Net,
which respectively provide information about doing business with the federal
government and subcontracting opportunities. Additional opportunites
are availabel throug the SBA's Subcontracting
Opportunities Directory and the Commerce
Business Daily, this is also searchable
by awardee name.
If you are looking for information on how to do business with the government
then check out Basic
Contracting Tips on the SBA web site. In addition, the SBA web site
contains information on Hubzones
and what
qualifies a business as a small business. For more information
from the SBA go to the Government
Contracting and Business Development page or to the Small
Business Development Center page. For current procurement
opportunities with the federal government go to the Federal
Business Opportunities web page.
EDUCATION, HOMESCHOOLING, DEBATE TOPICS, & CITATION GUIDES
Where can I find information on the annual
High School Debate Topic?
The University
of Michigan maintains a web site with information on the high school debate
topic. In addition, you can use the online reference source TopicSearch
from EBSCO. Upon accessing TopicSearch, go to the drop down boxes
in the middle of the page. The Current Events box will have the
current debate topic listed under "National Debate". For previous
debate topics, use the Topics box to find "National Debate Archives".
How do I
cite government publications in my paper?
General
Guidelines for Citing Government Publications, from the University of
North Texas, offers some general guidelines for citing government publications.
The University of Michigan has a listing of Online
Citation Guides if you need more information.
Where can I find homeschooling
information?
The Oklahoma Department of Education has information for homeschoolers
on their web site. Priority
Academic Student Skills (PASS), Oklahoma's core curriculum, are available
at the State
Dept. of Education website.
For ideas on lesson plans, fun activities, and great learning sites check out the links under the Documents for Kids page and the Helpful Sites for Parents, Teachers, and Librarians.
For information on local organizations, available library materials, and other resources check out the Homeschooling Subject Guide compiled by the Research Center or search the Tulsa Organizations and Services Database for organizations and support groups. Additional ideas are available in the Home Schooling Resource Guide from the Educator's Reference Desk .
For statistical information go to the U.S. Department of Education's publication, Homeschooling in the United States or the U.S. Census Bureau's Home Schooling in the United States: Trends and Characteristics. For research literature search the ERIC database for "Home Schooling"(for more information on ERIC--see next question). For additional links go to the Homeschool Resources page.
What are ERIC documents
and how can I access them?
The Educational Resources
Information Center (ERIC) is a national information system designed to
provide users with ready access to an extensive body of education-related
literature. Some of the material is provided in full-text online.
If a publication is not full-text, but has an ERIC document number, you can
find a copy at the OSU-Tulsa Library. TCCL does not own the ERIC microfiche
collection, however, we can obtain copies of the material through Interlibrary
Loan.
Where can I find information
about public schools and school districts?
The National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES) database has information on public schools, private
schools, colleges, and libraries. Searchable by school name, city, or zip
code and by type of institution. They also maintain the National
Public School and School District Locator for more advanced searching.
These databases contain address, phone, and some basic statistics about individual
schools and districts. The NCES School
District Demographics System provides statistical data as tables or graphics. The
Oklahoma Education Oversight Board provides
School report cards for individual Oklahoma public schools.
Where can I find
information and statistics on school violence and prevention?
The Justice Department provides a list of school
safety resources. You can find publications from the Department of Education
on their Crime
and Safety Surveys web page. The National
Alliance for Safe Schools is another source for information.
Where can I find a map
of school districts in Oklahoma?
The Tulsa County Assessor's office has a map of the Tulsa
County School Districts in pdf available from their web site. For
other counties, the University of Oklahoma Center for Spatial Analysis has
access to maps of Oklahoma including school district maps in their Data
Warehouse (scroll down to School Districts).
HOT TOPICS & MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
What are the Oklahoma Lemon Laws?
Title
15, Chapter 22, Section 901 defines the rights of the consumer and roles
of the dealers and manufacturers on the sale of a motor vehicle. Lemon
Laws from ConsumerAffairs.com, this site offers an overview of federal
laws protecting consumers and links to state statutes. Also check out the
FTC's
Facts for Consumers: Buying a Used Car.
Can you help me find information
on a doctor in Oklahoma?
The Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision has the Patients
Resource Guide to Oklahoma Medical Professionals Physician Search.
Where is my nearest
Oklahoma Tag Agency?
The Oklahoma Tax Commission has a
listing by city of all Oklahoma Tag Agencies
Where can
I find out about Oklahoma social service agencies?
The Oklahoma Statewide
Community Resource Directory is a database of statewide social service
agencies. The Tulsa
Organizations and Services database contains information on local activities
including social service agencies. Oklahoma
211 is a telephone resource that helps find services for food, clothing,
health care, shelter, housing, support groups, legal aid, employment and many
more human services in your area. 211 can help you access services from over
2,500 programs that exist to help people in need. Simply dial 211 to access
assistance.
Where can I find
information on Medal of Honor recipients?
The U.S. Army Center for Military History has a Medal
of Honor web site which lists all recipients and includes full text of
the citations.
Where can I find out about
Ozone Alerts for Tulsa?
Tulsa has an Ozone
Alert web site with information on programs and air quality for Tulsa.
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has statewide air
quality information. In addition, the EPA maintains the AIRData database which gives you access to air pollution data for the entire
United States.
What time is it?
For current U.S. time by time zones visit TIME.GOV.
The U.S. Naval Observatory Master
Clock facility serves as the country's official timekeeper. The National
Institute of Standards and Technology Time and Frequency Division has answers
to frequently
asked questions regarding historical issues and Daylight Saving Time. Daylight Saving Time has been expanded by four weeks beginning in 2007.
Where can I find information
on "free money" from the government?
The Catalog of Federal
Domestic Assistance lists all government programs for financial
assistance in the United States. It is keyword searchable and gives
details of the application process for each program.
Where can I find
Unclaimed Property Information for Oklahoma?
You can search for unclaimed
property in Oklahoma on the State Treasurer's page. For other states
search the National Association
of Unclaimed Property Administrators site.
Where can I find information
on tornadoes and tornado shelters?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a section of their
web page devoted to tornado
facts. In addition, their web page has information on the "Enhanced
Fujita Scale" ratings for tornadoes that take effect February 1,
2007.
For information on tornado shelters go to the Federal
Emergency Management Agency web page. FEMA has published Taking
Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room Inside Your House and
the National
Performance Criteria for Tornado Shelters which are available in full-text
on the Internet. NOAA has a slide presentation on their web site showing
the reasons you should NEVER seek shelter from a tornado under a highway
overpass.
Where can I find information on flood insurance, flood
safety, and flood protection?
The City of Tulsa has a fact sheet on flood
safety and insurance. In addition, you can find information on the National Flood
Insurance Program from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA)
web site. The FEMA Map
Service Center web site allows you to enter your address to obtain the
flood map for your area. FEMA also has teamed up with ESRI to provide
a site where you can create a custom hazard
map for your location on the web. The web portal FloodSmart.gov has additional information on flood preparedness.
The Research Center on the 4th floor of the Central Library maintains a collection of publications on floods and flooding which includes copies of the FIRM maps for the Tulsa County area. The Bixby Library has a collection of flood-related publications as well as the FIRM maps for the City of Bixby. To find information on Tulsa's stormwater management plan and flooding history, visit the flood control and drainage section of the City of Tulsa's web page.
Where can I find Made
in Oklahoma products?
The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture maintains a Made
In Oklahoma web site that includes an online shopping mall, Oklahoma
recipes, and a directory of Made-in-Oklahoma products.
Where can I find a listing of the FIPS codes for states
and counties?
FIPS codes are unique two and three digit numeric identification
codes given to states and counties by the government. The Envirofacts
Warehouse database includes a complete listing of FIPS codes for
states and counties.
Where can I find information on patents and trademarks?
The U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office has a wonderful web site that includes answers to frequently asked
questions, forms, fees, and searchable databases of existing patents and trademarks.
The databases are somewhat limited in their scope, therefore, it is important
to read the help sections and important notices before beginning your search. Patents and trademarks each have their own separate section. For information on State of Oklahoma
trademarks go to the SoonerAccess web site. For trademarks registered in other states go to the State
Trademark Agencies and Databases web site. If you need further
assistance in researching a patent or trademark you can contact the Research
Center at 596-7977, the Patent
and Trademark Depository Library located in Stillwater at 405-744-7086,
or the Oklahoma
State Business Development Center Intellectual Property Counselor Bill Gregory.
Where can I find information on government auctions?
There is a listing of links to government
surplus sales/auctions available from the USA.gov website. In addition,
you can find listings for government sales and auctions, including regional
sales, through the General
Service Administration or the Treasury
Department. Locally, the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office has information
on foreclosed
property auctions and the Treasurer's Office maintains information on delinquent
tax properties for sale.
Are there any deactivated missile bases in Oklahoma?
According to their web site, Altus
Air Force Base had 12 Atlas missile sites in the area which were inactivated
in 1965.
What is "use tax"?
Use tax is a tax paid on goods purchased outside the state of Oklahoma
where the tax was not charged in another state. The most common example is
when something is purchased from an out-of-state mail order company. If the
mail order company does not collect the Oklahoma tax then the Oklahoma resident
is responsible for remitting the tax. The tax rates and codes are available
on the Oklahoma
Tax Commission's web site.
Where can I find information on freezing the taxable value of a home for seniors?
The Tulsa County Assessor's office has information on the "senior
valuation limitation" and application forms on their web site.