Start a nonprofit · Oklahoma
How to Start a Nonprofit in Oklahoma
An Oklahoma not-for-profit corporation needs at least three incorporators under 18 O.S. section 1005. A charity that solicits in Oklahoma registers with the Secretary of State for $15 if it expects contributions of $10,000 or less, or $65 if it expects more, and renews every year. The articles cost $25 for a not-for-profit corporation.
Every fee and rule on this page was checked against the agency's own publication on November 8, 2026. Sources are linked under each item.
At a glance
The Oklahoma requirements in one table.
| Type of entity | An Oklahoma not-for-profit corporation, formed under the Oklahoma General Corporation Act by filing a certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State. Sources: 18 O.S. section 1005 |
|---|---|
| State filing fee | $25 for a not-for-profit corporation, in place of the stock-based fee that applies to other corporations. Sources: 18 O.S. section 1142 |
| Name reservation | $10. Sources: 18 O.S. section 1142 |
| Incorporators | At least three persons, partnerships, associations or corporations, in any combination, for a not-for-profit corporation (18 O.S. section 1005). Sources: 18 O.S. section 1005 |
| Federal exemption | Form 1023 ($600) or Form 1023-EZ ($275), filed electronically on Pay.gov. Sources: IRS fee page, IRS e-filing notice |
| Charity registration | $15 if anticipated contributions are $10,000 or less, $65 if they exceed $10,000. Valid one year and renewed annually. |
| Registration update | $25 to report a new name or a changed mailing address. |
The steps
Three steps, in the order they happen.
Gather at least three incorporators and file the certificate for $25.
Oklahoma requires at least three incorporators to form a not-for-profit corporation under the General Corporation Act, and they may be persons, partnerships, associations or corporations in any combination. The incorporators file the certificate of incorporation with the Secretary of State. The statute that sets the filing fee is 18 O.S. section 1142. It charges $25 for filing and issuing the certificate of incorporation of a not-for-profit corporation, where other corporations pay a fee based on authorized stock with a $50 minimum, and it charges $10 to reserve a corporate name. The minimum number of directors and the registered agent rules were not verified for this page, so confirm them with the Secretary of State before filing.
Sources: 18 O.S. section 1005, 18 O.S. section 1142
Apply to the IRS for 501(c)(3) status.
Forming a corporation does not make it tax-exempt. The federal application is Form 1023, with a $600 user fee, or the shorter Form 1023-EZ, with a $275 user fee, for smaller organizations that pass the eligibility worksheet in the form instructions. Both are filed electronically on Pay.gov, and the IRS returns paper applications. The IRS notes that the amounts can change.
The IRS answers with a determination letter, the written ruling that recognizes the exemption.
Sources: IRS fee page, IRS e-filing notice
Register as a charity before soliciting.
The Oklahoma Solicitation of Charitable Contributions Act applies to any charitable organization that solicits or accepts contributions from anyone in Oklahoma by any means, unless an exemption applies. The Secretary of State asks for one signed registration statement, a list of each officer, director, trustee and salaried executive employee with their mailing address and title, and the filing fee. A newly formed organization also attaches a copy of its IRS letter showing federal exemption, or, if it has not applied, evidence that it is organized as a not-for-profit entity. If professional fundraisers will be used, Form 101A is attached.
The fee is $65 if anticipated contributions exceed $10,000 and $15 if they do not. When filing is complete, the office mails a statement of receipt and certificate.
Sources: SOS charity registration form (07/26), Attorney General charity page
Exemptions
Who is exempt from Oklahoma charity registration.
Section 552.4 lists four categories, and the Secretary of State says the organization decides whether it qualifies.
Religious organizations.
Organizations incorporated for religious purposes and engaged in bona fide religious programs, and those directly operated, supervised or controlled by a religious organization.
Educational institutions.
Institutions with a faculty, regularly enrolled students and degree programs, when solicitation is primarily confined to students, families, alumni, faculty, trustees and related 501(c)(3) organizations.
Fraternal, patriotic and civic groups.
Those soliciting only their own members, with solicitation managed by the membership and no paid solicitors.
Named individuals.
Solicitations for a named person, if the purpose is stated and all gross contributions go to an account in that person's name at a licensed local bank, for that person's direct benefit.
After you form
Staying in good standing.
One recurring filing is verified.
Renew the charity registration every year.
A registration is valid for one year from filing and must be renewed on or before the anniversary of the registration, in the same manner as the initial filing. The renewal fee is $15 for contributions of $10,000 or less and $65 above that. A change of name or mailing address is reported with a $25 fee before soliciting under the new name. Oklahoma's annual corporate filing and sales tax treatment were not verified for this page, so confirm them with the Secretary of State and the Oklahoma Tax Commission.
Common questions
Quick answers.
How many incorporators does an Oklahoma nonprofit need?
At least three, under 18 O.S. section 1005. They can be persons, partnerships, associations or corporations in any combination.
How much does Oklahoma charge to register a charity?
$15 if anticipated contributions are $10,000 or less, and $65 if they are more. The registration is valid one year and renewed annually.
How much does it cost to start a nonprofit in Oklahoma?
The certificate of incorporation costs $25 for a not-for-profit corporation, plus the IRS user fee of $275 for Form 1023-EZ or $600 for Form 1023. That totals $300 or $625 as of the date this page was verified. Charity registration adds $15 or $65.
After the filing
What comes next for a Oklahoma nonprofit.
The state filing is the short part. These are the next four jobs, and the book that handles each.
- Book I
Get the federal application and first-year budget right
The name, bylaws, the IRS application, a founding board and a first-year budget that balances.
- Book X
Start from finished documents
Forty annotated documents, including bylaws, budgets, policies, job descriptions and board papers, as editable Word files.
- Book VII
Build the board on purpose
What a board is for, recruiting for the skills you lack, working with the chair and running meetings that reach decisions.
- Book VIII
Stay in good standing
Charitable solicitation registration, operating in a second state, insurance and annual filings.
The complete set
All ten books and forty documents, $149.
All ten books in PDF and EPUB, plus the forty documents from Book X as editable Word files. The books are not sold separately.
Free when you join the list
Every Document a New Nonprofit Needs
Articles, bylaws, minutes, the exemption application, the policies and the filings: the whole sequence a new organization has to produce, in the order it arrives.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
- Oklahoma Secretary of State, Charitable Organization Registration in Oklahoma: Information and Instructions (Form 101, 07/26)
- Oklahoma Attorney General, Charity Enforcement Unit
- Oklahoma Statutes, Title 18, Section 1142, Filing and other service fees (amended eff. Nov. 1, 2025)
- Oklahoma Statutes, Title 18, Section 1005, Incorporators
- IRS, Form 1023 and 1023-EZ: amount of user fee
- IRS, Changes to the exempt organization determinations process
Last verified November 8, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm with the agency before you file. This page is general information and not legal or tax advice.