ESCORTS AND PROCESSIONS

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, ch. 9

in effect

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 900 Duties and authority of motor vehicle escort guides and agencies.

Section 900. - Duties and authority of motor vehicle escort guides and agencies. A. Motor vehicle escort guides are authorized to: 1. Lead funeral corteges. It shall be the motor vehicle escort guide's duty to see that the headlights of every motor vehicle in the cortege are turned on; 2. Identify overlength, overwidth, overheight motor vehicles, mobile homes and buildings as defined in the Building Code of the City of Tulsa. It shall be the motor vehicle escort guide's duty to see that such vehicle is properly marked as prescribed by the permit issued to move such vehicle; 3. Escort any overlength, overwidth, overheight motor vehicles, mobile homes, buildings, funeral cortege, or parade procession through stop signs or signalized intersections without stopping, provided such motor vehicle escort guide has rendered such intersection safe by reason of having stopped all traffic whose movement through such intersection would conflict with that of any vehicle or vehicles being escorted; and 4. Stop oncoming vehicles at intersections where such escorted vehicle or vehicles are making turns. B. Nothing in this chapter excludes any motor vehicle escort guide or the driver of any vehicle being escorted from any part of this title that requires the operator of a motor vehicle to obey the directions given by any police officer or requires the operator of any motor vehicle to yield the right-of-way to authorized emergency vehicles. (Ord. No. 24808, § 2, 4-27-2022)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 901 Escort guides—Uniforms and equipment requirements and limitations.

Section 901. - Escort guides—Uniforms and equipment requirements and limitations. A. No motor vehicle escort guide shall escort any funeral cortege or parade procession unless they are wearing a uniform that has been approved by the Chief of Police of the City of Tulsa for the use of the motor vehicle escort agency by which they are employed. B. No uniform is required for the escorting of overwidth, overlength, overheight vehicles, including mobile homes and buildings. C. No motor vehicle escort guide shall have on or about their person or on or about their escort vehicle any of the following: 1. Any weapon declared to be unlawful by the statutes of the State of Oklahoma; 2. Any badge or cap wreath that resembles the official police officer's badge or bears the words "Police" or "Officer"; 3. Any noncommissioned officer's bars or insignia denoting rank; or 4. Any holster, handcuff case, cartridge case or chemical weapon. (Ord. No. 24808, § 2, 4-27-2022)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 902 Equipment requirements for escort vehicles.

Section 902. - Equipment requirements for escort vehicles. A. Motor vehicle escort guides, while actively engaged in furnishing an escort for funeral cortege, shall use either a two (2) wheeled or three (3) wheeled motorcycle. Such vehicle shall be equipped with two (2) lamps which display, when lighted, an amber light visible from directly in front of the center thereof for a distance of not less than five hundred (500) feet. Such lamps shall be no less than four (4) inches in diameter. B. Motor vehicle escort guides, while actively engaged in furnishing an escort for overwidth, overlength, overheight motor vehicles, including mobile homes and buildings, shall use a vehicle equipped with two (2) flashing amber lights of at least four (4) inches in diameter which shall be mounted so as to be visible, when lighted, for a distance of not less than five hundred (500) feet directly to the front of such vehicle; and two (2) flashing amber or red lights of at least four (4) inches in diameter which shall be mounted so as to be visible, when lighted, for a distance of not less than five hundred (500) feet directly to the rear of such vehicle. In lieu of the foregoing lights, a single rotating amber light may be used, provided that such rotating light has a diameter of at least six (6) inches, has at least two (2) bulbs and is visible, when lighted, for a distance of not less than five hundred (500) feet in all directions. In addition to the above lights, each vehicle must be equipped with two (2) red flags, each sixteen (16) inches square, mounted as high as practicable and spaced as widely as practicable. Each vehicle must also display any special signs or markings as is specified on the permit issued to authorize the movement of such special vehicles listed above. C. It shall be unlawful for the vehicles used in escorting to be equipped with sirens, decals, placards, signs and/or insignia which resemble official police insignia or bear the words "Police", "Official" or "Officer". No such vehicle shall display a red light to the front. D. Any motor vehicle used in performing escorts shall be subject to inspection at any time by the Chief of Police of the City of Tulsa or his authorized representative.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 903 Advertisements—Limitations.

Section 903. - Advertisements—Limitations. No person engaged in the business of furnishing motor vehicle escort guides shall distribute, present or give away any cards, handbills or printed matter of any kind which bear the words "Police", "Officer" or "Official", in conjunction with advertising an escorting agency; nor shall any advertisement state, imply or falsely represent that a motor vehicle escort is required by the City of Tulsa.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 904 Functions, powers and duties of the Police Department.

Section 904. - Functions, powers and duties of the Police Department. With regard to all motor vehicle escort agencies, the Police Department shall have the following functions, powers and duties: A. To investigate qualifications for fitness of all applicants; B. To investigate and aid in the prosecution of all violations of this chapter and cooperate in the prosecution of offenders before any court having jurisdiction to hear the same; C. To inspect and approve or disapprove motor vehicle equipment used in making escorts; and D. To inspect and approve or disapprove the equipment and uniforms worn by any motor vehicle escort guide.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 905 Escorts required.

Section 905. - Escorts required. A. Every funeral cortege consisting of more than four (4) motor vehicles shall have no less than two (2) motor vehicle escort guides; and it shall be the duty of the funeral director or person conducting each funeral to provide as many more motor vehicle escort guides as may be needed to control traffic at all intersections through which the procession is proceeding simultaneously. B. All overheight, overlength, overwidth motor vehicles as described by this chapter, including mobile homes and buildings, shall provide the number of motor vehicle escort guides as is stated on the permit issued for movement of such vehicle.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 906 Funerals—Driving.

Section 906. - Funerals—Driving. Each driver in a funeral or other procession shall drive as near to the right-hand edge of the roadway as practicable and shall follow the vehicle ahead as closely as practicable and safe. Funeral directors shall notify the Police Department of the time and destination of all funeral processions.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 907 Parades.

Section 907. - Parades. No procession or parade containing three (3) or more vehicles, excepting funerals, shall proceed along any street except in accordance with the written permission of the City Council and such other regulations as are set forth herein.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 908 Driving through procession.

Section 908. - Driving through procession. No driver of a vehicle shall drive between, alongside nor pass the vehicles comprising a funeral procession while it is in motion when such vehicles are conspicuously designated as required in this chapter. This provision shall not apply to intersections where traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals or by police officers, nor shall the passing prohibited in this section apply to limited-access highways.

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 909 Penalty.

Section 909. - Penalty. Unless otherwise provided for in this chapter, every person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of an offense and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not more than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00), excluding costs, fees and assessments. (Ord. Nos. 18454, 19491)

Tulsa Revised Ordinances tit. 37, § 910 Funeral temporary restricted parking.

Section 910. - Funeral temporary restricted parking. A. Licensed funeral directors may request to temporarily restrict no more than four (4) regulated on-street parking spaces-without charge for the purpose of conducting funerals, provided that: 1. No suitable off-street parking is available for the parking of funeral vehicles; 2. The temporary restriction of parking will be put in place no more than one (1) day prior to the time of the funeral; and 3. The restrictions put in place shall be removed immediately following the funeral. B. The Director of Public Works or Parking Manager may order any funeral temporary restrictions to be removed when he/she deems such removal to be in the interest of the public safety or convenience. (Ord. No. 24090, § 1, 3-6-2019)

Source: City of Tulsa, Revised Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ok/tulsa/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TIT37TURETRCO_CH9ESPRFetched: 10/28/2026