Temporary detention of truant children.
Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 30-435
in effect§ 30-435. - Temporary detention of truant children.
A. An attendance officer, any school administrator, or designee of the school administrator who is employed by the school, or any peace officer may, except for children receiving an education by other means as allowed by law, temporarily detain and assume temporary custody of any child subject to compulsory full-time education, during hours in which school is actually in session, who is found away from the home of such child and within the school district that they are truant from and who is absent from school without lawful excuse and there is prior approval from the school district for temporary detention and custody pursuant to this division.
B. Any person temporarily detaining and assuming temporary custody of a child pursuant to this section shall immediately deliver the child either to the parent, guardian, or other person having control or custody of the child, or to the school from which the child is absent without valid excuse, or to a nonsecure youth service or community center servicing the school district, or to a community intervention center, as defined by State law.
C. The temporary custody or detention provided by this section shall be utilized as a means of reforming and returning the truant students to school and shall not be used as a pretext for investigating criminal matters. The temporary custody or detention herein provided is a limited type of detention and is not justified unless there are specific facts causing an attendance officer or other authorized person to reasonably suspect that a truancy violation is occurring and that the person the officer intends to detain is a truant.
(Ord. No. 24028, § 1, 3-2-10)
Source: City of Oklahoma City, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ok/oklahoma_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=OKMUCO2020_CH30MIPROF_ARTXVOFAGPU_DIV3TR_S30-435TEDETRCHFetched: 10/28/2026