Major County Oklahoma Landlord-Tenant Law: Guide for Fairview & Northwestern Oklahoma Rental Property Owners
Major County sits in the northwestern corner of Oklahoma’s former Cherokee Outlet — the vast strip of land held by the Cherokee Nation that was opened in the dramatic land run of September 16, 1893, one of the largest in American history. Named for John C. Major, a prominent early Oklahoma Territory politician, the county was created at statehood in 1907. Its county seat of Fairview (~2,600) occupies gently rolling wheat country where the Cimarron River watershed gives way to the Salt Fork of the Arkansas. The Great Salt Plains State Park and reservoir, known for its selenite crystal digging beds where visitors can harvest hourglass selenite crystals, occupy the county’s northeastern edge along the Salt Fork and represent Major County’s most distinctive natural attraction.
With a 2020 census population of approximately 7,782, Major County is one of Oklahoma’s smaller counties in both population and economic scale. The economy is built almost entirely on dryland wheat farming, cattle ranching, and oil and gas production from the Anadarko Basin fields that underlie much of northwestern Oklahoma. County and school district employment provides the civilian government payroll. The rental market is very limited and concentrated in Fairview, with very little commercial rental stock existing outside the county seat.
The ORLTA in Major County
All residential rental relationships in Major County are governed by the Oklahoma Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (ORLTA), codified at Oklahoma Statutes Title 41. No local ordinances modify the ORLTA in Major County. There is no rental licensing requirement and no rent control. For nonpayment, a five-day pay-or-quit notice (rent only — no late fees) is required before filing a FED. For other lease violations, a fifteen-day notice to cure or quit is required. Month-to-month tenancies require thirty days’ written notice. Non-emergency entry requires twenty-four hours’ advance notice. Security deposits have no cap but must be held in an FDIC-insured Oklahoma institution, with the 45-day return clock beginning only after termination, possession delivery, and a written tenant demand. Self-help eviction is prohibited statewide.
Eviction Procedure at the 4th Judicial District Court
FED actions in Major County are filed at the Major County Courthouse, 500 E. Broadway, Suite 5, Fairview, OK 73737, phone (580) 227-4690, open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Major County is part of Oklahoma’s 4th Judicial District — one of the state’s largest multi-county districts, also serving Alfalfa, Blaine, Dewey, Garfield (Enid), Grant, Kingfisher, Woods, and Woodward Counties. After the applicable notice period expires, the landlord files the FED petition, pays the filing fee, and is assigned a hearing date.
This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed Oklahoma attorney or contact the Major County District Court at (580) 227-4690 for guidance specific to your situation. Last updated: April 2026.
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