Speeding Tickets and Tribal Court: Navigating Tulsa’s New Municipal Law

Speeding Tickets and Tribal Court are more intertwined due to Tulsa’s new municipal law. If you’re a tribal citizen who receives a municipal citation in Tulsa, recent changes may directly affect your case. As of mid-2025, the City of Tulsa and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation have finalized a settlement that transfers jurisdiction over certain cases—such as traffic tickets involving Native American defendants—from the Tulsa Municipal Court to tribal or federal court.

Why the Law Changed

The turning point was the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which affirmed that reservations, such as the Muscogee Nation’s, had not been disestablished. That means crimes involving tribal citizens within reservation boundaries must be prosecuted by either tribal or federal authorities, not state or city governments.

Following McGirt, Tulsa continued to prosecute tribal citizens in its municipal courts, sparking a federal lawsuit from the Muscogee Nation. That has now been resolved through a settlement agreement signed by Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols and Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill.

What the Agreement Means for Speeding and Other Tickets

Under the new agreement, Tulsa will no longer prosecute tribal citizens for municipal violations—including traffic tickets—if the offense occurred within the Muscogee Reservation. Instead:

• Tulsa Police will still investigate and issue citations under a cross-deputization agreement with the Muscogee Nation.
• Tribal or federal prosecutors will decide whether to charge the case.
• Pending cases against tribal defendants in Tulsa Municipal Court will be dismissed and transferred to the Muscogee Nation Attorney General’s Office.

If you are a tribal citizen who receives a ticket or misdemeanor charge in Tulsa, your case may now go through the Muscogee Nation District Court in Okmulgee, rather than Tulsa Municipal Court.

How the City Will Handle Future Tickets

The agreement requires Tulsa to determine whether a defendant is a tribal citizen before pursuing prosecution. If the defendant is Native American and the offense occurs within the Muscogee Reservation, the city must refer the case to the appropriate authority. That includes speeding tickets and other minor offenses.

For more serious crimes, TPD can refer the case to both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Muscogee Nation.

What This Means Going Forward

This cooperative framework between Tulsa and the Muscogee Nation aims to honor tribal sovereignty while maintaining public safety. However, state officials have publicly criticized the deal, and ongoing disputes may impact its future development.

Need Legal Help with a Tribal Court Case?

If you’re a tribal citizen facing a municipal charge, you may now need to respond in Muscogee Nation District Court. Our team here at Kania Law Office have the knowledge and expertise available to help you with your tribal law issues. We can navigate the best course of action to make sure we protect your rights in court. For a free and confidential consultation, call us today at 918-743-2233. You can also reach us through our Ask A Lawyer feature.