Oklahoma City cannot ban plastic straws or require on-request-only service. The state's auxiliary-container preemption, 11 O.S. §22-101.1, bars cities from regulating packaging including straws. Restaurants may voluntarily switch to paper or only-on-request service.
California, Seattle, and other West Coast cities limit plastic straws either through bans or upon-request rules. Oklahoma's SB 1112 (2019), codified at 11 O.S. §22-101.1, prevents Oklahoma City from doing the same. The statute covers auxiliary containers and accessories used to convey food and drink, which has been read to include straws and stirrers. As a result, Oklahoma City lacks the authority to require restaurants to ask before providing a straw or to ban plastic straws outright. Many OKC restaurants nonetheless adopt paper or compostable straws voluntarily for guest preference or sustainability reasons. ADA-aligned exceptions for diners with disabilities are good practice even where there is no mandate.
OKC cannot cite a business for offering plastic straws. A city ordinance attempting to ban or restrict straws would be invalidated under the state preemption.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Oklahoma City's plastic straw rules rules stack up against other locations.
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