Our Office


About the Assessor

John A. Wright
Tulsa County Assessor

"I am grateful for the opportunity and responsibility to serve the citizens of Tulsa County as your Tulsa County Assessor."

John A. Wright was elected Tulsa County Assessor and officially took office for his first term on December 1, 2018. Subsequently, he was re-elected in 2022 for his second four-year term. Previously, Assessor Wright served on the preceding Assessor's Executive Staff for eight years.

While the fundamentals of property appraisal are unchanged, the job has become more technical, statistical, analytical, and complex over recent years. John Wright has invested in professional development, training, and has the experience required to meet these new challenges.

His background includes:

  • Assessment Administration Specialist (AAS) - Conferred by the International Association of Assessing Officers in September 2018
  • County Assessor Certification, OSU County Training Program - Completed Requirements for Certification October 2016
  • International Association of Assessing Officers Accredited Member Status (IAM) - Achieved in 2015
  • Advanced Assessor Accreditation - Awarded June 2011 by the Oklahoma Tax Commission
  • Initial Assessor Accreditation - Achieved and Awarded February 2011 by the Oklahoma Tax Commission
  • Member, Oklahoma House of Representatives - House District 76, 1998-2010
  • Chairman, Administrative Rules Committee - Oklahoma House of Representatives, 2005-2010
  • Elected by the House Majority Caucus to Serve as Caucus Chairman, 2006-2010
  • Oklahoma Licensed Real Estate Broker 062681 - Currently maintained on inactive status
  • Associated with The Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors, 1998-2010
  • BS, Marketing - Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, FL

Our Commitment


The Tulsa County Assessor is committed to the principle that each and every citizen is always to be:


treated with courtesy and respect

treated fairly and equitably

provided prompt services and information

informed of all exemptions for which you may be qualified to receive

given personal and professional attention

informed as to how your property is being assessed and how to appeal your value

provided an opportunity to have your suggestions and opinions heard and acted upon

referred to the appropriate department or individual in a friendly and courteous manner


The Assessment Process

All tangible property must be taxed on its current Fair Cash Value (Market) as of January 1 of each year. The exception is agricultural land.

A property's Fair Cash Value (Market) is the value or price at which a willing buyer would purchase property and a willing seller would sell property if both parties are knowledgeable about the property... [68 O.S. § 2802(19)]. Land used for farming and ranching is valued on its capacity to produce crops or livestock (agricultural use value) instead of its value on the real estate market.

All property is taxable unless a federal or state law provides an exemption for it. An exemption may exclude all or part of a property's value from taxation.

How is real property valued? State statutes require assessors to annually appraise all property within the county as of January 1. To assure accuracy, uniformity, and low per-parcel costs, the county assessor uses mass appraisal to appraise large numbers of properties. The cost, market, and income approaches to value are used with the emphasis on each approach depending on the availability of recent property sales, actual cost of construction, and income and expense information.

The market (or sales comparison) approach is most often used and simply asks, "For what price are properties similar to this property being sold?" The value of your home is an estimate of the price for which your home would be sold. The assessor compares your home to similar homes that have sold recently and determines your home's value.


Appraiser Accreditation


Oklahoma Law

Oklahoma statutes require assessors, first deputies, and appraisers working for county assessors to be accredited. To receive the required accreditation, assessors and their appraisal staff must successfully complete a series of seven classes conducted by the Oklahoma State University Center for Local Government Technology (CLGT). In Oklahoma, only accredited appraisers can place value on property in the performance of their duties for the county assessor's office.

Tulsa County Assessor Policy

It is the policy of the Tulsa County Assessor that all employees complete the seven courses required for Advanced Accreditation. This ensures Assessor's office employees, regardless of their official position, are prepared to assist taxpayers with questions related to how the office values their property and how the office goes about fulfilling its statutory duties.

Initial Accreditation

By statute, Assessors, First Deputies and "all personnel involved in the actual appraisal of real or personal property" must achieve Initial Accreditation. Initial Accreditation consists of two academic units:

  • Unit I - Introduction to the County Assessor's Office — It shall consist of basic ad valorem taxation law, legal responsibilities of the assessor's office, the role of the county assessor, valuation requirements, and assessment administration.
  • Unit II - Real Property Appraisal — It shall consist of basic appraisal and assessment processes.
Advanced Accreditation

By statute, Advanced Accreditation must be earned by the assessor and first deputy. All other deputies involved in the actual appraisal of real or personal property must also earn Advanced Accreditation. Advanced Accreditation consists of five academic units:

  • Unit III - Mass Appraisal — It shall consist of Mass Appraisal Procedures of real property.
  • Unit IV - Income Approach to Valuation — It shall consist of the procedures of valuing property based on income.
  • Unit V - Personal Property — It shall consist of procedures for valuing property based on the cost approach.
  • Unit VI - Mapping — It shall consist of the basic fundamentals of cadastral mapping.
  • Unit VII - Valuation of Agricultural Property — It shall consist of the methods for valuing agricultural land based on the per point system used in the State of Oklahoma.
Continuing Education

Within three calendar years after receiving Advanced Accreditation, 30 hours of continuing education credits are required to be earned in order to maintain the accreditation. These requirements are established, reviewed, and updated periodically by the Accreditation Committee, which is comprised of the Oklahoma Tax Commission Division Director, the OSU CLGT Director, and the Oklahoma County Assessors Association President.

Other Education

All Tulsa County Assessor employees are encouraged to continue their education, either in college and/or through classes provided by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO), where they can receive Professional Designations by completing a rigorous course of study.