Membership Announcements

Get Ready for 2025 Member Billing!

Here’s what you need to know to prepare for this year’s billing cycle:

Invoice Reminders

• OKIE811 bills in arrears for services rendered Nov. 1, 2024 – Oct. 31, 2025
• Invoices will be sent November 2025.
• View the 2025 Fee Schedule for questions about rates.
• Pull your ticket report in the Old OKIE811 Portal under “Reports”

Need to Update Billing Information? Submit a billing update form anytime!

811 Day Is August 11! Let’s Talk Damage Prevention!

Each August, we celebrate 811 Day. This is an effort to raise awareness about underground damage prevention and the critical role facility operators and excavators play in protecting our communities and infrastructure.

Whether you’ve been in the industry for decades or are just learning about the 811 process, August 11th (8/11) is a great reminder of how important it is to protect underground infrastructure, and that includes responding to locate tickets.

Don’t forget:

• Positive Response is required by law
• Responses must be submitted through the OKIE811 Portal

Avoid extra fees by responding on time:
• 2nd Notice: Additional $2 per ticket for each second notice
• 3rd & 4th Notices: Additional $3 per ticket for each third notice

**No member is exempt from additional notice fees**

Want to get involved or help spread the message? Here are a few ideas:

• Share a social media post using #811Day or #OKIE811.
• Remind your team why submitting a Positive Response matters and take a few minutes on this 811 Day to double-check that your team is set up and responding!
• Join an upcoming webinar or event. View our Events calendar at Learning Hub | OKIE811.

Need help? Call (800) 522-6544 ext. 4003 or email us at  MemberServices@okie811.org

Effective July 1, 2025, OKIE811 will reduce the Dig Site Buffer from 150 feet to 50 feet, as approved by our Board of Directors in May 2025. 

This change aims to improve operational efficiency by focusing notifications more precisely on relevant dig site activity, reducing unnecessary alerts to members. 

Understanding the Buffers: 

• Service Area Buffer: Set by each member around their service areas, this ensures coverage based on your infrastructure and mapping confidence. 

• Dig Site Buffer: Automatically applied around the excavator’s dig site to determine which members are notified. 

Thanks to advances in mapping accuracy, this reduced buffer helps us notify only the members likely to be affected by excavation activity. 

We recommend reviewing your current Service Area Buffer settings. If needed, you can adjust them to maintain your desired level of notification using the OKIE811 Service Area Editor, our self-service tool for managing service areas. 

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact our support team.  

Need Assistance? 

You can find a variety of resources to help you with service area mapping changes on the Facility Operators Page. 

Our Member Services team is available to support you with any questions or changes related to your service area or buffer settings. 

🌐 memberservices@okie811.org
📞 800-522-6544 ext. 4003 

Example Illustration of Dig Site Buffer Reduction 

New 50 foot Dig Site Buffer: 

Previous 150 foot Dig Site Buffer: 

OKIE811 Members can verify their registered mapping and information on file at any time of year, however OKIE811 takes additional steps to help Members make sure their information is up to date by conducting a Membership Verification campaign annually.

Having your current information on file is not only required by Law and your OKIE811 Membership agreement, but it can help save your company time and money!

Take Action Now!

1. Watch Membership Verification video to view Verification process.
2. Complete Verification steps to verify information and receive a Certificate of Good Standing!

Why Verify?

• Benefits of verifying your registered mapping:
  • Receive relevant tickets
  • Potential savings in ticket fees & locating costs
• Benefits of verifying your dispatch information:
  • Damage Prevention
  • Tickets are being delivered to the correct personnel
  • Verify personnel that is registered to positively respond to tickets
  • Potential savings in 2^nd & 3^rd notice costs
  • Only have the additional outputs that you need
  • Potential future savings in additional output fees
• Receive a Certificate of Good Standing.

The Certificate of Good Standing provides proof of membership, compliance status, payment status and may be helpful when renewing specific grants, licenses, or permits.

Once you have completed the Verification steps, please allow 5-7 business days for your Verification to be processed. You will receive a confirmation email upon completion.

Have questions? Please contact OKIE811 Member Services at MemberServices@okie811.org. We are happy to help!

Watch & Protect (previously Critical Facility/In Conflict)
Purpose: Members can choose the “Watch and Protect” positive response, when an operator requires that they or a designated representative be on-site to observe excavation within ten (10) feet of the operator’s marking of its existing underground facility.
Member/Operator Responsibility: Effective November 1, 2024, operators who choose the “Watch and Protect” positive response, will be required by law to provide in the comments, the name and phone number of the operator representative that will be on site at the ticket date and time, or at the start date agreed upon in writing by the excavator and operator.
Excavator Responsibility: When a positive response of “Watch and Protect” has been indicated, by law, no excavation may take place without the operators or its designee onsite to observe the excavation.
Law Reference: Section 14.2.Definition #17 and §63-142.6. Part A & Part B 

Pre-Excavation Meeting Request for Large Projects
Purpose: A notice to facilitate communication between the excavator and all facility operators with underground lines in the proposed area of excavation of a large project.
Change: Effective November 1, 2024: Excavators may submit a Pre-Excavation Meeting Request to schedule a meeting no less than (14) calendar days prior to any excavation activities for the purpose of planning a large project and coordinating resources accordingly.
Member/Operator Responsibility: When your company receives a pre-excavation meeting request, you will need to provide a positive response within (72) hours indicating your ability to meet. Parties involved in this meeting shall coordinate a marking plan and take actions necessary to ensure proper notice requirements are met for the affected facility operators.
OKIE811 has created (2) new codes that can be used to provide positive response for Pre-Excavation Meeting Requests:
– #16 – Will Be Attending. Facility Operator will be attending the Pre excavation meeting.

– #17 – Will Not Be Attending. Facility Operator will not be attending the Pre excavation meeting.
***You are encouraged to use the Comments section of positive response be to provide contact information and details which support the response itself. ***
Excavator Responsibility: When using a Pre-Excavation meeting request notification, information shall include the excavator’s proposed meeting date, time, location, and contact information. The date of the meeting shall be a minimum of (72) hours after the notification has been sent.

Large Project Defined in the Law
Definition: Large projects are excavation projects that involve one of the following:
a) Scope of work that exceeds the limits of a locate request or
b) Has an estimated duration of more than (90) days
Law Reference:  Section 14.2.Definitions 18, 19 and § 63-142.8, Section C

Field Contact
Change: Effective November 1, 2024, excavators will be required by law to provide the name and phone number of a field contact with actual knowledge of the excavation site and project.
Law Reference: §63-142.6.D.4

Please visit the OKIE Portal and select Membership Info to request your Certificate of Good Standing!

Upcoming Member Services Webinars

To register for Upcoming Webinars, please visit the Events Calendar at the bottom of the OKIE811 Learning Hub page.

The 2025 Fee Schedule has been approved by the OKIE811 Board of Directors and will go into effect November 1, 2024. These new rates will be reflected on your 2025 Annual Invoice.