{"id":352074,"date":"2023-08-31T19:04:37","date_gmt":"2023-09-01T00:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/forgery.html"},"modified":"2023-08-31T19:04:37","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T00:04:37","slug":"forgery","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/forgery.html","title":{"rendered":"Forgery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Forgery<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By John Mascolo, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by John Mascolo, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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The law defines forgery as the making of a fake document, the modification of an existing document, or the unauthorized signing of a signature. This criminal act can be as simple as signing someone else’s name on a check. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Forgery is often committed to gain access to money, property, or services through deception. Depending on the document and intent, it can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony with steep legal penalties.<\/p>\n

Read on to learn more about various types of forgery and its increasingly common corollary crime:\u00a0identity theft<\/a>. This article includes information about penalties for the crime of forgery and aggravated forgery. It also provides examples of high-profile forgery cases.<\/p>\n

A forgery conviction can have lasting consequences for your criminal record and ability to secure housing and employment. If you have been charged with forgery or a similar crime, contact a criminal defense attorney<\/a> near you for help. An attorney can work to minimize the long-term impact on your record and future opportunities.<\/p>\n

Elements of Forgery<\/h2>\n

Forgery begins with a state of mind. Sketching a famous work of art is not a crime. Works of art can be copied or replicated without any crime being committed\u2014until someone attempts to sell that copy and represents it as an original.<\/p>\n

When it comes to putting a name on a blank check, most people would expect that it is always illegal to sign someone else’s name. But if the checking account owner asked another person to fill in the fields of their blank check (say, an elderly relative with a shaky hand) and then cash it, that would not constitute forgery. The signer must have the\u00a0intent\u00a0to defraud or deceive the account owner or the bank. Lacking deception, the “forged document” is legal.<\/p>\n

With deceptive intent, a forger creates a false document, signature, or imitation of something valuable (sometimes called a “false instrument”). Frequent targets of forgery include:<\/p>\n