{"id":371970,"date":"2016-10-06T10:14:56","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T15:14:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/colorado-law\/colorado-forgery-laws.html"},"modified":"2018-03-16T14:28:16","modified_gmt":"2018-03-16T19:28:16","slug":"colorado-forgery-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/colorado-law\/colorado-forgery-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Colorado Forgery Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Colorado Forgery Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\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

Forgery \u2013 whether we are talking about forging fake checks or forging another person\u2019s signature — can lead to big trouble. From Boulder to Aspen, Colorado forgery laws penalize the activities of falsely making, completing, altering, or uttering (offering as true) a written instrument with the intent to defraud<\/a>. Below you will find key information such as an example of forgery, associated crimes, and more.<\/p>\n

Example of Forgery<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s say you really want to win the Colorado State Lottery<\/a> (and who doesn\u2019t?). Instead of simply buying a lottery ticket, however, you think of a brilliant scheme of using your handy computer and making some authentic-looking tickets. Can you do this? Sure. But if you attempt to pass these tickets off as \u201creal,\u201d you\u2019ve just committed the crime of forgery.<\/p>\n

Associated Crimes<\/h2>\n

There are several other crimes that are associated with forgery in Colorado. These include possession of forged documents, possession of forged documents, fraud<\/a>, identity theft<\/a>, falsifying academic records to get into high school or higher education, and more.<\/p>\n

Colorado Forgery Laws at a Glance<\/h2>\n

The charges and penalties under Colorado\u2019s forgery laws are detailed below. Remember, there may be several defenses to the crime of forgery<\/a>, depending on the nature and circumstances of your case.<\/p>\n\n

Statutes<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

Penalties<\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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  • First Degree Forgery: <\/i><\/b>Class 5 felony punishable by one to three years in prison and a fine of $1,000 to $100,000<\/li>\n
  • Second Degree Forgery:<\/i><\/b> Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by punishable by six to 18 months in jail, a fine of $500 to $5,000, or both.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    • Note: Uttering a forged document to a peace officer shall create a presumption that the person intended to defraud such peace officer. <\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>

First Degree Forgery Document Types <\/b><\/p>\n<\/td>\n