{"id":373979,"date":"2018-07-09T12:07:58","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T17:07:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/massachusetts-law\/massachusetts-forgery-and-counterfeiting-laws.html"},"modified":"2018-07-10T16:55:47","modified_gmt":"2018-07-10T21:55:47","slug":"massachusetts-forgery-and-counterfeiting-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/massachusetts-law\/massachusetts-forgery-and-counterfeiting-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Massachusetts Forgery and Counterfeiting Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Massachusetts Forgery and Counterfeiting Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last reviewed\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 and counterfeiting<\/a> are related crimes, but states usually define them in separate statutes in their criminal codes. Forgery involves making, altering, or signing a document with the intent to deceive someone. In comparison, counterfeiting occurs when a person makes fake money or goods and passes them off as the real thing.<\/p>\r\n

States and the federal government have laws that address forgery<\/a> and counterfeiting. This means that depending on the circumstances of the crime, it could be charged under the laws of a particular state or federal law. Massachusetts has a chapter devoted to a variety crimes that are categorized as "forgery and crimes against the currency." The crimes include anything from actually forging records to "uttering<\/a>" forged writings to possessing tools to make counterfeit coins.<\/p>\r\n

Massachusetts Forgery and Counterfeiting Laws: The Basics<\/h2>\r\n

While an important step of legal research is reading the actual statute that covers your question, it can sometimes be a daunting task since statutes aren’t always easy to decipher. For this reason, reading an overview of a statute in plain English can be incredibly helpful. In the following chart, you’ll find an overview of Massachusetts forgery and counterfeiting laws and links to relevant statutes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Statute(s)<\/b><\/td>\r\nMassachusetts General Laws, Part IV, Title I, Chapter 267, Section 1<\/a>, et seq. (Forgery and Crimes Against the Currency<\/i>)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>
Elements of Forgery<\/b><\/td>\r\n

There are multiple statutes that address forgery, but the general elements of forgery are:<\/p>\r\n

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  1. Making, altering, using, or possessing\r\n
  2. A false writing with legal significance*\r\n
  3. With intent to defraud or deceive.\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    *Examples of documents with legal significance include (but are not limited to) deeds, wills, powers of attorney, or public record.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

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

The penalties for violating Massachusetts forgery and counterfeiting laws will vary depending on the circumstances of the crime. Here are examples of penalties:<\/p>\r\n

Related Statute(s)<\/b><\/td>\r\n

Massachusetts General Laws, Part IV, Title I, Chapter 266:<\/p>\r\n