Forgery is the criminal offense of making or uttering a false document or other instrument with the intent to defraud or harm someone—including a written or printed document, money, coins, tokens, stamps, checks, cashier’s checks, bonds, money orders, traveler’s checks, real property deeds, contracts, stock certificates, lottery tickets, wills, seals, credit cards, badges, trademarks, and symbols of value, right, privilege, or identification. Uttering a document means to declare—either directly or indirectly, and through words or actions—that the document is legitimate and what it purports to be.

Forging a document includes altering, making, completing, executing, or authenticating a writing so it purports (1) to be the act of another who did not authorize that act; (2) to have been executed at a time or place or in a numbered sequence other than was in fact the case; or (3) to be a copy of an original when no such original existed.

Forging a document also includes the acts of issuing, transferring, registering the transfer of, recording, passing, publishing, or otherwise uttering a document that is forged. And in some states the mere possession of a forged document with the intent to utter it constitutes forging a document.

The definitions, penalties, and punishments for the crime of forgery vary from state to state and are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Idaho, forgery is defined under Idaho Code § 18-3601 and is considered a serious offense. The law encompasses the creation, alteration, or possession of a false document with the intent to defraud. This includes any act of forging a document by making it appear to be something it is not, such as the work of another person, executed at a different time or place, or representing a copy of a non-existent original. The act of uttering a forged document, which means presenting or using it as genuine, is also covered under this statute. Penalties for forgery in Idaho can be severe, with the crime typically classified as a felony, which may result in imprisonment, fines, or both. The specific consequences for a forgery conviction depend on the nature of the offense and the value of the fraud involved. It is important for individuals accused of forgery to seek the guidance of an attorney to navigate the complexities of the legal system and the specific charges they face.