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 Wisconsin, forgery is a criminal offense defined under Wisconsin Statute 943.38. The law considers it a felony to falsely make or alter any writing or object of value, right, privilege, or identification with the intent to defraud. This includes the creation, alteration, or utterance of documents such as checks, contracts, or legal certificates, as well as money, coins, or credit cards. Uttering a forged document involves presenting or using it as if it were genuine. The act of forgery can also encompass possessing a forged item with the intent to use it fraudulently. Penalties for forgery in Wisconsin can vary depending on the circumstances and the value of the documents or items involved, but they generally include fines, imprisonment, or both. Specific sentencing is determined by the courts and can be influenced by factors such as the defendant's criminal history and the extent of the financial loss or harm caused.