Perjury is the criminal offense of making a false statement under oath—verbally or in writing—that the witness knows to be false and that is material to the proceeding in which the statement is made. And suborning perjury or subornation of perjury is the criminal offense of procuring the perjury of another person.

Perjury is a criminal offense under both state and federal laws and may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or as a felony offense, depending on the state or federal jurisdiction, and whether there are any aggravating factors that increase the seriousness of the crime. Perjury laws are located in state statutes—often in the penal or criminal code—and the federal perjury law is located in the United States Code at 18 U.S.C. §1621.

In Minnesota, perjury is defined as intentionally providing false information while under oath in any official proceeding, which includes both verbal statements and written documents. The relevant state statutes can be found in Chapter 609 of the Minnesota Statutes, specifically sections 609.48 (Perjury) and 609.49 (Subornation of perjury). Perjury is considered a felony in Minnesota, and a person convicted of perjury can face up to five years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. Subornation of perjury, which involves persuading or inducing another person to commit perjury, is also treated as a serious offense and carries similar penalties. Additionally, under federal law, perjury is a criminal offense as outlined in 18 U.S.C. §1621, and it can be prosecuted when the false statement is made in relation to a federal proceeding. Federal penalties for perjury can include fines and imprisonment for up to five years.