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 North Dakota, perjury is considered a serious criminal offense. It is defined as knowingly making a false statement under oath, whether verbally or in writing, that is material to the proceeding at hand. This is covered under North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) Section 12.1-11-02. Perjury can be prosecuted as a Class C felony in North Dakota, which may result in imprisonment, fines, or both. Additionally, subornation of perjury, which involves persuading or procuring another person to commit perjury, is also a criminal offense and is treated with similar severity as perjury itself. Federal law also addresses perjury under 18 U.S.C. §1621, and individuals can be prosecuted under federal law if the perjury occurs in relation to a federal proceeding. The penalties under federal law can include fines and imprisonment, and the specific consequences depend on the nature of the perjury and the federal jurisdiction involved.