It is a criminal offense to make a false police report of a crime—knowingly and with the intent to deceive—if the statement is material to a criminal investigation and is made to (1) a peace officer or federal special investigator conducting the investigation; (2) any employee of a law enforcement agency that is authorized by the agency to conduct the investigation and that the person making the statement knows is conducting the investigation; or (3) a corrections officer or jailer.

The crime of making a false police report may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or as a felony, depending on the state, and is punishable in many states by jail time, fines, community service, and probation. The definitions and punishments for the crime of making a false police report vary from state to state and are usually located in a state’s statutes.

In Illinois, making a false police report is considered a criminal offense under Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/26-1(a)(4). A person commits this offense when they knowingly transmit or cause to be transmitted a false report to a peace officer, public officer, or law enforcement agency of an offense or other incident within their official concern, with the intent to deceive. This includes making a false report to a peace officer, federal special investigator, an authorized employee of a law enforcement agency, or a corrections officer or jailer. The severity of the charge can range from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony, depending on factors such as the nature of the false report and whether it causes an emergency response. Penalties for a conviction can include fines, imprisonment, community service, and probation. An attorney can provide specific guidance on how these laws may apply to individual circumstances.