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 Arizona, forgery is a serious criminal offense outlined under Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-2002. The law defines forgery as the act of falsely making, completing, or altering a written instrument with the intent to defraud. This includes any document that can be used to obtain a benefit or to injure or defraud another person. The term 'uttering' in the context of forgery refers to offering a forged document with the claim that it is genuine, which is also illegal under Arizona law. The scope of documents covered by the forgery statute is broad and includes checks, contracts, wills, and other legal instruments. The crime of forgery in Arizona is typically classified as a class 4 felony, which can result in severe penalties including imprisonment, fines, and restitution. Additionally, possessing a forged instrument with the intent to defraud is also a criminal act in Arizona. The specific penalties for forgery can vary based on the circumstances of the case, including the value of the fraud and the defendant's criminal history.