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 Florida, forgery is a serious criminal offense that involves the creation, alteration, or use of a false document with the intent to defraud or harm another individual. This includes a wide range of documents such as checks, contracts, legal certificates, and identification cards. The act of uttering a forged document refers to the presentation or use of that document as if it were genuine. Florida law considers both the act of forging and the act of uttering forged documents as criminal activities. The specific statutes governing forgery in Florida can be found in the Florida Statutes, particularly in the sections dealing with fraud and forgery (Title XLVI, Chapter 831). Penalties for forgery in Florida can vary depending on the nature and severity of the offense but typically include fines, restitution, and imprisonment. The mere possession of a forged document with the intent to use it can also be prosecuted under Florida law. As with any legal matter, individuals facing forgery charges or those who require more detailed information should consult with an attorney who is knowledgeable in Florida's criminal law.