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 Illinois, forgery is a criminal offense that involves the creation, alteration, or use of a false document with the intent to commit fraud or harm. This includes a wide range of items such as written documents, money, checks, contracts, legal certificates, and credit cards. The act of uttering a forged document means presenting it as genuine, whether by words or actions. The Illinois Criminal Code (720 ILCS 5/17-3) defines forgery and outlines the specific actions that constitute the offense, including making, altering, or presenting a document as if it were made by someone else, at a different time, or as a copy of a non-existent original. The law also covers the transfer, possession, or use of forged documents. Penalties for forgery in Illinois can vary depending on the circumstances and the value of the property involved, but it is generally charged as a Class 3 felony, which can result in imprisonment and fines. More severe penalties may apply if the forgery involves certain government-issued documents or affects a large sum of money.