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 North Carolina, forgery is a serious 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 documents such as checks, contracts, legal certificates, and currency, among others. The act of uttering a forged document refers to presenting or using that document as if it were genuine. North Carolina General Statutes (NCGS) § 14-119 specifically addresses forgery and uttering of forged instruments, making it illegal to forge or to knowingly utter a forged instrument, with the intent to defraud. The crime of forgery can be charged as a felony, and the severity of the charges can vary based on factors such as the type of document forged and the amount of financial loss involved. Penalties for forgery in North Carolina can include fines, restitution, and imprisonment. It is important for individuals accused of forgery to seek the counsel of an attorney to navigate the complexities of the legal system and the specific charges they face.