Perjury is the criminal offense of making a false statement under oath—verbally or in writing—that the witness knows to be false and that is material to the proceeding in which the statement is made. And suborning perjury or subornation of perjury is the criminal offense of procuring the perjury of another person.

Perjury is a criminal offense under both state and federal laws and may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or as a felony offense, depending on the state or federal jurisdiction, and whether there are any aggravating factors that increase the seriousness of the crime. Perjury laws are located in state statutes—often in the penal or criminal code—and the federal perjury law is located in the United States Code at 18 U.S.C. §1621.

In Arizona, perjury is addressed under Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) § 13-2702 and is considered a serious offense. A person commits perjury by making either a sworn false statement, knowing it to be false, in any official proceeding or by signing a false written statement that they believe to be false, where the statement is required or authorized by law to be sworn or affirmed. Perjury in Arizona is typically classified as a class 4 felony, which can carry significant penalties including imprisonment, fines, or both. Subornation of perjury, which involves persuading or inducing another person to commit perjury, is also a criminal offense and is treated with similar severity. At the federal level, perjury is governed by 18 U.S.C. § 1621, and like Arizona law, it criminalizes willfully making false statements under oath in federal proceedings. The federal statute also allows for the prosecution of individuals who suborn perjury. Penalties for federal perjury can include fines and imprisonment, and the severity of the punishment can depend on the specific circumstances and the impact of the false statement on the proceedings.