Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 41 - Forgery and Fraudulent Practices
Section 4101 - Forgery


(a) Offense defined.--A person is guilty of forgery if, with intent to defraud or injure anyone, or with knowledge that he is facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone, the actor:
(1) alters any writing of another without his authority;
(2) makes, completes, executes, authenticates, issues or transfers any writing so that it purports to be the act of another who did not authorize that act, or to have been executed at a time or place or in a numbered sequence other than was in fact the case, or to be a copy of an original when no such original existed; or
(3) utters any writing which he knows to be forged in a manner specified in paragraphs (1) or (2) of this subsection.
(b) Definition.--As used in this section the word "writing" includes printing or any other method of recording information, money, coins, tokens, stamps, seals, credit cards, badges, trademarks, electronic signatures and other symbols of value, right, privilege, or identification.
(c) Grading.--Forgery is a felony of the second degree if the writing is or purports to be part of an issue of money, securities, postage or revenue stamps, or other instruments issued by the government, or part of an issue of stock, bonds or other instruments representing interests in or claims against any property or enterprise. Forgery is a felony of the third degree if the writing is or purports to be a will, deed, contract, release, commercial instrument, or other document evidencing, creating, transferring, altering, terminating, or otherwise affecting legal relations. Otherwise forgery is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(Dec. 16, 2002, P.L.1953, No.226, eff. 60 days)

2002 Amendment. Act 226 amended subsec. (b).
Cross References. Section 4101 is referred to in section 3311 of this title; section 5552 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure).

Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes

Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes

Title 18 - CRIMES AND OFFENSES

Chapter 41 - Forgery and Fraudulent Practices

Extra - Chapter Notes

Section 4101 - Forgery

Section 4102 - Simulating objects of antiquity, rarity, etc

Section 4103 - Fraudulent destruction, removal or concealment of recordable instruments

Section 4104 - Tampering with records or identification

Section 4105 - Bad checks

Section 4106 - Access device fraud

Section 4106.1 - Unlawful device-making equipment

Section 4107 - Deceptive or fraudulent business practices

Section 4107.1 - Deception relating to kosher food products

Section 4107.2 - Deception relating to certification of minority business enterprise or women's business enterprise

Section 4108 - Commercial bribery and breach of duty to act disinterestedly

Section 4109 - Rigging publicly exhibited contest

Section 4110 - Defrauding secured creditors

Section 4111 - Fraud in insolvency

Section 4112 - Receiving deposits in a failing financial institution

Section 4113 - Misapplication of entrusted property and property of government or financial institutions

Section 4114 - Securing execution of documents by deception

Section 4115 - Falsely impersonating persons privately employed

Section 4116 - Copying; recording devices

Section 4116.1 - Unlawful operation of recording device in motion picture theater

Section 4117 - Insurance fraud

Section 4118 - Washing vehicle titles

Section 4119 - Trademark counterfeiting

Section 4120 - Identity theft

Section 4121 - Possession and use of unlawful devices