(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
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 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 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 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