Penal Law § 170.20

Criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree  ·  as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 170.20 Criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree.

A person is guilty of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree when, with knowledge that it is forged and with intent to defraud, deceive or injure another, he utters or possesses a forged instrument.

Criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree is a class A misdemeanor.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/170.20

In plain English

A person commits third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument by uttering or possessing a forged instrument, knowing it is forged and intending to defraud, deceive, or injure another. ★ It is a class A misdemeanor.

Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.

In print

This provision appears in Volume 4 — The Court Clerk: Penal Law; Volume 1 — The Court Officer in Plain English; Volume 3 — The Court Officer: Penal Law; Volume 3 — Your Career: Penal Law in Plain English.