Penal Law § 170.40

Criminal possession of forgery devices · as in force on May 31, 2026

§ 170.40 Criminal possession of forgery devices.

A person is guilty of criminal possession of forgery devices when:

1. He makes or possesses with knowledge of its character any plate, die or other device, apparatus, equipment, or article specifically designed for use in counterfeiting or otherwise forging written instruments; or

2. With intent to use, or to aid or permit another to use, the same for purposes of forgery, he makes or possesses any device, apparatus, equipment or article capable of or adaptable to such use.

Criminal possession of forgery devices is a class D felony.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/PEN/170.40

In plain English

A person criminally possesses forgery devices by:

(1) making or knowingly possessing a plate, die, device, apparatus, equipment, or article specifically designed for counterfeiting or forging written instruments; or
(2) making or possessing anything capable of or adaptable to forgery, intending to use it, or to help or allow another to use it, for forgery. ★

It is a class D felony.

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.