Forgery in Colorado

What the charge means

A person commits forgery by, with intent to defraud, falsely making, completing, altering, or uttering a written instrument. To utter a document means to pass it off or present it as genuine. The statute lists the kinds of documents that qualify, including:

• Money, stamps, and securities
• Stocks, bonds, and other ownership instruments
• Deeds, wills, contracts, promissory notes, and checks
• Public records and filings required by law
• Documents issued by a government office or agency
• Lottery tickets and transit tokens
• Tools used to make false identification documents

Prosecutors must prove both that the document was false or altered and that you specifically intended to defraud someone. Signing a name with the person's permission, or honestly believing you had authority to sign or change a document, is not forgery. Common scenarios include signing someone else's name on a check, changing an amount or a date on a document, fake ID cases, and disputed signatures on titles, leases, or loan paperwork.

Classification and sentencing

Forgery under C.R.S. 18-5-102 is a class 5 felony. If the court imposes a prison sentence, the presumptive range is 1 to 3 years, followed by 2 years of mandatory parole, and the fine range is $1,000 to $100,000. That range applies only if the court orders incarceration. Probation, deferred judgments, and other non prison sentences are often possible, and the statute does not mandate prison.

Related charges are graded differently. Second degree forgery, which covers written instruments not on the felony list, is a class 2 misdemeanor with up to 120 days in jail if jail is imposed. Criminal possession of a forged instrument is a separate felony charge, so one document can generate more than one count.

What else it touches

A felony forgery conviction bars firearm possession under Colorado and federal law. Because forgery is a crime of dishonesty, it weighs heavily in background checks and in licensing for fields built on trust, such as banking, real estate, notary work, and health care. Fraud offenses can carry serious immigration consequences for noncitizens. Sealing a forgery conviction may be possible after a waiting period once the sentence is complete, depending on the case.

We defend forgery charges across Colorado, and a consultation is the place to get answers about your specific situation.