Forgery occurs when a person, with intent to defraud or injure, or knowing they are helping a fraud or injury, alters, makes, uses, or possesses a forged writing.
1. A person is guilty of forgery if, with intent to defraud or injure anyone, or with knowledge that the person is facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone, the person does any of the following: a. Alters a writing of another without the other’s permission. b. Makes, completes, executes, authenticates, issues, or transfers a writing so that it purports to be the act of another who did not authorize that act, or so that it purports to have been executed at a time or place or in a numbered sequence other than was in fact the case, or so that it purports to be a copy of an original when no such original existed. c. Utters a writing which the person knows to be forged in a manner specified in paragraph “a” or “b”. d. Possesses a writing which the person knows to be forged in a manner specified in paragraph “a” or “b”. 2. a. Forgery is a class “D” felony if the writing is or purports to be any of the following: (1) Part of an issue of money, securities, postage or revenue stamps, or other instruments issued by the government. (2) Part of an issue of stock, bonds, credit-sale contracts as defined in section 203.1, or other instruments representing interests in or claims against any property or enterprise. (3) A check, draft, or other writing which ostensibly evidences an obligation of the person who has purportedly executed it or authorized its execution. (4) A document prescribed by statute, rule, or regulation for entry into or as evidence of authorized stay or employment in the United States. (5) A driver’s license, nonoperator’s identification card, birth certificate, or occupational license or certificate in support of an occupational license issued by a department, agency, board, or commission in this state. b. Forgery is an aggravated misdemeanor if the writing is or purports to be a will, deed, contract, release, commercial instrument, or any other writing or other document evidencing, creating, transferring, altering, terminating, or otherwise affecting legal relations. 87 Acts, ch 150, §2; 92 Acts, ch 1239, §80; 96 Acts, ch 1181, §2, 3; 2019 Acts, ch 140, §25 Referred to in §715A.2A