Fines are a much more common penalty for fake ID crimes, though the specific amounts vary significantly. A felony fake ID offense can result in a year or more of incarceration, and sometimes as much as 10 years. A misdemeanor fake ID crime can bring up to a year in jail as a possible sentence, though less time, such as 90 days, is common. However, even though state laws may allow a jail sentence, they aren't always used as penalties in fake ID crimes, especially for misdemeanor crimes and first-time offenders.
If you're convicted of a false ID crime, you may have to spend time in jail. In some states, possessing any forged government identification is a felony offense. However, false IDs can also result in felony charges depending on the situation and the state, such as if you use a fake ID to purchase a firearm or if you have a fake driver's license. In most situations where a person uses a fake ID, the crime is charged as a misdemeanor offense. Penaltiesīecause there are a wide range of crimes that can result if you carry, make, or use a fake ID, there are also a wide range of possible penalties associated. However, states typically allow retailers to avoid these penalties if the retailer uses reasonable methods to attempt to verify that the ID is valid.
These can include fines, license suspensions, and even license revocation. If a retailer fails to properly inspect or verify an ID, it faces potential penalties from the state. It is the business's duty to ensure the ID presented is a valid one, and to ensure that it actually belongs to the person using it. State laws also require some establishments, such as those that sell alcohol, tobacco products, or firearms, to verify the age of a person by verifying the person's identification. If, for example, you use the ID to buy alcohol and you are under 21, you can also be charged with being a minor in possession of alcohol in addition to the fake ID charge. The possession or use of false identification is a crime by itself, and if you use the ID to do something illegal, you can face additional charges and penalties for the illegal activity. Many, if not most, fake ID crimes involve people under the age of 21 or 18 who try to use a fake ID to obtain alcohol or cigarettes. Using borrowed or stolen IDs is a false ID crime, though some states have specific laws that make using a borrowed ID a less severe crime than using, for example, a forged document. For example, a college student might borrow a friend's ID in order to get into a bar or buy alcohol. Real ID, Wrong Personįalse identification laws also penalize people who use a real ID, even though that ID isn't their own. For example, a state may make it illegal to use any ID in an attempt to establish a false identity, while it may also make it illegal to falsely use a state-issued ID, such as a birth certificate or driver's license. States have a variety of laws that punish false ID crimes, and different actions can result in different crimes. Possession crimes are likely the most common, and you can be charged with a fake ID crime even if you never try to use it to try, for example, to illegally buy cigarettes. These laws prohibit anyone from making or selling false documents, altering legitimate documents, purchasing them, using them, or possessing them. Possession, Production, Alteration, Sale, and Useįake ID laws cover a wide range of activities. On the other hand, you can also have a fake ID if you steal someone else's legitimate driver's license and try to use it as your own. Because the state license must be issued by a government agency, your ID is fraudulent and not a legal ID. For example, you could create a fake ID by taking a photo of yourself and printing an imitation state driver's license on your computer. What Is a Fake ID?Ī false or fake ID is any form of identification that is forged, altered, or otherwise purports to establish the false identity of a person. All states have fake ID laws, though how the crime is categorized and punished differs from state to state. But it is also a crime that states have been punishing in an increasingly severe manner, with many states punishing people with Fake IDs as felons.
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With the widespread use of photo editing software and high-quality printing, creating a fake ID is easier today than it ever has been. Having the proper identification allows you any number of privileges, from obtaining alcohol, to cashing a check and renting an apartment. False identification documents, or fake IDs, have probably been around as long as the real thing.