(a) A person commits forgery when, with intent to defraud, he or she knowingly:
         (1) makes a false document or alters any document to
    
make it false and that document is apparently capable of defrauding another; or
        (2) issues or delivers such document knowing it to
    
have been thus made or altered; or
        (3) possesses, with intent to issue or deliver, any
    
such document knowing it to have been thus made or altered; or
        (4) unlawfully uses the digital signature, as defined
    
in the Financial Institutions Electronic Documents and Digital Signature Act, of another; or
        (5) unlawfully creates an electronic signature of
    
another person, as that term is defined in the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.
    (b) (Blank).

Attorney's Note

Under the Illinois Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class A misdemeanorup to 1 yearup to $2,500
For details, see § Ill. Comp. Stat. 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-55

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Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/17-3

  • Forgery: The fraudulent signing or alteration of another's name to an instrument such as a deed, mortgage, or check. The intent of the forgery is to deceive or defraud. Source: OCC
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • property: means anything of value. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/15-1

     (c) A document apparently capable of defrauding another includes, but is not limited to, one by which any right, obligation or power with reference to any person or property may be created, transferred, altered or terminated. A document includes any record or electronic record as those terms are defined in the Electronic Commerce Security Act. For purposes of this Section, a document also includes a Universal Price Code Label or coin.
     (c-5) For purposes of this Section, “false document” or “document that is false” includes, but is not limited to, a document whose contents are false in some material way, or that purports to have been made by another or at another time, or with different provisions, or by authority of one who did not give such authority.
     (d) Sentence.
         (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3),
    
forgery is a Class 3 felony.
        (2) Forgery is a Class 4 felony when only one
    
Universal Price Code Label is forged.
        (3) Forgery is a Class A misdemeanor when an academic
    
degree or coin is forged.
    (e) It is not a violation of this Section if a false academic degree explicitly states “for novelty purposes only”.