(a) A person is guilty of criminal impersonation when such person: (1) Impersonates another and does an act in such assumed character with intent to obtain a benefit or to injure or defraud another; or (2) pretends to be a state marshal with intent to obtain a benefit or induce another to submit to such pretended official authority or otherwise to act in reliance upon that pretense; or (3) pretends to be a representative of some person or organization and does an act in such pretended capacity with intent to obtain a benefit or to injure or defraud another; or (4) pretends to be a public servant other than a sworn member of an organized local police department or the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, or wears or displays without authority any uniform, badge or shield by which such public servant is lawfully distinguished, with intent to induce another to submit to such pretended official authority or otherwise to act in reliance upon that pretense; or (5) with intent to defraud, deceive or injure another, uses an electronic device to impersonate another and such act results in personal injury or financial loss to another or the initiation of judicial proceedings against another.
(b) The provisions of subdivision (5) of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to a law enforcement officer acting in the performance of his or her official duties.
(c) Criminal impersonation is a class A misdemeanor.
(1969, P.A. 828, S. 132; P.A. 97-123, S. 3; P.A. 09-239, S. 4; P.A. 11-51, S. 134; 11-221, S. 1; P.A. 14-86, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 97-123 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to exclude from the offense a person pretending to be “a sworn member of an organized local police department or the Division of State Police within the Department of Public Safety” and include the wearing or display of a “shield”; P.A. 09-239 made a technical change in Subsec. (a) and changed penalty in Subsec. (b) from class B to class A misdemeanor; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Department of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection” in Subsec. (a)(3), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-221 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (4) re use of electronic device, added new Subsec. (b) re exception for law enforcement officer and redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c); P.A. 14-86 amended Subsec. (a) by adding new Subdiv. (2) re pretending to be a state marshal and redesignating existing Subdivs. (2) to (4) as Subdivs. (3) to (5) and amended Subsec. (b) by making a conforming change.
Cited. 194 C. 213; Id., 233; 207 C. 109; 209 C. 23; 225 C. 650.
Held not to be unconstitutionally vague. 2 CA 204. Cited. 18 CA 694; 32 CA 724; 40 CA 643. Does not require use of an official or real badge because statute's goal is to prohibit criminal impersonation with intent of inducing another to submit to authority that he or she does not possess. 66 CA 819.
Subsec. (a):
Subdiv. (1): Statute as written does not prohibit giving a false name. 194 C. 213. Cited. 198 C. 68; 199 C. 146; 232 C. 431; judgment superseded by en banc reconsideration, see 235 C. 502; 235 C. 502.
Cited. 33 CA 339; judgment reversed in part, see 232 C. 431; judgment reversed, see 235 C. 502; 37 CA 589; 45 CA 303. Statute prohibits impersonating another, not merely giving a false name. 60 CA 534.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
31
cases (
1 in the last 5 years), 1984–2022 · leading case:
State v. Smith, 479 A.2d 814 (Conn. 1984).
State v. Smith, 479 A.2d 814 (Conn. 1984).
· cites it 12× “After a jury trial, the defendant, John Smith, was convicted of the crimes of burglary in the third degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-103 and criminal impersonation in violation of General Statutes § 53a-130.”
State v. Wall, 673 A.2d 530 (Conn. App. Ct. 1996).
· cites it 14× “The defendant appeals from the judgment of conviction, rendered after a jury trial, of criminal impersonation in violation of General Statutes § 53a-130 (a) (3), disorderly conduct in violation of General Statutes § 53a-182 (a) (2), reckless driving in violation of General…”
State v. Megos, 170 A.3d 120 (Conn. App. Ct. 2017).
· cites it 6× “On August 4, 2015, as a result of the incident with Foster, the defendant was arrested for larceny in the third degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-124, 3 and criminal impersonation in violation of General Statutes § 53a-130.”
State v. Guadalupe, 786 A.2d 494 (Conn. App. Ct. 2001).
· cites it 8× “General Statutes § 53a-130 (a) provides in relevant part: “A person is guilty of criminal impersonation when he .”
State v. Campbell, 626 A.2d 287 (Conn. 1993).
· cites it 4× “The defendant, David Campbell, was charged with the crimes of possession of narcotics with intent to sell by a person who is not drug-dependent pursuant to General Statutes § 21a-278 (b), 1 possession *652 of a weapon in a motor vehicle in violation of General Statutes '§ 29-38,…”
State v. Adams, 982 A.2d 187 (Conn. App. Ct. 2009).
· cites it 4× “In docket number CR-05-0284632-S, the defendant was charged with possession of narcotics in violation of General Statutes § 21a-279(a), attempt to possess a controlled substance in violation of General Statutes §§ 53a-49 and 21a-279(c), possession of a controlled substance in…”
State v. Brown, 668 A.2d 1288 (Conn. 1995).
· cites it 2× “The defendant also was convicted of conspiracy to commit larceny in the third degree in violation of General Statutes §§ 53a-48 (a) and 53a-124 (a) (2), and criminal impersonation in violation of General Statutes § 53a-130 (a) (1). He has not contested these convictions.”
State v. Jackson, 630 A.2d 164 (Conn. App. Ct. 1993).
· cites it 8× “to 1991) § 21a-278a (b), 2 crimi *726 nal impersonation in violation of General Statutes § 53a-130, 3 and possession of a pistol without a permit in violation of General Statutes § 29-35.”
State v. Frazier, 478 A.2d 1013 (Conn. 1984).
· cites it 3× “” General Statutes § 53a-130 states in part: “criminal impersonation: class b misdemeanor, (a) A person is guilty of criminal impersonation when he: (1) Impersonates another and does an act in such assumed character with intent to obtain a benefit or to injure or defraud another…”
State v. Bradley, 760 A.2d 520 (Conn. App. Ct. 2000).
· cites it 4× “to 1997) § 53a-130, as amended by Public Acts 1997, No.”
Payton v. Albert, 547 A.2d 1 (Conn. 1988).
· cites it 2× “CR 6-262088 Robbery Third Degree, Assault Third Degree, Larceny Second Degree, Criminal Impersonation On July 22, 1986, the petitioner was arrested and charged with the crimes of robbery in the third degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-136, assault in the third degree…”
State v. Abigail Marie Stubbs, 502 S.W.3d 218 (Tex. App. 2016).
“with intent to defraud, deceive or injure another, uses an electronic device to impersonate another and such act results in personal injury or financial loss to another or the initiation of judicial proceedings against another”); Haw.”
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-130(a) — 2 cases
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-130(a)(5) — 1 case
State v. Abigail Marie Stubbs, 502 S.W.3d 218 (Tex. App. 2016).
“with intent to defraud, deceive or injure another, uses an electronic device to impersonate another and such act results in personal injury or financial loss to another or the initiation of judicial proceedings against another”); Haw.”
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