Florida Statutes

Fla. Stat. § 831.01 (2025)

Forgery.

✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
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831.01 Forgery.Whoever falsely makes, alters, forges or counterfeits a public record, or a certificate, return or attestation of any clerk or register of a court, public register, notary public, town clerk or any public officer, in relation to a matter wherein such certificate, return or attestation may be received as a legal proof; or a charter, deed, will, testament, bond, or writing obligatory, letter of attorney, policy of insurance, bill of lading, bill of exchange or promissory note, or an order, acquittance, or discharge for money or other property, or an acceptance of a bill of exchange or promissory note for the payment of money, or any receipt for money, goods or other property, or any passage ticket, pass or other evidence of transportation issued by a common carrier, with intent to injure or defraud any person, shall be guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
History.s. 1, ch. 1637, 1868; RS 2479; s. 6, ch. 4702, 1899; GS 3359; RGS 5206; CGL 7324; s. 1, ch. 59-31; s. 1, ch. 61-98; s. 959, ch. 71-136; s. 32, ch. 73-334.

Arrestable Offenses under F.S. 831.01

M = misdemeanor · F = felony · degree: F=1st S=2nd T=3rd
§831.01COUNTERFEITING OFPUBLIC RECORD CERTIFICATE ETCF · 3rd
§831.01FORGERY OFALTER PUBLIC RECORD CERTIFICATE ETCF · 3rd
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 83 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1950–2025 · leading case: Rummel v. Estelle, 445 U.S. 263 (1980).
Rummel v. Estelle, 445 U.S. 263 (1980). · cites it 2× “Code § 22-1401 (1973) (1 to 10 years); Fla. Stat. §§ 831.01 , 831.02 (1965) (fine or up to 10 years); Ga.”
Rollins, Inc. v. Butland, 951 So. 2d 860 (Fla. 2d DCA 2006). · cites it 2× “41, Florida Statutes (2001), forging consumers' signatures on inspection documents in violation of section 831.01, Florida Statutes (2001), defrauding and cheating consumers in violation of section 817.”
State v. Escobedo, 404 So. 2d 760 (Fla. 3d DCA 1981). · cites it 14× “The central question presented for review by this appeal is whether it is a forgery proscribed by Section 831.01, Florida Statutes (1979), for a person to make a false birth certificate with the name of a fictitious public office affixed thereto with intent to injure or defraud…”
Maddox v. State, 923 So. 2d 442 (Fla. 2006). · cites it 2× “When it was learned that [Dixon] gave a false name, he was charged with forgery under section 831.01 and driving without a valid driver's license.”
Donovan v. State, 572 So. 2d 522 (Fla. 5th DCA 1990). · cites it 4× “Eleven counts of forgery, section 831.01, Florida Statutes (1987): 5 years probation on each count, concurrent with each other.”
Green v. State, 76 So. 2d 645 (Fla. 1954). · cites it 8× “Our forgery statute, F.S. § 831.01, F.S.A., makes whoever "forges" documents of specified classes "with intent to injure or defraud any person" liable to a maximum of ten years' imprisonment.”
State v. La Pointe, 345 So. 2d 362 (Fla. 3d DCA 1977). · cites it 8× “The order of dismissal stated as follows: “It is Ordered and Adjudged that the Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss counts I through XXXVII is hereby granted on the grounds that a ticket of admission to a sporting event is not a ‘receipt for money’ or other writing mentioned in Section…”
Dixon v. State, 812 So. 2d 595 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002). · cites it 5× “After it was discovered that Appellant had given a false name, he was charged by information with forgery under section 831.01, Florida Statutes (2000), and driving without a valid driver's license.”
United States v. Dennis Lee Ullrich, 580 F.2d 765 (5th Cir. 1978). · cites it 2× “Under Florida law, using a stolen credit card and signing another person’s name to the sales receipt could be prosecuted under either the State Credit Card Crime Act, Fla.”
Rushing v. State, 684 So. 2d 856 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996). · cites it 4× “NOTES [1] § 831.01, Fla. Stat. (1993). [2] § 843.02, Fla.”
Schauer v. Gen. Motors Acceptance Corp., 819 So. 2d 809 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002). · cites it 2× “(citation omitted); § 831.01, Fla. Stat. (1999). As Morse argues, forging his signature to the credit application would have had no legal efficacy because he was not obligated to sign or make payments under the separate retail sales installment contract.”
State v. Veilleux, 859 So. 2d 1224 (Fla. 2d DCA 2003). · cites it 5× “Veilleux signed traffic citations for reckless driving and driving without a valid driver's license using the name "Mark Lee White." The police discovered Mr.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, a Jacksonville, Florida criminal defense attorney (Florida Bar No. 39104). Attorney Syfert regularly handles Chapter 831 matters in the context of forgery and white collar defense and represents clients throughout Northeast Florida. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.