Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 710-1015 (2026)

False reporting to law-enforcement authorities

✓ current as of July 2026

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§710-1015 False reporting to law-enforcement authorities. (1) A person commits the offense of false reporting to law-enforcement authorities if the person intentionally makes a report or causes the transmission of a report to law-enforcement authorities relating to a crime or other incident within their concern when the person knows that the information contained in the report is false.

(2) False reporting to law-enforcement authorities is a misdemeanor. [L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; gen ch 1993]

COMMENTARY ON §710-1015

The rationale behind this section is much the same as that behind §710-1014: it is undesirable that public resources be wasted, and it is possible that harm may occur from the diversion of public resources from legitimate needs.

The Model Penal Code and most recent state revisions deal with this problem directly.[1] The Code avoids specific listings of what kinds of information may not be falsely related to law-enforcement authorities by penalizing all knowing transmission of false information relating to a crime or other incident within their concern. This proscription would include cases where the crime or incident did not occur and where the report pretends to furnish information which the actor does not have.

Previous Hawaii law made false reporting to a police officer concerning a crime a misdemeanor. The Code, while retaining the same penalty, broadens and clarifies the definition of the offense.

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§710-1015 Commentary:

1. M.P.C. §241.5; N.Y.R.P.L. §240.50; Prop. Del. Cr. Code §735; Prop. Mich. Rev. Cr. Code §4540; Prop. Pa. Cr. Code §2106.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 7 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1974–2023 · leading case: State v. Prendergast, 83 P.3d 714 (Haw. 2004).

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State v. Prendergast, 83 P.3d 714 (Haw. 2004). · cites it 4× “; see also HRS § 710-1015 (1993) (making false reporting to law-enforcement authorities a misdemeanor).”

State v. Joao, 525 P.2d 580 (Haw. 1974). · cites it 8× “Under HRS § 710-1015, [1] a similar *585 statute to that involved in Adams v.”

Annan-Yartey v. Honolulu Police Dep't, 475 F. Supp. 2d 1041 (D. Haw. 2007). · cites it 2× “Haw.Rev.Stat. § 710-1015. Plaintiff has alleged that Defendants initiated proceedings by calling the police and intentionally informing them that he violated a TRO, which did not actually exist.”

State v. Roman, 772 P.2d 113 (Haw. 1989). · cites it 2× “On February 19, 1987, Roman was charged with violating Hawaii Revised Statutes § 710-1015 (1985) by filing a false crime report.”

State v. Radcliffe, 859 P.2d 925 (Haw. App. 1993). · cites it 2× “HRS § 710-1015 (1985). The court orally denied the motion at a hearing that day and directed Lester and Martha to return the next day for the trial.”

State v. Buddemeyer, 537 P.3d 441 (Haw. App. 2023). · cites it 2× “3 HRS § 710-1015(1)(2014). 4 The Honorable Melvin H.”

State of Iowa v. Earnest B. Bynum (Iowa 2020). “” Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 710-1015 (West, Westlaw current through Act 286 of the 2019 Reg.”

— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 710-1015(1)(2014) — 1 case

State v. Buddemeyer, 537 P.3d 441 (Haw. App. 2023). “3 HRS § 710-1015(1)(2014). 4 The Honorable Melvin H.”

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