(1) A person is guilty of falsely reporting an incident when the person:
(a) Knowingly causes a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be transmitted to or within any organization, official or volunteer, that deals with emergencies involving danger to life or property, and the false report results in an emergency response; or
(b) Reports to law enforcement authorities an offense or incident within their official concern knowing that it did not occur; or
(c) Furnishes law enforcement authorities with information allegedly relating to an offense or incident within their official concern when the person knows he or she has no information relating to such offense or incident; or
(d) Knowingly gives false information to any law enforcement officer with intent to implicate another; or
(e) Initiates or circulates a report or warning of an alleged occurrence or impending occurrence of a fire or other emergency under circumstances likely to cause public inconvenience or alarm when the person knows the information reported, conveyed, or circulated is false or baseless, and the false report results in an emergency response.
(2) (a) Falsely reporting an incident under subsection (1)(b), (c), or (d) of this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
(b) Falsely reporting an incident under subsection (1)(a) or (e) of this section is a Class D felony.
(3) Any violation under this section may be prosecuted in any county where:
(a) The defendant resides;
(b) The false report was communicated; or
(c) There was an emergency response to the false report.
(4) (a) The court, in imposing a sentence on a defendant who has been convicted of any offense under this section, shall order restitution to:
1. Any agency or organization for the reasonable costs of the emergency response incurred by that agency or organization resulting from the false report; and
2. Any person who suffered damages caused by the agency or organization that provided an emergency response.
(b) An order of restitution under this subsection shall, for the purpose of enforcement, be treated as a civil judgment. Effective: July 14, 2022 History: Amended 2022 Ky. Acts ch. 148, sec. 2, effective July 14, 2022. -- Created 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 406, sec. 166, effective January 1, 1975.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
7
cases (
3 in the last 5 years), 2005–2026 · leading case:
Commonwealth v. Priddy, 184 S.W.3d 501 (Ky. 2005).
Commonwealth v. Priddy, 184 S.W.3d 501 (Ky. 2005).
· cites it 2× “See KRS 519.040(1)(2nd), "Falsely Reporting an Incident.”
Harralson v. Monger, 206 S.W.3d 336 (Ky. 2006).
· cites it 2× “" Here, KRS 519.040 provides a misdemeanor offense for falsely reporting an incident.”
Burkhead v. Davis, 505 S.W.3d 784 (Ky. Ct. App. 2016).
“020, a Class D felony, and falsely reporting an incident, KRS 519.040, a Class A misdemeanor. The potential fine following conviction for a Class D felony is $ 1,000.”
Al-Maqablh v. Temple (E.D. Ky. 2020).
· cites it 6× “070 and two counts of falsely reporting an incident under KRS § 519.040. [R. 1 pp. 5, 14; R. 17-2 pp.”
Lorraine Wilson v. Commonwealth of Kentucky (Ky. Ct. App. 2026).
· cites it 5× “To convict Wilson of falsely reporting an incident under KRS 519.040(1)(a), the Commonwealth was required to establish that Wilson “[k]nowingly cause[d] a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be transmitted to or within any organization, official or volunteer, that deals…”
Rice v. Bourbon Cmty. Hosp. (E.D. Ky. 2022).
· cites it 4× “See KRS § 519.040. Rice has not provided any information explaining how, by calling the police department, the Hospital workers “[r]eport[ed] to law enforcement authorities an offense or incident within their official concern knowing that it did not occur” as the Kentucky…”
Maqablh v. Heinz (W.D. Ky. 2023).
· cites it 2× “” KRS § 519.040. The totality of the evidence in front of Heinz when she brought these charges is as follows: Maqablh made three welfare check requests on Alley between June 2014 and April 2015 [DE 53; DE 52; DE 48]; each time the child was found unharmed and Maqablh’s claims…”
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 519.040(1)(2nd): 1 case
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 519.040(1)(a): 1 case
Lorraine Wilson v. Commonwealth of Kentucky (Ky. Ct. App. 2026).
“To convict Wilson of falsely reporting an incident under KRS 519.040(1)(a), the Commonwealth was required to establish that Wilson “[k]nowingly cause[d] a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be transmitted to or within any organization, official or volunteer, that deals…”
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 519.040(1)(b): 1 case
Rice v. Bourbon Cmty. Hosp. (E.D. Ky. 2022).
“See KRS § 519.040. Rice has not provided any information explaining how, by calling the police department, the Hospital workers “[r]eport[ed] to law enforcement authorities an offense or incident within their official concern knowing that it did not occur” as the Kentucky…”
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 519.040(1)(d): 1 case
Al-Maqablh v. Temple (E.D. Ky. 2020).
“070 and two counts of falsely reporting an incident under KRS § 519.040. [R. 1 pp. 5, 14; R. 17-2 pp.”
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 519.040(2)(b): 1 case
Lorraine Wilson v. Commonwealth of Kentucky (Ky. Ct. App. 2026).
“To convict Wilson of falsely reporting an incident under KRS 519.040(1)(a), the Commonwealth was required to establish that Wilson “[k]nowingly cause[d] a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be transmitted to or within any organization, official or volunteer, that deals…”
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 519.040(l)(2nd): 1 case
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