Pa. Cons. Stat. » 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. (CRIMES AND OFFENSES) / Chapter 49
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4911 (2026)

  Tampering with public records or information.

✓ current as of May 2026
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§ 4911.  Tampering with public records or information.

(a)  Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if he:

(1)  knowingly makes a false entry in, or false alteration of, any record, document or thing belonging to, or received or kept by, the government for information or record, or required by law to be kept by others for information of the government;

(2)  makes, presents or uses any record, document or thing knowing it to be false, and with intent that it be taken as a genuine part of information or records referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection; or

(3)  intentionally and unlawfully destroys, conceals, removes or otherwise impairs the verity or availability of any such record, document or thing.

(b)  Grading.--An offense under this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree unless the intent of the actor is to defraud or injure anyone, in which case the offense is a felony of the third degree.

 

Cross References.  Section 4911 is referred to in section 5708 of this title; section 9518 of Title 13 (Commercial Code); section 5552 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure).

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 44 cases (8 in the last 5 years), 1977–2025 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Kitchen, 162 A.3d 1140 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Commonwealth v. Kitchen, 162 A.3d 1140 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017). · cites it 2× “Relevant to the instant case, a person commits the crime of tampering with public records or information if he or she “knowingly makes a false entry in, or false alteration of, any record, document or thing belonging to, or received or kept by, the government for information or…”
Commonwealth v. Barger, 375 A.2d 756 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1977). · cites it 6× “The offense of tampering with public records or information is defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 4911 as follows: “(a) Offense defined.”
Luzerne Cnty. Ret. Bd. v. Seacrist, 988 A.2d 785 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2010). · cites it 4× “18 Pa.C.S. § 4911. 5 . Section 5101 provides: A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if he intentionally obstructs, impairs or perverts the administration of law or other governmental function by force, violence, physical interference or obstacle, breach of official…”
Kimes v. Univ. of Scranton, 126 F. Supp. 3d 477 (M.D. Penn. 2015). “An independent review of state law leads the Court to conclude that it is conceivable that the alteration of the Department's police report could violate state laws, such as 18 Pa.C.S. § 4911. However, for such law to apply, the police report would need to belong “to, or [be]…”
In re Smith, 712 A.2d 849 (Ct. Jud. Disc. Pa 1998). · cites it 3× “Setting the conduct which forms the basis for the felony charges in juxtaposition with the definitions of the felonies set out in the Crimes Code (18 Pa.C.S. § 4911, Tampering with Public Records or Information, 18 Pa.”
Tanay v. Encore Healthcare, LLC, 810 F. Supp. 2d 734 (E.D. Pa. 2011). “§§ 371 , 1001; 18 Pa. Cons.Stat. Ann. § 4911. . In one fiscal year, the legislature appropriated over $4.”
Anita Peterson v. Attorney Gen. Pennsylvania, 551 F. App'x 626 (3rd Cir. 2014). · cites it 2× “See 18 Pa.C.S. § 4911 ("A person commits an offense if he .”
T.H. Ungard, Jr. v. Williamsport Bureau of Police Pension Bd., 210 A.3d 1121 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2019). · cites it 4× “On July 22, 2011, a jury convicted Ungard of two misdemeanor counts of tampering with public records or information, 18 Pa. C.S. § 4911, and one misdemeanor count of obstructing the administration of law or other governmental function, 18 Pa.”
Gruff v. Dep't of State, 913 A.2d 1008 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2006). “(vi) If the department files a correction statement with respect to the initial financing statement indexed there under this subsection, it shall refer the matter for criminal prosecution to the Office of Attorney General pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S. § 4911 (relating to tampering with…”
United States v. Irving, 316 F. Supp. 3d 879 (E.D. Pa. 2018). “18 Pa. Cons. Stat. §§ 4911 (b), 1104(2). But if "the intent of the actor is to defraud or injure anyone," the offense converts to a third degree felony and the maximum sentence jumps to seven years.”
Apgar v. State Employes' Ret. Sys., 655 A.2d 185 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1994). “Accordingly, the order of the State Employes’ Retirement Board is affirmed. ORDER AND NOW, this 21st day of December, 1994, the order of the State Employes’ Re *190 tirement Board in the above-captioned matter is affirmed.”
Cnty. of Mercer v. Teamsters Local 250, 946 A.2d 174 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2008). “§ 903 (criminal conspiracy) and 18 Pa.C.S. § 4911 (tampering with public records or information).”
Show all 44 citing cases →
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4911(a) — 5 cases
Bazis v. Reworld Projects, LLC (E.D. Pa. 2025).
Cnty. of Allegheny, PA v. Allegheny Cnty. Prison Employees Indep. Union (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2020).
Com. v. Vargson, S. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2021).
Com. v. Williams, N. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022).
Commonwealth, Aplt. v. Williams, N. (Pa. 2025).
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4911(a)(1) — 10 cases
Commonwealth v. Kitchen, 162 A.3d 1140 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017). “Relevant to the instant case, a person commits the crime of tampering with public records or information if he or she “knowingly makes a false entry in, or false alteration of, any record, document or thing belonging to, or received or kept by, the government for information or…”
Luzerne Cnty. Ret. Bd. v. Seacrist, 988 A.2d 785 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2010). “18 Pa.C.S. § 4911. 5 . Section 5101 provides: A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if he intentionally obstructs, impairs or perverts the administration of law or other governmental function by force, violence, physical interference or obstacle, breach of official…”
Apgar v. State Employes' Ret. Sys., 655 A.2d 185 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1994). “Accordingly, the order of the State Employes’ Retirement Board is affirmed. ORDER AND NOW, this 21st day of December, 1994, the order of the State Employes’ Re *190 tirement Board in the above-captioned matter is affirmed.”
Com. v. Dejarnette, R., 219 A.3d 163 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019).
Com. v. Dejarnette, R., 2019 Pa. Super. 275 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2019).
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4911(a)(2) — 2 cases
Anita Peterson v. Attorney Gen. Pennsylvania, 551 F. App'x 626 (3rd Cir. 2014). “See 18 Pa.C.S. § 4911 ("A person commits an offense if he .”
Com. v. Hatziefstathiou, N. (Pa. Super. Ct. 2022).
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4911(a)(3) — 1 case
Commonwealth v. Barger, 375 A.2d 756 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1977). “The offense of tampering with public records or information is defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 4911 as follows: “(a) Offense defined.”
— 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4911(b) — 3 cases
Commonwealth v. Kitchen, 162 A.3d 1140 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2017). “Relevant to the instant case, a person commits the crime of tampering with public records or information if he or she “knowingly makes a false entry in, or false alteration of, any record, document or thing belonging to, or received or kept by, the government for information or…”
In re Smith, 712 A.2d 849 (Ct. Jud. Disc. Pa 1998). “Setting the conduct which forms the basis for the felony charges in juxtaposition with the definitions of the felonies set out in the Crimes Code (18 Pa.C.S. § 4911, Tampering with Public Records or Information, 18 Pa.”
Commonwealth, Aplt. v. Williams, N. (Pa. 2025).
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