Federal · Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

18 U.S.C. § 1506: Theft or alteration of record or process; false bail

Felony

What this law says, in plain English

Federal law criminalizes stealing, altering, or falsifying court records or proceedings to void judgments, and acknowledging bail or recognizance in another's name without consent. Penalties include fines and up to five years imprisonment.

Read the full statutory text

Whoever feloniously steals, takes away, alters, falsifies, or otherwise avoids any record, writ, process, or other proceeding, in any court of the United States, whereby any judgment is reversed, made void, or does not take effect; or Whoever acknowledges, or procures to be acknowledged in any such court, any recognizance, bail, or judgment, in the name of any other person not privy or consenting to the same— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

Start your matter free Ask Law Link about this code

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.