New Jersey Law Makes It Illegal to Mess with Official Records

New Jersey has a law that makes it illegal to mess around with official records and documents. This law is called “Tampering with public records or information” and it’s found in the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice at Section 2C:28-7.

The purpose of the law is pretty straightforward – it aims to stop people from altering, destroying, or otherwise messing with important records and documents that belong to the government. Makes sense, right? The government needs to be able to trust its own records.

But what exactly does this law say? And what might happen if you break it? Let’s take a closer look.

What Does the Law Say Exactly?

The law says a person commits an offense if they:

• Knowingly make a false entry in, or false alteration of, any government record or document. So for example, changing information on your driver’s license to say you’re older than you really are.
• Make, present, or offer any record or document that they know is false, intending for it to be taken as a real government record. Like making a fake ID and trying to use it.
• Purposely destroy, hide, remove, or otherwise mess up the truthfulness or availability of any government record or document. Say you tried to shred documents at the DMV so no one could access them.

Yeah, that’s no good.

The law considers records and documents that:

• Belong to the government
• Are received or kept by the government
• Are required by law to be kept for the government’s information

So things like licenses, registrations, certificates, and so on. Important stuff!

What Happens If You Break This Law?

Well, that depends.

If you simply possess or make an altered document – like having a fake ID – you’ll probably be charged with a disorderly persons offense.

The penalties for a disorderly persons offense can include:

• Up to 6 months in jail
• Fines up to $1,000

But if you use an altered document to actually defraud or injure someone, it becomes a much more serious crime. It moves up to being a third degree crime.

The penalties jump up too. For a third degree crime conviction you can face:

• 3-5 years in state prison
• Fines up to $15,000

And if you mess with records specifically to avoid being detected committing another crime, that’s another story. That can lead to additional charges and penalties.

What Are Some Examples of Breaking This Law?

Here are a few examples of ways people have broken this New Jersey law:

• Using a fake ID – Probably the most common example is underage people using a fake or altered ID to buy alcohol. Huge no-no. This would likely lead to a disorderly persons charge.
• Altering vehicle documents – Changing or forging info on a vehicle registration or title document. Maybe to show you own a car you actually don’t.
• Modifying medical records – Adjusting medical documents, say to hide an illness from an employer or insurance company. Not good.
• Shredding court documents – Destroying records related to a court case could mean big trouble. Obstructing justice is very serious.
• Hacking government databases – Electronically accessing official systems to modify or delete records would be a major crime.

The list goes on. Bottom line – don’t mess with official records!

What Defenses Might Help Fight the Charges?

If you do get accused of tampering with records, there may be defenses your attorney can use to challenge the charges, such as:

• You didn’t actually falsify or destroy any records
• You had no intent to defraud anyone
• It was an honest mistake
• You had legal authorization
• The records in question don’t meet the definition under the law
• The evidence against you is weak or flawed

An experienced criminal defense lawyer will know how to argue these angles to potentially get your charges reduced or even dismissed. Don’t try to go it alone!