Title 18, CRIMES AND OFFENSES

2016 Unconstitutionality. Act 192 of 2014 was declared unconstitutional. Leach v. Commonwealth, 141 A.3d 426 (Pa. 2016). The Legislative Reference Bureau effectuated the 2016 unconstitutionality. 2014 Amendment. Act 192 added section 3935.

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of theft of secondary metal if the person unlawfully takes or attempts to take possession of, carries away or exercises unlawful control over any secondary metal with intent to deprive the rightful owner thereof. (b) Grading.--Ex…

(a) Unlawful taking.--A person is guilty of the offense of theft of mail if the person unlawfully takes, or exercises unlawful control over, mail of another person with intent to deprive the other person of mail. (b) Unlawful transfer.--A person is guilty of the offense of theft …

(a) Offense defined.--A person is guilty of forgery if, with intent to defraud or injure anyone, or with knowledge that he is facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone, the actor: (1) alters any writing of another without his authority; (2) makes, completes, exec…

(a) Offense defined.--A person is guilty of digital forgery if, with intent to defraud or injure anyone, or with knowledge and intent the person is facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone, the person: (1) generates or creates and distributes a forged digital li…

A person commits a misdemeanor of the first degree if, with intent to defraud anyone or with knowledge that he is facilitating a fraud to be perpetrated by anyone, he makes, alters or utters any object so that it appears to have value because of antiquity, rarity, source, or auth…

A person commits a felony of the third degree if, with intent to deceive or injure anyone, he destroys, removes or conceals any will, deed, mortgage, security instrument or other writing for which the law provides public recording.

(a) Writings.--A person commits a misdemeanor of the first degree if, knowing that he has no privilege to do so, he falsifies, destroys, removes or conceals any writing or record, or distinguishing mark or brand or other identification with intent to deceive or injure anyone or t…

(a) Offense defined.-- (1) A person commits an offense if he issues or passes a check or similar sight order for the payment of money, knowing that it will not be honored by the drawee. (2) A person commits an offense if he, knowing that it will not be honored by the drawee, issu…

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if he: (1) uses an access device to obtain or in an attempt to obtain property or services with knowledge that: (i) the access device is counterfeit, altered or incomplete; (ii) the access device was issued to another person who h…

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if, with intent to defraud or injure anyone or with knowledge that he may be facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone, he: (1) produces or traffics in device-making equipment; or (2) possesses device-making equip…

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if, in the course of business, the person: (1) uses or possesses for use a false weight or measure, or any other device for falsely determining or recording any quality or quantity; (2) sells, offers or exposes for sale, or delive…

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits a misdemeanor of the third degree if in the course of business, he knowingly sells or exposes for sale any food product represented as kosher or kosher style when such food product is not kosher, said representation having been made orally, …

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits a felony of the third degree if, in the course of business, he: (1) Fraudulently obtains or retains certification as a minority business enterprise or a women's business enterprise. (2) Willfully makes a false statement, whether by affidavit…

(a) Corrupt employee, agent or fiduciary.--An employee, agent or fiduciary commits a misdemeanor of the second degree when, without the consent of his employer or principal, he solicits, accepts, or agrees to accept any benefit from another person upon agreement or understanding …

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits a misdemeanor of the first degree if, with intent to prevent a publicly exhibited contest from being conducted in accordance with the rules and usages purporting to govern it, he: (1) confers or offers or agrees to confer any benefit upon, o…

A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if he destroys, removes, conceals, encumbers, transfers or otherwise deals with property subject to a security interest or after levy has been made thereon with intent to hinder enforcement of such interest.

A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if, knowing that proceedings have been or are about to be instituted for the appointment of a receiver or other person entitled to administer property for the benefit of creditors, or that any other composition or liquidation fo…

An officer, manager or other person directing or participating in the direction of a financial institution commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if he receives or permits the receipt of a deposit, premium payment or other investment in the institution knowing that: (1) due t…

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if he applies or disposes of property that has been entrusted to him as a fiduciary, or property of the government or of a financial institution, in a manner which he knows is unlawful and involves substantial risk of loss or detr…

A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if by deception he causes another to execute any instrument affecting or purporting to affect or likely to affect the pecuniary interest of any person.

A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if, without due authority, he pretends or holds himself out to any one as an employee of any person for the purpose of gaining access to any premises.

(a) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection: "Manufacturer." The person or entity which authorized or caused the recording or transfer of sounds, images or a combination of sounds and images t…

(a) Offense.--A person commits the offense of unauthorized operation of a recording device in a motion picture theater if the person operates a recording device in the theater without written authority or permission from the motion picture theater owner. (b) Theater owner rights.…

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if the person does any of the following: (1) Knowingly and with the intent to defraud a State or local government agency files, presents or causes to be filed with or presented to the government agency a document that contains fal…

A person commits a felony of the third degree if, with intent to deceive anyone or with knowledge that the person is facilitating a deception to be perpetrated by anyone concerning the true mileage of a motor vehicle, the person makes or causes to be made an application for a cer…

(a) Offense defined.--Any person who knowingly and with intent to sell or to otherwise transfer for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain: (1) manufactures; (2) sells; (3) offers for sale; (4) displays; (5) advertises; (6) distributes; or (7) transports any i…

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of identity theft of another person if he possesses or uses, through any means, identifying information of another person without the consent of that other person to further any unlawful purpose. (b) Separate offenses.--Each time…

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if: (1) The person, with the intent to defraud another person: (i) uses a device to access, read, obtain, memorize or store, temporarily or permanently, information encoded on the computer chip, magnetic strip or stripe or other s…

(a) Bigamy.--A married person is guilty of bigamy, a misdemeanor of the second degree, if he contracts or purports to contract another marriage, unless at the time of the subsequent marriage: (1) the actor believes that the prior spouse is dead; (2) the actor and the prior spouse…

(a) General rule.--Except as provided under subsection (b), a person is guilty of incest, a felony of the second degree, if that person knowingly marries or cohabits or has sexual intercourse with an ancestor or descendant, a brother or sister of the whole or half blood or an unc…

(a) Offense defined.--A person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree if he or she endeavors privately, either alone or by the procurement of others, to conceal the death of his or her child, so that it may not come to light, whether it was born dead or alive or whether i…

(a) Offense defined.-- (1) A parent, guardian or other person supervising the welfare of a child under 18 years of age, or a person that employs or supervises such a person, commits an offense if he knowingly endangers the welfare of the child by violating a duty of care, protect…

A person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree if he deals in humanity, by trading, bartering, buying, selling, or dealing in infant children. Cross References. Section 4305 is referred to in section 5708 of this title; sections 2533, 5329, 6344 of Title 23 (Domestic Rel…

(a) General rule.--A parent of a newborn shall not be criminally liable for any violation of this title solely for leaving a newborn in the care of a hospital, a health care provider at an urgent care center under 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 65 (relating to newborn protection), a police offic…

Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent provisions of this article which are applicable to specific chapters or other provisions of this article, the following words and phrases, when used in this article shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwis…

(a) Offenses defined.--A person is guilty of bribery, a felony of the third degree, if he offers, confers or agrees to confer upon another, or solicits, accepts or agrees to accept from another: (1) any pecuniary benefit as consideration for the decision, opinion, recommendation,…

(a) Offenses defined.--A person commits an offense if he: (1) threatens unlawful harm to any person with intent to influence his decision, opinion, recommendation, vote or other exercise of discretion as a public servant, party official or voter; (2) threatens unlawful harm to an…

A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if he harms another by any unlawful act in retaliation for anything lawfully done by the latter in the capacity of public servant. Cross References. Section 4703 is referred to in section 5552 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial…

As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning plainly is required "statement" means any representation, but includes a representation of opinion, belief or other state of mind only if the representation clearly relates to state of mind apart from or in addition to any facts…

(a) Offense defined.--A person is guilty of perjury, a felony of the third degree, if in any official proceeding he makes a false statement under oath or equivalent affirmation, or swears or affirms the truth of a statement previously made, when the statement is material and he d…

(a) False swearing in official matters.--A person who makes a false statement under oath or equivalent affirmation, or swears or affirms the truth of such a statement previously made, when he does not believe the statement to be true is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degre…

(a) In general.--A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if, with intent to mislead a public servant in performing his official function, he: (1) makes any written false statement which he does not believe to be true; (2) submits or invites reliance on any writing whi…

(a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if he knowingly causes a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be transmitted to or within any organization, official or volunteer, for dealing with emergencies involving danger to life or property. (b) Grading.--An offense un…

(a) Falsely incriminating another.--Except as provided in subsection (c), a person who knowingly gives false information to any law enforcement officer with intent to implicate another commits a misdemeanor of the second degree. (b) Fictitious reports.--Except as provided in subs…

A person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if the person intentionally or knowingly makes a false report of child abuse under 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 (relating to child protective services) or intentionally or knowingly induces a child to make a false claim of child abuse unde…