Possession or creation of a forged ID is a considerably more severe crime than many individuals understand. The severity of the charge will be determined by the facts of the case and the criminal history of the accused. Continue reading to learn about the three possible punishments for acquiring and/or using a fake ID, then call Law Office of Michael L. Fell at (949) 585-9055 for a free legal consultation about this or any other juvenile violation.

It's possible that you'll end up in prison

You may face jail time if you are convicted of certain fraudulent ID charges. In the case of a misdemeanor or a first-time offender, this is improbable. A misdemeanor false ID violation can carry a term of up to a year in prison, but it is far more likely to receive a considerably lower punishment, such as 90 days. Felony charges, on the other hand, might result in a jail sentence of up to ten years.

There's a chance you'll have to pay hefty fines

A person who is charged with and convicted of acquiring a false ID is almost always required to pay a fee. The penalty might be rather high. A first-time offender might face fines of up to $1,000, but fines of $500 or less are more usual. Felony charges, once again, carry a substantially higher penalty: Fines of up to $100,000 are possible.

Probation might be imposed on you

The third alternative is that you will be placed on probation for a period of time. During this period, you will be obliged to follow the judge's particular instructions. These requirements may include reporting to a probation officer on a regular basis, alerting such officer if you leave town, avoiding associating with known offenders, paying all applicable expenses (including fines, probation fees, and court fees), working, and more.

If a judge orders probation and the restrictions are not followed, the judge is likely to either prolong the probation or send the offender to prison.

You may be subjected to a combination of these penalties

It is quite typical for a court to employ a combination of these sanctions, or perhaps all three. A person convicted of procuring a fraudulent ID, for example, might be sentenced to 30 days in jail, $1,000 in penalties, and 12 months of probation. You may merely be forced to pay penalties and be on probation in other circumstances.

Your attorney's goal is to fight hard for the greatest possible outcome in your case. We have years of expertise at the Law Office of Michael L. Fell in coming up with unique sentencing alternatives. Contact us for a free legal consultation at (949) 585-9055 to start moving forward with your case.