Parents Beware: If Your Child Has a "Fake" Driver's License, He/She Could Face Serious Charges
It’s a fact. Many (if not most) “underage” college kids obtain fake driver’s licenses so that they can go to clubs, bars, and the liquor store to buy booze. For a small fee almost anyone can get their hands on a fake license so that they appear to be 21 years old. And let’s face it, this seems like a relatively harmless offenses. The problem is that it’s not.
Aside from the social ramifications and liabilities an underage person faces from being given premature access to alcohol, possessing a fake license could additionally lead to forgery charges. This is because Penal Code 472 PC California’s law against forging, counterfeiting, or possessing a fraudulent public seal can be charged under these exact circumstances.
Penal Code 472 PC California’s law against forging, counterfeiting, or possessing a fraudulent public seal, among other things, punishes anyone who knowingly possesses a counterfeit public seal (such as the seal that appears on a California driver’s license).
This means that if you possess a fake license that bears a counterfeit seal, you could ultimately face a three-year prison sentence and a maximum $10,000 fine. What’s more is that this serious charge…one necessarily involving dishonesty…will appear on your permanent criminal record and undoubtedly stand in the way of employment, housing, education, and professional opportunities.
So please, before you “look the other way” at what you believe is a relatively harmless act that your child may be engaging in, take a moment to look at the bigger picture. Make sure your child knows that it’s not just about having the license revoked at a club…the consequences are potentially much more serious.
