Colorado criminal charge
False reporting to authorities in Colorado
False reporting to authorities is a criminal offense under Colorado law, defined by C.R.S. § 18-8-111. Its classification is not fixed: Colorado assigns a different penalty class depending on the circumstances of the offense. The class that applies — and the sentencing range that follows from it — depends on which statutory variant fits the facts.
Defined by C.R.S. § 18-8-111.
What is the penalty for false reporting to authorities in Colorado?
| Penalty | Range | Basis | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jail / prison | up to 120 days (False reporting to authorities — Applies to any violation of subsection (1), i.e., false alarms, false crime reports, or false information reports to authorities.) | discretionary | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-501 |
| Fine | up to $750 (False reporting to authorities — Applies to any violation of subsection (1), i.e., false alarms, false crime reports, or false information reports to authorities.) | discretionary | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-501 |
| Jail / prison | up to 120 days (False reporting of an emergency — base offense — Applies to a knowing false report of an imminent threat to safety by use of a deadly weapon, except as otherwise provided in subsection (2)(b).) | discretionary | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-501 |
| Fine | up to $750 (False reporting of an emergency — base offense — Applies to a knowing false report of an imminent threat to safety by use of a deadly weapon, except as otherwise provided in subsection (2)(b).) | discretionary | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-501 |
| Jail / prison | up to 364 days (False reporting of an emergency — evacuation, disruption, or bodily injury — Applies when the threat causes evacuation, shelter-in-place order, disruption of regular activities, initiation of standard response protocol, or results in bodily injury of another person.) | discretionary | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-501 |
| Fine | up to $1,000 (False reporting of an emergency — evacuation, disruption, or bodily injury — Applies when the threat causes evacuation, shelter-in-place order, disruption of regular activities, initiation of standard response protocol, or results in bodily injury of another person.) | discretionary | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-501 |
| Jail / prison | 2 years to 6 years (False reporting of an emergency — serious bodily injury — Applies when the emergency response results in serious bodily injury of another person.) | presumptive | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-401 |
| Fine | $2,000 to $500,000 (False reporting of an emergency — serious bodily injury — Applies when the emergency response results in serious bodily injury of another person.) | discretionary | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-401 |
| Parole / supervision | 3 years to 3 years (False reporting of an emergency — serious bodily injury — Applies when the emergency response results in serious bodily injury of another person.; mandatory parole) | mandatory | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-401 |
| Jail / prison | 4 years to 12 years (False reporting of an emergency — death — Applies when the emergency response results in the death of another person.) | presumptive | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-401 |
| Fine | $3,000 to $750,000 (False reporting of an emergency — death — Applies when the emergency response results in the death of another person.) | discretionary | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-401 |
| Parole / supervision | 3 years to 3 years (False reporting of an emergency — death — Applies when the emergency response results in the death of another person.; mandatory parole) | mandatory | C.R.S. § 18-1.3-401 |
Applies to offenses on/after 2022-03-01 (SB21-271).
How is false reporting to authorities classified in Colorado?
The classification depends on the circumstances:
| Variant | Classification | When it applies | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| False reporting to authorities | Class 2 Misdemeanor | Applies to any violation of subsection (1), i.e., false alarms, false crime reports, or false information reports to authorities. | 18-8-111(1)(b) |
| False reporting of an emergency — base offense | Class 2 Misdemeanor | Applies to a knowing false report of an imminent threat to safety by use of a deadly weapon, except as otherwise provided in subsection (2)(b). | 18-8-111(2)(b)(I) |
| False reporting of an emergency — evacuation, disruption, or bodily injury | Class 1 Misdemeanor | Applies when the threat causes evacuation, shelter-in-place order, disruption of regular activities, initiation of standard response protocol, or results in bodily injury of another person. | 18-8-111(2)(b)(II) |
| False reporting of an emergency — serious bodily injury | Class 4 Felony | Applies when the emergency response results in serious bodily injury of another person. | 18-8-111(2)(b)(III) |
| False reporting of an emergency — death | Class 3 Felony | Applies when the emergency response results in the death of another person. | 18-8-111(2)(b)(IV) |
Common questions about false reporting to authorities in Colorado
Is false reporting to authorities a felony or a misdemeanor in Colorado?
It depends on the circumstances: false reporting to authorities ranges from a Class 2 Misdemeanor to a Class 3 Felony in Colorado under C.R.S. § 18-8-111.
False reporting to authorities: Class 2 Misdemeanor (C.R.S. § 18-8-111(1)(b)) · False reporting of an emergency — base offense: Class 2 Misdemeanor (C.R.S. § 18-8-111(2)(b)(I)) · False reporting of an emergency — evacuation, disruption, or bodily injury: Class 1 Misdemeanor (C.R.S. § 18-8-111(2)(b)(II)) · False reporting of an emergency — serious bodily injury: Class 4 Felony (C.R.S. § 18-8-111(2)(b)(III)) · False reporting of an emergency — death: Class 3 Felony (C.R.S. § 18-8-111(2)(b)(IV))
What are the penalties for false reporting to authorities in Colorado?
Penalties for false reporting to authorities in Colorado depend on how it is classified — from a Class 2 Misdemeanor up to a Class 3 Felony — with the ranges set by C.R.S. § 18-1.3-501 and C.R.S. § 18-1.3-401; the full table of ranges by variant is published on this page.
Which Colorado statute covers false reporting to authorities?
False reporting to authorities is governed by C.R.S. § 18-8-111 (False reporting to authorities - false reporting of an emergency - definition).
Legal terms used in this law
This reference is informational and is not legal advice. Penalty ranges are the statutory classification ranges; sentencing in a specific case depends on its facts and history.