Indiana statute
Ind. Code § 35-44.1-2-3 — False reporting; false informing; swatting
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 2: Interference with General Government Operations, Indiana Code.
Full text of Ind. Code § 35-44.1-2-3
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the official statutory text; it is not the official statutes of the State of Indiana.
Sec. 3. (a) As used in this section, "consumer product" has the meaning set forth in IC 35-45-8-1 . (b) As used in this section, "misconduct" means a violation of a departmental rule or procedure of a law enforcement agency. (c) A person who reports that: (1) the person or another person has placed or intends to place an explosive, a destructive device, or other destructive substance in a building or transportation facility; (2) there has been or there will be tampering with a consumer product introduced into commerce; or (3) there has been or will be placed or introduced a weapon of mass destruction in a building or a place of assembly; knowing the report to be false, commits false reporting, a Level 6 felony. (d) A person who: (1) gives: (A) a false report of the commission of a crime; or (B) false information to a law enforcement officer that relates to the commission of a crime; knowing the report or information to be false; (2) gives a false alarm of fire to the fire department of a governmental entity, knowing the alarm to be false; (3) makes a false request for ambulance service to an ambulance service provider, knowing the request to be false; (4) gives a false report concerning a missing child (as defined in IC 10-13-5-4 ), missing veteran at risk (as defined in IC 12-7-2.1-346 ), or missing endangered adult (as defined in IC 12-7-2.1-227 ) or gives false information to a law enforcement officer or a governmental entity that relates to a missing child, missing veteran at risk, or missing endangered adult knowing the report or information to be false; (5) makes a complaint against a law enforcement officer to the state or municipality (as defined in IC 8-1-13-3 (b)) that employs the officer: (A) alleging the officer engaged in misconduct while performing the officer's duties; and (B) knowing the complaint to be false; (6) makes a false report of a missing person, knowing the report or information is false; (7) gives a false report of actions, behavior, or conditions concerning: (A) a septic tank soil absorption system under IC 8-1-2-125 or IC 13-26-5-2.5 ; or (B) a septic tank soil absorption system or constructed wetland septic system under IC 36-9-23-30.1 ; knowing the report or information to be false; or (8) makes a false report that a person is dangerous (as defined in IC 35-47-14-1 ) knowing the report or information to be false; commits false informing, a Class B misdemeanor except as provided in subsection (e). (e) The offense described in subsection (d) is: (1) a Class A misdemeanor if it: (A) substantially hinders any law enforcement process, including by causing the dispatch of one (1) or more law enforcement officers; (B) results in harm to another person; or (C) is committed under subsection (d)(8); (2) a Level 6 felony if it: (A) is committed under subsection (d)(8); and (B) either: (i) substantially hinders any law enforcement process, including by causing the dispatch of one (1) or more law enforcement officers; (ii) results in harm to another person; or (iii) would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, or threatened; and (3) a Level 5 felony if it is committed under subsection (d)(8) and results in serious bodily injury or death to another person.
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