New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 255.05 — Unlawfully issuing a dissolution decree
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 255: Offenses Affecting the Marital Relationship, New York Penal Law.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 255.05
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
255.05 Unlawfully issuing a dissolution decree.
A person is guilty of unlawfully issuing a dissolution decree when,
not being a judicial officer authorized to issue decrees of divorce or
annulment, he issues a written instrument reciting or certifying that he
or some other purportedly but not actually authorized person has issued
a valid decree of civil divorce, annulment or other dissolution of a
marriage.
Unlawfully issuing a dissolution decree is a class A misdemeanor.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
What class of misdemeanor is unlawfully issuing a dissolution decree in New York?
Unlawfully issuing a dissolution decree is a Class A Misdemeanor in New York under N.Y. Penal Law § 255.05.
Which New York statute covers unlawfully issuing a dissolution decree?
Unlawfully issuing a dissolution decree is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 255.05 (Unlawfully issuing a dissolution decree).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.