In Pennsylvania, the penalties for false reports to law enforcement depend on what was reported. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4906, knowingly giving police false information that implicates another person is a second-degree misdemeanor carrying up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Reporting an offense that never happened, or pretending to have information you don’t, is a third-degree misdemeanor with a one-year maximum and a $2,500 fine. Two specific circumstances bump the grade up one level, and a conviction brings consequences that outlast the sentence.
The Two Offenses and Their Maximum Penalties
Section 4906 splits false reports into two distinct crimes, and the difference matters because the grading is different.
Subsection (a) covers reports that falsely blame someone. If you knowingly give false information to a law enforcement officer intending to implicate another person in a crime, that is a misdemeanor of the second degree.1Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Chapter 49 Section 4906 – False Reports to Law Enforcement Authorities The maximum sentence is two years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Chapter 11 Section 1104 – Sentence of Imprisonment for Misdemeanors
Subsection (b) covers fictitious reports. Two situations fall here: reporting an offense you know did not occur, and pretending to furnish authorities with information when you have none. Calling in a burglary that never happened, or claiming to be a witness to an event you know nothing about, both fit. The grade is a misdemeanor of the third degree,1Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Chapter 49 Section 4906 – False Reports to Law Enforcement Authorities with a maximum of one year in prison and a fine of up to $2,500.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Chapter 11 Section 1104 – Sentence of Imprisonment for Misdemeanors
Courts can also order restitution, which may include reimbursing police departments for investigative costs and officer overtime generated by the false report. Probation is a common alternative to incarceration for first-time offenders, often with community service attached.
When the Grade Gets Bumped Up
Section 4906(c) raises the grade by one level in two specific situations. A third-degree misdemeanor becomes a second-degree misdemeanor; a second-degree becomes a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries up to five years in prison.3Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Section 106 – Classes of Offenses
The first trigger is a false report made during a declared state of emergency that diverts law enforcement resources away from the emergency response. A fake crime report called in during a hurricane or a public health emergency, pulling officers away from real victims, fits here.1Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Chapter 49 Section 4906 – False Reports to Law Enforcement Authorities
The second trigger is a false report about the theft or loss of a firearm. Lying to police about a stolen gun can seed false leads in violent crime investigations and provide cover for illegal transfers, which is why the legislature treats it more harshly.1Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Chapter 49 Section 4906 – False Reports to Law Enforcement Authorities
The “Knowingly” Requirement
Both subsections require that the person acted knowingly. A caller who reports a crime based on a genuine but mistaken belief has not violated § 4906. Prosecutors have to prove the person knew the information was false when they gave it, and under subsection (a) they also have to prove the person specifically intended to implicate someone. In practice, the proof usually comes from the defendant’s own recorded 911 call or statement to officers, compared against what the investigation actually turned up.
Charges Prosecutors Often Add
A false report rarely gets charged in isolation. Pennsylvania has several overlapping statutes that frequently appear on the same complaint.
Unsworn Falsification to Authorities
Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904, a written false statement intended to mislead a public servant is a second-degree misdemeanor and carries a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 on top of any other penalties. That mandatory floor is unusual among Pennsylvania misdemeanors.4Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Chapter 49 Section 4904 – Unsworn Falsification to Authorities
False Reports of Child Abuse
Section 4906.1 separately criminalizes knowingly making a false child abuse report under the state’s child protective services law, or coaching a child to make one. It is a second-degree misdemeanor.5Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Chapter 49 Section 4906.1 – False Reports of Child Abuse
Obstructing Administration of Law
When a false report actively interferes with police work, 18 Pa.C.S. § 5101 is often added. It covers intentional interference with a governmental function and is also a second-degree misdemeanor.6Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Chapter 51 Section 5101 – Obstructing Administration of Law or Other Governmental Function
Pennsylvania does not have a dedicated swatting statute. Hoax calls designed to provoke an armed response get prosecuted under § 4906, often alongside terroristic threats or reckless endangerment depending on what happened.
Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition
ARD is often the most important thing a first-time defendant can ask about. It is a diversion program controlled entirely by the district attorney, and false report cases without serious collateral damage are the kind prosecutors sometimes approve. No one is entitled to it.
Admitted defendants agree to probation-style conditions, which can include restitution, community service, and program fees, but not a formal fine. The program runs up to two years. Finish it, and the charges are dismissed and the arrest record is expunged.7Pennsylvania Bulletin. Pennsylvania Code 234 Chapter 3 – Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Fail it, and the case returns to the regular criminal track; entering ARD also waives the statute of limitations and the right to a speedy trial, so running out the clock is not an option.
What a Conviction Does to Your Record
A false report conviction is classified as a crime of dishonesty, which matters in two durable ways.
Background checks flag it. Employers in law enforcement, healthcare, education, financial services, and security work routinely disqualify applicants with deception-related convictions. Pennsylvania’s licensing boards, which regulate dozens of professions through the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, consider criminal history when granting, denying, suspending, or revoking a license under Act 53 of 2020. A dishonesty conviction gives a board a straightforward basis for discipline.8Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Act 53 of 2020 Best Practices Guide
The record is also hard to erase. Unlike an ARD dismissal, which comes with expungement, a straight misdemeanor conviction can generally be expunged under 18 Pa.C.S. § 9122 only when the person reaches age 70 and has been free of arrest or prosecution for ten years after finishing their sentence, or has been dead for three years.9Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 Section 9122 – Expungement For most people, that makes the conviction permanent, which is what makes ARD, when it is on the table, worth more than it might first appear.
Civil Exposure on Top of the Criminal Case
The person falsely accused in a report has their own remedies. Pennsylvania recognizes malicious prosecution claims when the accuser initiated a proceeding without probable cause, acted with malice, and the proceeding resulted in a deprivation of the accused person’s liberty. Damages can cover defense costs, lost wages, and harm to reputation. Defamation suits are also available where the false statements damaged the person’s reputation. These civil claims run on their own track, so someone who files a false report can face both a criminal conviction and a civil judgment arising from the same incident.