In force
Saudi Penal Law on Forgery Crimes
النظام الجزائي لجرائم التزوير
The law defines its terms and covers the methods of forgery, forgery of seals, marks and stamps, forgery of documents (ordinary, aggravated, mitigated and related forms), penalties, cases of pardon, and the lapse of the criminal case.
- Articles
- 30
- In force
- 30
- Amended
- 0
- Issued
- 18/2/1435 AH
Issued by: مرسوم ملكي رقم ( م/11 ) بتاريخ 18 / 2 / 1435
Each article shows the official Arabic text, which is the only legally binding version, followed by our plain-English explanation.
Browse Penal Law on Forgery Crimes by topic
Definition of Forgery and Its Methods4 articlesForging Seals and Marks3 articlesForging Stamps2 articlesForging Official Documents4 articlesForging a Private Document2 articlesForging Commercial and Banking Papers1 articleForging a Medical Report1 articleForgery in Exams and Attendance Records2 articlesUsing a Forged Document2 articlesAttempt, Participation and Confiscation5 articlesEstablishment Liability for Forgery1 articleExemption from Forgery Penalty1 articleLimitation Period for Forgery Cases2 articles
Articles of the Saudi Penal Law on Forgery Crimes
الفصل الأول التعريفات وطرق التزوير أولاً: تعريفاتArticles 1–3
- Article 1The article defines the key terms of the law: forgery, seal, stamp, mark, document, bank papers and historical document.
- Article 2The article lists the methods by which forgery is committed, from making a counterfeit document or seal to misusing a blank signature.
- Article 3The article punishes forging the seal of the State, the King, the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister or his deputies, or the two Courts, with imprisonment of 3 to 10 years and a fine of up to SAR 1,000,000.
الفصل الثاني: تزوير الأختام والعلاماتArticles 4–5
- Article 4The article punishes forging the seal or mark of a public entity or its employee, or of an international body with authority in the Kingdom, with imprisonment of one to 7 years and a fine of up to SAR 700,000.
- Article 5The article punishes forging the seal of a non-public entity with imprisonment of up to 3 years and a fine of up to SAR 300,000, or either.
الفصل الثالث: تزوير الطوابعArticles 6–7
- Article 6The article punishes forging a stamp with imprisonment of up to 5 years and a fine of up to SAR 500,000, and requires the offender to pay what he cost the public treasury.
- Article 7The article punishes reusing a stamp whose value has already been collected with imprisonment of up to 3 months and a fine of up to SAR 30,000, or either, plus paying what the treasury lost.
الفصل الرابع تزوير المحررات أولاً: الصور العاديةArticles 8–18
- Article 8The article punishes forging a document attributed to a public entity or its employee, or to an international body with authority in the Kingdom, with imprisonment of one to 5 years and a fine of up to SAR 500,000.
- Article 9The article punishes forging a private document with imprisonment of up to 3 years and a fine of up to SAR 300,000, or either.
- Article 10The article punishes forging a document attributed to the King, the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister or one of his deputies with imprisonment of 3 to 10 years and a fine of up to SAR 1,000,000.
- Article 11The article punishes forging bonds or valuable papers issued by the public treasury with imprisonment of 2 to 7 years and a fine of up to SAR 1,000,000, plus paying what the treasury lost.
- Article 12The article punishes a public employee who forges a document he is competent to draw up with imprisonment of one to 7 years and a fine of up to SAR 700,000.
- Article 13The article punishes forging commercial or financial papers, bank papers or insurance policies with imprisonment of one to 5 years and a fine of up to SAR 400,000.
- Article 14The article punishes forging, or issuing within one's competence, a medical report or certificate contrary to the truth, knowing it, with imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of up to SAR 100,000, or either.
- Article 15The article punishes any competent person who forges examination answer papers or the data recording their results with imprisonment of up to 6 months and a fine of up to SAR 60,000, or either.
- Article 16The article punishes anyone who forges a document prepared to record an employee's attendance at or departure from work with imprisonment of up to 3 months and a fine of up to SAR 30,000, or either.
- Article 17The article punishes anyone who knowingly uses an expired judgment, judicial order or power of attorney to create the impression that it is still valid, so that an effect results, with imprisonment of up to one year and a fine of up to SAR 100,000, or either.
- Article 18The article punishes anyone who forges a historical document with imprisonment of up to 8 months and a fine of up to SAR 80,000, or either.
الفصل الخامس: أحكام عامةArticles 19–30
- Article 19The article punishes anyone who uses any of what the law criminalizes while knowing it was forged, and anyone who brings into the Kingdom or possesses in it certain specified items, with the same penalty as forgery.
- Article 20The article punishes an attempt at any forgery offense with a penalty not exceeding half the maximum prescribed for that offense.
- Article 21The article punishes anyone who takes part in any offense under the law by agreement, incitement or assistance with the same penalty prescribed for that offense.
- Article 22The article requires the competent court, on conviction of any forgery offense, to order confiscation of the seized items used in it and derived from it, without prejudice to the rights of third parties acting in good faith.
- Article 23The article punishes a private establishment whose manager or one of its personnel commits a forgery offense in its interest and with its knowledge with a fine of up to SAR 10,000,000 and a ban from contracting with public entities for 2 to 5 years.
- Article 24The article allows the competent court to suspend any ancillary penalty resulting from conviction of the offenses in Articles 7, 14, 15 and 16.
- Article 25The article requires exemption of an offender who reports his offense before it is discovered and before the forgery is used, and allows exempting him after discovery if he points out the other offenders and facilitates their arrest.
- Article 26The article applies the law to anyone who commits the offenses of Articles 3, 4, 8, 10, 11 and 13 outside the Kingdom, unless a foreign judgment of acquittal, or of conviction with the penalty served, is established.
- Article 27The article provides that the criminal case in the law's offenses lapses after 10 years from the day after the offense is committed, except for the offenses of Articles 3 and 10.
- Article 28The article allows ordering publication of the penalty imposed in the law's offenses, except the offenses in Articles 14, 15 and 16.
- Article 29The article repeals the Anti-Forgery Law issued by Royal Decree No. 114 dated 26/11/1380 AH, and any provisions that conflict with this law.
- Article 30The article provides that the law takes effect 30 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
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