False Police Report Laws by State (2026)
How each state handles filing a false police report and the penalties, from each state's code.
| State | Filing a false police report |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Knowingly making a false report of a crime to local, state or federal law enforcement is a Class A misdemeanor, but a Class C felony if the false report claims imminent danger to a person or the public; a person whose false report triggered an emergency response must pay the responding agencies' costs as restitution. Separately, falsely reporting an incident (a false report or warning of a fire, bomb, explosion, crime, catastrophe, emergency or hazardous substance release likely to cause evacuation or public alarm) is a Class A misdemeanor, or a Class C felony for a false bomb, explosion or hazardous substance report. If the target is a school or college, the sentence cannot be probated or reduced until the minimum is served. Ala. Code 1975 §§ 13A-10-9, 13A-11-11 |
| Alaska | Knowingly making a false report to a peace officer that a crime happened or is about to happen, giving false information to implicate someone else, lying about one's identity while under arrest or investigation, or falsely reporting a fire or other emergency that calls for an emergency response is 'false information or report,' a class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year). A false threat that a dangerous situation exists that causes fear of serious injury, an evacuation or emergency protocol, or serious public inconvenience (as in 'swatting' or bomb hoaxes) is terroristic threatening in the second degree, a class C felony (up to 5 years). AS 11.56.800, 11.56.810; AS 12.55.035, 12.55.125, 12.55.135 |
| Arizona | Knowingly making a false, fraudulent or unfounded report or statement to an Arizona law enforcement agency, or misrepresenting a fact to mislead a peace officer, is a class 1 misdemeanor (up to 6 months). Falsely reporting a bombing, fire or other emergency to set off an emergency response, put someone in fear, or empty a building or public place is a class 1 misdemeanor, and a class 6 felony for a second or later offense. Falsely reporting a serious offense at a school or place of worship to trigger an emergency response is a class 6 felony, and the person must pay the cost of the response. A.R.S. §§ 13-2907.01, 13-2907 |
| Arkansas | Filing a false report (knowingly making a false written or oral report to a law enforcement agency or prosecutor accusing another person of a crime) is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year). It is a Class D felony (up to 6 years) if the false accusation is of a capital, Class Y, A or B felony, if the investigation cost more than $500, if someone is physically injured, if the report was made to hide the filer's own crime, if it led to someone's arrest, or if it falsely claimed the victim was targeted because of membership in a protected group. Ark. Code Ann. § 5-54-122 |
| California | Knowingly making a false report to police or prosecutors that a crime was committed is a misdemeanor (up to 6 months and/or $1,000 under the default misdemeanor penalty). Knowingly falsely reporting an 'emergency' to a government agency, such as a fake call that brings an emergency response or forces an evacuation, is a misdemeanor up to 1 year in county jail and/or a $1,000 fine. If the false emergency report is one the caller knows is likely to cause death or great bodily injury (the 'swatting' scenario) and someone is seriously injured or killed, it is a felony punishable under Pen. Code 1170(h) and/or a fine up to $10,000. Cal. Pen. Code 148.5, 148.3, 19; Pen. Code 17, 18, 19, 1170(h) |
| Colorado | False reporting to authorities (knowingly reporting to police a crime or incident that did not happen, giving false information about an offense, or setting off a false fire or emergency alarm) is a class 2 misdemeanor. False reporting of an emergency, which includes a false report of an imminent threat involving a deadly weapon (often called swatting), is a class 2 misdemeanor, a class 1 misdemeanor if it causes an evacuation, lockdown or disruption or the response injures someone, a class 4 felony if the response causes serious bodily injury, and a class 3 felony if it causes a death. The court must also order restitution for the cost of the emergency response. C.R.S. § 18-8-111 |
| Connecticut | Knowingly giving police a false report of a crime or incident, or false information about a real one, is falsely reporting an incident in the second degree, a class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year). Falsely reporting a fire, explosion or other emergency to emergency services, including a hoax meant to cause a large emergency response (swatting), is first-degree, a class D felony (up to 5 years), and the court may order repayment of response costs. The grade goes up when the false report targets someone because of race, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, when it is about someone's serious injury or death, or when it results in serious injury or death (up to a class B felony). Calling 9-1-1 to make a false alarm is a class B misdemeanor. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-180, 53a-180a, 53a-180b, 53a-180c, 53a-180d |
| Delaware | Knowingly giving false or baseless information to police or emergency services about a crime, emergency or other incident (including a false child-abduction report that would trigger an Amber-style alert) is falsely reporting an incident, a class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year), and a class G felony (up to 2 years) for a repeat offense. The fine is at least $500 ($1,000 for a false abduction report) and cannot be suspended, the court must order at least 100 hours of community service, and the offender must repay the cost of the investigation and response. 11 Del. C. § 1245 |
| District of Columbia | Knowingly making a false report of a crime to the Metropolitan Police, or giving them false information about a crime, carries a fine of up to $300 or up to 30 days in jail. Using 911 to make a false report that triggers an emergency response, or giving a false fire alarm, is a misdemeanor with up to 6 months. A false report involving a weapon of mass destruction is a misdemeanor (up to 1 year and response costs), and becomes a felony with up to 5 years (10 years during a declared emergency) if meant to frighten people, cause panic, extort or cause economic damage. D.C. Code §§ 5-117.05, 22-1319 |
| Florida | Knowingly giving a law enforcement officer or other public safety agency a false report of a crime that did not happen is a first-degree misdemeanor (up to 1 year). If the false report draws an emergency response that causes great bodily harm or permanent injury it is a third-degree felony, and if it causes a death a second-degree felony; the court must order restitution, including the agency's response costs. Calling 911 to make a false alarm or false report is also a first-degree misdemeanor, with felony grades if the response causes serious injury or death. Fla. Stat. §§ 817.49, 365.172(14) |
| Georgia | Willfully and knowingly giving, or causing someone to give, a false report of a crime to any Georgia law enforcement officer or agency is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. O.C.G.A. § 16-10-26; § 17-10-3 |
| Hawaii | Intentionally making, or causing someone to send, a report to law enforcement about a crime or other incident that the person knows is false is false reporting to law enforcement authorities, a misdemeanor (up to 1 year). The statute has no separate felony grade or swatting provision. Haw. Rev. Stat. § 710-1015 |
| Idaho | Knowingly giving false information to a police officer, a government agency, or a licensed social worker, psychologist or counselor about a crime the person knows did not happen (or about which the person has no information) is a misdemeanor, as is giving a false identity to an officer investigating a crime. Calling 911 to make a false alarm or report that could or does bring a police, fire, medical or other emergency response is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine, and the caller can also be ordered to pay three times the costs and losses of the response (a parent with custody can be liable for a minor's call). Idaho Code §§ 18-5413, 18-6711A, 18-113 |
| Illinois | Falsely reporting a crime is a form of disorderly conduct in Illinois. Knowingly telling a peace officer, public officer or public employee that a crime will be, is being or was committed with no reasonable ground to believe it, making a false 911 call or text knowing it could trigger an emergency response, falsely calling for an ambulance, or giving a false fire alarm is a Class 4 felony (1 to 3 years). A false report of a bomb, poison gas or biological, chemical or radioactive hazard is a Class 3 felony (2 to 5 years) with a $3,000 to $10,000 fine. A false report to a public safety agency without reasonable grounds is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class 4 felony after that. Courts must order 30 to 120 hours of community service and can order repayment of emergency response costs (up to $10,000 for false 911 calls and school threats). 720 ILCS 5/26-1(a)(2)-(a)(6), (a)(9), (b), (c), (e); 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-25 to -65 |
| Indiana | Knowingly giving a false report of a crime or false information about a crime to police, a false fire alarm, a false ambulance request, or a false missing-child, missing-veteran or missing-endangered-adult report is false informing, a Class B misdemeanor (up to 180 days). It is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year) if it substantially hinders law enforcement, including by causing officers to be dispatched (as in 'swatting'), or harms someone. Falsely reporting that a person is dangerous under the red flag law is a Class A misdemeanor, a Level 6 felony if it causes a dispatch, harm or reasonable fear, and a Level 5 felony if it results in serious bodily injury or death. Knowingly falsely reporting a bomb, tampered consumer product or weapon of mass destruction is false reporting, a Level 6 felony. IC 35-44.1-2-3; IC 35-50-2-4 to -7, 35-50-3-2 to -4 |
| Iowa | Knowingly giving false information to police, a fire department or another public safety agency, or reporting a crime that did not happen, is a simple misdemeanor, or a serious misdemeanor if the made-up crime is a serious or aggravated misdemeanor or felony. Falsely reporting a forcible felony, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, terrorism, biological agents or an arson or explosives offense is a class D felony (up to 5 years), and a class C felony (up to 10 years) if the false report contributes to someone's serious injury or death. Calling 911 knowing there is no emergency is a simple misdemeanor. Iowa Code § 718.6 (Iowa Code 2026) |
| Kansas | Falsely reporting to police that a particular person or an officer committed a crime is interference with law enforcement, a class A nonperson misdemeanor, or a severity level 8 felony if the false report concerns a felony; false information about a missing or dead child under 13 is a severity level 8 felony. Kansas also has a 2018 'swatting' law: making a false request for emergency help is a class A misdemeanor, a severity level 10 felony if the caller disguises their identity, level 7 if the call falsely reports violent crime or an immediate threat to life, level 6 if someone is hurt in the response, level 4 for great bodily harm, and level 1 if someone dies. Felony prison ranges come from the sentencing grid, which combines the severity level with criminal history. K.S.A. 21-5904(a)(1), (b)(1)-(3), 21-6207 |
| Kentucky | Reporting to police a crime or incident the person knows did not happen, giving police information about an offense when the person knows they have none, or giving false information to an officer to implicate someone else is falsely reporting an incident, a Class A misdemeanor (up to 12 months). Knowingly causing a false fire or emergency alarm, or spreading a false report of a fire or emergency likely to cause public alarm, that results in an emergency response (as in 'swatting') is a Class D felony (1 to 5 years). The court must order restitution for the reasonable costs of the emergency response and for anyone harmed by it. KRS 519.040, 532.060, 532.090 |
| Louisiana | Making a false report to trigger a police or emergency response (including 'swatting') is called false communication with the intent to cause an emergency response. If no emergency response results, it carries up to six months, a fine up to $500, or both. If a response results, it carries up to 5 years with or without hard labor, a fine of $100 to $1,000, or both; if serious bodily injury results, imprisonment with or without hard labor of 'not less than eight years' (as the statute is worded), a fine of $500 to $2,500, or both; and if a death results, 10 to 40 years at hard labor. The court must also order the offender to repay the cost of the emergency response. La. R.S. 14:126.1.1 |
| Maine | Knowingly giving false information to police, a 9-1-1 or emergency communications center to make them believe a crime was committed, or falsely reporting a fire, explosive or emergency to get a response, is false public alarm or report, a Class D crime (less than 1 year and up to $2,000). It becomes aggravated false public alarm or report, a Class C crime (up to 5 years and $5,000), when it causes the evacuation, shutdown or lockdown of a building, school, public square or park, place of assembly or public transportation facility. 17-A M.R.S. § 509; §§ 1604(1), 1704 |
| Maryland | Knowingly making a false statement, report or complaint to a police officer, intending to deceive and to cause an investigation, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months and/or $500. Falsely reporting to a government official that a crime was committed or that an imminent danger to public safety exists carries the same penalty. Knowingly making a false fire alarm or a false call for an ambulance or rescue squad is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 5 years and/or $5,000, and spreading a false report about a bomb, destructive device or toxic material is a felony punishable by up to 10 years and/or $10,000. Md. Code, Crim. Law §§ 9-501, 9-503, 9-604, 9-504 |
| Massachusetts | Intentionally and knowingly making a false report of a crime to police is punishable by a fine of $100 to $500, up to 1 year in a jail or house of correction, or both. Willfully and maliciously making a false call to a 9-1-1 center that results in emergency services being sent to a nonexistent emergency or the wrong place ('swatting'), or making 3 or more silent 9-1-1 calls that cause dispatches, is punishable by up to 2.5 years in a house of correction or a fine up to $1,000; a repeat offense carries up to 10 years in state prison, and the court must order restitution of the emergency response costs. G.L. c. 269, §§ 13A, 14B |
| Michigan | Intentionally making a false report of a crime to police, a 9-1-1 operator or another authorized government employee is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days and/or $500 if the reported crime is a misdemeanor, and a felony punishable by up to 4 years and/or $2,000 if it is a felony. If the response causes physical injury, the penalty is up to 5 years and/or $20,000; serious impairment of a body function, up to 10 years and/or $25,000; and death, up to 15 years and/or a $25,000 to $50,000 fine. Falsely reporting or threatening certain offenses such as terrorism or explosives offenses is a felony punishable by up to 4 years (10 years for a repeat), and the court may order repayment of emergency response costs. MCL 750.411a |
| Minnesota | Falsely reporting a crime means knowingly giving false information to a police officer that a crime was committed, or about the conduct of others, intending the officer to act on it; it is a misdemeanor (up to 90 days and/or $1,000), and a gross misdemeanor for a second or later conviction. Knowingly making a false report of police misconduct is a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor and requires restitution of investigation costs. Calling 9-1-1 to report a fictitious emergency to prompt a police, fire or ambulance response ('swatting') is a gross misdemeanor, a felony punishable by up to 3 years and/or $10,000 if someone suffers substantial bodily harm, and up to 10 years and/or $20,000 if someone suffers great bodily harm or death. Minn. Stat. §§ 609.505, 609.78, subds. 2, 2a |
| Mississippi | Knowingly making a false report of a crime (or an element of a crime) to a law enforcement officer, the Department of Child Protection Services or an officer of the court, including a false report of child abuse or neglect, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. The court may order the person to repay the agency's reasonable costs of investigating the false report and prosecuting the case. A report is false if no credible evidence supports it and the person knew it was false. Miss. Code Ann. § 97-35-47 |
| Missouri | Making a false report is a class B misdemeanor (up to 6 months and $1,000). It covers knowingly giving false information to implicate another person in a crime, falsely reporting to police that a crime has occurred or is about to occur, and falsely reporting a fire or other emergency to police, fire or emergency agencies. It is a defense that the person took back the false report before anyone took substantial action relying on it. RSMo § 575.080 |
| Montana | Knowingly giving a peace officer false information to implicate someone else, reporting an offense or incident that did not happen, or pretending to have information about an offense is a crime. If the falsely reported crime was a misdemeanor, the penalty is up to 6 months in county jail, a fine of up to $500, or both; if it was a felony, up to 4 years in state prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. MCA § 45-7-205 |
| Nebraska | False reporting is a Class I misdemeanor (up to 1 year and $1,000). It covers knowingly giving false material information to police to start or impede a criminal investigation, falsely reporting an emergency or need for emergency medical or fire assistance, and giving false information about the location of an explosive. Giving false information to another government agency that actually causes or impedes an investigation is an infraction. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-907 |
| Nevada | Deliberately making a false report to a police officer, sheriff, district attorney or similar official that a crime was committed, causing an agency to investigate, is a misdemeanor (up to 6 months and $1,000). Knowingly calling 911 or a non-emergency line to report an emergency when none exists is a gross misdemeanor (up to 364 days), and a category E felony (1 to 4 years) if the caller meant to trigger an emergency response and the response results in someone's death or serious injury; the caller must then repay the government's costs. NRS 207.280, 207.245 |
| New Hampshire | Knowingly giving false information to a law enforcement officer to make the officer believe another person committed a crime, or reporting a crime or the danger of an explosive or other dangerous substance knowing it did not happen or that one has no information about it, is a class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year and $2,000). RSA 641:4 |
| New Jersey | Making a fictitious report (reporting to police a crime or incident you know did not happen, or pretending to have information about one) is a crime of the fourth degree (up to 18 months). Giving police false information to implicate another person is third degree (3-5 years), or second degree (5-10 years) if it would implicate them in a first- or second-degree crime. False public alarms (the law covering swatting-type calls): falsely reporting an impending fire, explosion, crime or emergency likely to cause an evacuation or public alarm is third degree, and second degree if the report involves a bombing, hostage situation, armed person or any incident that brings an immediate or heightened police or emergency response; it rises to second degree if someone is seriously hurt and first degree if someone dies. Calling 9-1-1 without a need for 9-1-1 service is fourth degree, and doing so to intimidate someone because of a protected characteristic is third degree. N.J.S. 2C:28-4; N.J.S. 2C:33-3; N.J.S. 2C:43-6 |
| New Mexico | Intentionally making a report to police that a person committed a crime, knowing it is false, is a misdemeanor (less than 1 year). Knowingly giving police or a fire department a false report of a fire, explosion or placed explosive or destructive device (including setting off a fire alarm) is a misdemeanor, or a fourth degree felony (18 months) if it causes death or great bodily harm. Making a bomb scare, or a shooting threat that triggers a law enforcement or emergency response, is a fourth degree felony, and the court may order repayment of the victim's economic losses. NMSA 1978, 30-39-1, 30-7-21, 30-20-16; NMSA 1978, 31-18-15, 31-19-1 |
| New York | Falsely reporting an incident in the third degree (knowingly reporting to police a crime that did not happen, giving false information about a crime, making a false report of an emergency to an emergency agency, or spreading a false warning likely to cause public alarm) is a class A misdemeanor (up to 364 days). False reports of a fire, explosion or hazardous-substance release are second degree, a class E felony (up to 4 years). It becomes first degree, a class D felony (up to 7 years), for a repeat second-degree offense, when an emergency responder is seriously injured or killed responding, when someone is seriously injured or killed in an emergency-vehicle crash, or for a false fire or explosion alarm at a school, arena, mall, transit facility or other public place. The sections read do not use the word swatting. N.Y. Penal Law 240.50, 240.55, 240.60; 70.00 |
| North Carolina | Willfully making or causing a false, deliberately misleading or unfounded report to a law enforcement agency or officer, intending to hinder its work or obstruct an officer, is a Class 2 misdemeanor (up to 60 days). It is a Class H felony if the report concerns an investigation into a missing child or a child under 16 who is the victim of a Class A, B1, B2 or C felony. N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-225; 15A-1340.23 |
| North Dakota | Knowingly giving a false report or false information to a law enforcement officer that may interfere with an investigation or materially mislead the officer, or falsely reporting a crime of violence or other emergency to a law enforcement or security official knowing it did not happen, is a class A misdemeanor (up to 360 days). Calling 911 or an emergency line to annoy or harass, or making a false report to a public safety agency, is harassment, a class A misdemeanor (up to 360 days), and the caller is liable for the costs of any unnecessary emergency response. No separate swatting offense was found in these sections. N.D.C.C. 12.1-11-03; 12.1-17-07(3), (5); 12.1-32-01 |
| Ohio | Making false alarms includes reporting to police an offense or incident you know did not happen, and spreading a false warning of a fire, explosion, crime or other catastrophe likely to cause public alarm. It is a first-degree misdemeanor (up to 180 days), rising to a fifth-, fourth- or third-degree felony as economic harm reaches $1,000, $7,500 or $150,000, and a third-degree felony if it involves a claimed weapon of mass destruction. Swatting (knowingly making a false or misleading report by phone or electronic device that is reasonably likely to cause, and does cause, an emergency response, with reckless disregard for whether someone may be hurt) is a separate fourth-degree felony, or second degree if anyone is seriously harmed, and the offender may be ordered to repay response costs. R.C. 2917.32, 2917.321; 2929.14, 2929.24 |
| Oklahoma | Willfully and knowingly making a false report of a crime, or of circumstances suggesting a crime, that causes police action or investigation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in county jail, a fine up to $500, or both. Knowingly giving police false information about a missing child that triggers an AMBER alert is a Class D3 felony (up to 2 years) and a fine of at least $1,000. Falsely reporting a fire is a separate offense. 21 O.S. §§ 589, 1851; § 20P |
| Oregon | Initiating a false report (knowingly causing a false alarm or report to be sent to police, a fire department or another emergency organization) is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 364 days). The court must order the person to repay the costs of responding to and investigating the report. If the false report caused a SWAT team or similar police unit to be deployed (swatting), the court must impose at least 10 days in jail, or at least 30 days if someone was killed or seriously injured, and may not suspend it. Giving police a false name, address or birth date when receiving a citation or with an outstanding warrant is also a Class A misdemeanor. ORS 162.375, 162.385 |
| Pennsylvania | Knowingly reporting to police an offense or incident that did not happen, or pretending to have information about an offense, is a misdemeanor of the third degree (up to 1 year). Giving police false information to implicate another person is a misdemeanor of the second degree (up to 2 years). Either is raised one grade if it diverts police resources during a declared state of emergency or concerns a false report of a stolen or lost firearm. Knowingly causing a false alarm of fire or another emergency to be sent to a public safety agency is a misdemeanor of the first degree (up to 5 years), or a felony of the third degree during a declared emergency. 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 4906, 4905 |
| Rhode Island | Knowingly making a false oral or written statement of a crime intending that city, town or state police rely on it is treated as obstructing an officer and is punishable by up to 1 year in prison, a fine up to $500, or both. The court must also order restitution to anyone falsely accused for the damage they suffered. R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-32-2 |
| South Carolina | Knowingly filing a false police report of a felony is a felony punishable by up to 5 years, a fine up to $1,000, or both; a false report of a misdemeanor is a misdemeanor with up to 30 days, a fine up to $500, or both, and the judge may order restitution for the cost of the investigation. Knowingly making a false complaint about another person to a police officer, or giving false information to a rescue squad or fire department about a health emergency or fire, is a misdemeanor with a fine up to $200 or up to 30 days. S.C. Code §§ 16-17-722, 16-17-725 |
| South Dakota | False reporting to authorities (knowingly reporting to police a crime or incident that did not happen, giving police information known to be false, or knowingly causing a false fire or other emergency alarm) is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to 1 year, a $2,000 fine, or both). Falsely reporting a bomb, explosive, dangerous chemical, biological agent, poison or radioactive threat is a Class 6 felony (up to 2 years) with restitution for the costs caused. SDCL 22-11-9, 22-11-9.2 |
| Tennessee | Knowingly making a report to police about a crime or incident that did not happen, that the person knows nothing about, or that is false, or knowingly giving false information to an officer to hinder an investigation or arrest, is a Class D felony (2 to 12 years). Knowingly making a false report of a bombing, active shooter, hostage situation, fire or other emergency that will bring an emergency response (including a SWAT team), put someone in fear of serious injury, or disrupt a public place or home (swatting) is a Class C felony (3 to 15 years). Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-502; § 40-35-111 |
| Texas | Knowingly making a false statement, with intent to deceive, that is material to a criminal investigation, to a police officer, authorized law enforcement employee, corrections officer or jailer is a Class B misdemeanor (up to 180 days and a $2,000 fine). Knowingly making a false report of a bombing, fire, crime or other emergency that would ordinarily cause an emergency response, fear or evacuation is a Class A misdemeanor, or a state jail felony if it involves a school, college or public service. Swatting (a false report that causes an emergency response, made recklessly as to whether someone could be hurt) is a Class A misdemeanor, a state jail felony after two prior convictions, and a third-degree felony if someone is seriously injured or killed as a result of the response. Tex. Penal Code §§ 37.08, 42.06, 42.0601; §§ 12.21-12.35 |
| Utah | Knowingly giving police or a government agency false information to make them believe someone committed a crime, or reporting a crime the person knows did not happen, is a class B misdemeanor (up to 6 months and a $1,000 fine). Making a false alarm of a fire, bombing or other emergency likely to cause an evacuation is a class B misdemeanor, a third-degree felony if it alleges an ongoing or imminent threat that causes or threatens harm, and a second-degree felony if it concerns a weapon of mass destruction. Swatting (falsely reporting to 911 or police an emergency threatening serious injury or death at a specific place) is a second-degree felony (1 to 15 years), with reimbursement of response costs and at least 4 days in jail or 40 hours of community service. Utah Code §§ 76-8-506, 76-9-105, 76-9-105.5; §§ 76-3-203, 76-3-204 |
| Vermont | Knowingly giving false information to police to implicate someone else or deflect an investigation carries up to 1 year and/or a $1,000 fine. Reporting a crime or incident the person knows did not happen, or pretending to have information about one, carries up to 6 months and/or $500. A false alarm of fire or another emergency to an emergency agency carries up to 1 year and/or $1,000 (up to 5 years if someone is injured or killed as a result), and a false report of a bombing or other catastrophe likely to cause an evacuation or alarm carries up to 2 years and/or $5,000 (up to 5 years and/or $10,000 for a repeat offense). Vermont's statutes do not name swatting separately. 13 V.S.A. §§ 1751, 1753, 1754 |
| Virginia | Knowingly giving police a false report of a crime with intent to mislead, causing someone else to do so by staging a crime, or summoning police without just cause to interfere with their work (including by triggering an automatic alarm) is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to 12 months and/or $2,500). It becomes a Class 6 felony (1 to 5 years) if the false report or call targets another person because of race, religious conviction, gender, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, color or national origin. Virginia's statute does not separately name swatting. Va. Code § 18.2-461; §§ 18.2-10, 18.2-11 |
| Washington | Knowingly making a false report or warning likely to cause an evacuation, public alarm or an emergency response is false reporting in the third degree, a gross misdemeanor (up to 364 days and/or $5,000). If made with reckless disregard for others' safety and the emergency response causes substantial bodily harm, it is second degree, a class C felony (up to 5 years); if someone dies, it is first degree, a class B felony (up to 10 years); this covers swatting. Knowingly making a false or misleading material statement to a public servant such as a police officer is a gross misdemeanor. RCW 9A.84.040, 9A.76.175; RCW 9A.20.021 |
| West Virginia | Knowingly reporting a crime or emergency that did not happen, giving police false information about an actual offense or falsely implicating someone, or summoning emergency vehicles without cause (reporting a false emergency incident) is a misdemeanor: up to 6 months in jail and/or a fine up to $500. A second or later offense, or one that causes bodily injury, is a felony: 1 to 5 years and/or a $5,000 to $10,000 fine. The court may order the offender to repay the costs of the emergency response. Separately, knowingly making a materially false statement to impede a police investigation is a misdemeanor ($25 to $200 fine and/or 5 days in jail), and filing a false complaint against a law-enforcement officer is a misdemeanor (up to 6 months and/or $1,000). W. Va. Code §§ 61-6-20(b)-(d), (k), 61-5-17(c), (o) |
| Wisconsin | Knowingly giving false information to a police officer with intent to mislead is part of resisting or obstructing an officer, a Class A misdemeanor (up to 9 months and/or $10,000), and a Class H felony (up to 6 years) if the false information is considered at a criminal trial. Calling or texting 911 to report an emergency known not to exist carries a $100 to $600 fine and/or up to 90 days for a first offense, and is a Class H felony for another offense within 4 years. Swatting (knowingly conveying false information that an emergency exists that elicits, or could elicit, a SWAT or tactical team response) is a Class I felony (up to 3 years 6 months), a Class H felony if someone suffers bodily harm, and a Class E felony (up to 15 years) for great bodily harm. A false bomb threat is a Class I felony. Wis. Stat. §§ 946.41(1), (2)(a), (2m), 256.35(10)(a), 947.014, 947.015, 939.50(3) |
| Wyoming | Knowingly making a false report to 911, a police agency or a fire department that a crime has been committed is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 6 months and/or $750. Falsely reporting that an emergency exists is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year and/or $1,000. If the false emergency report causes someone serious bodily harm, it is a felony punishable by up to 5 years and/or $5,000, and if it results in a death, it is manslaughter. The statute does not use the word 'swatting'. W.S. 6-5-210 |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.