While the United States doesn’t have any form of national identity card, the federal and state governments issue IDs that can serve a similar purpose. So, when an officer asks an American citizen for identification, the person can produce their driver’s license or passport.
Because of the risks of identity theft, it’s a crime to attempt to obtain a government-issued ID while posing as another person. New Jersey prohibits this offense, and anyone convicted of the crime faces severe punishment.
Prohibitions on using the personal identifying information of another
Per state law, it’s a crime to obtain or attempt to obtain a birth certificate, driver’s license, or other government-issued identification document by showing a fake government-issued ID. The same law also prohibits persons from obtaining a government-issued ID by showing identification documents belonging to another person.
A violation of these rules is a crime of the second degree.
Penalties for using another’s ID to apply for identification
If a court convicts a person for using the personal identifying information of another, the convicted faces up to 10 years of imprisonment and $150,000 in fines. These are severe penalties reserved for some of the more intense violations; a crime of the second degree is the same criminal classification for offenses such as aggravated arson and armed burglary.
Lying to procure identification documents is a serious offense because a fraudulently issued ID can lead to more dangerous crimes such as identity theft and fraud. Those charged with this offense shouldn’t underestimate what a conviction can lead to – hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines and up to a decade in prison.