California Penal Code §484f — Credit Card Forgery
PC §484f punishes anyone who designs, makes, alters, or possesses a forged access card (credit or debit card), OR who signs another person's name to a credit-card sales draft without authorization, with intent to defraud. It is a wobbler carrying up to 3 years state prison on felony filings, or up to 1 year county jail as a misdemeanor. Frequently filed alongside PC §530.5 identity theft when the forged card carries a real victim's identifying information.
Reviewed by Daniel S. Rubin, CA Bar 302093 · Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney · Credit Card Forgery Cases in All LA County Courts
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01 — Quick Facts
PC §484f — Credit Card Forgery at a Glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | California Penal Code §484f — Access Card Forgery |
| Code Type | Penal Code (PC) |
| Classification | Wobbler |
| Penalty Range | 16 months, 2, or 3 years prison; or up to 1 year jail |
| Fine | Up to $10,000 |
| Restitution | Mandatory to card-issuer and merchants |
| Free Consultation | (213) 723-2337 — 24/7 |
01 — What Is PC §484f?
What Is California Penal Code §484f?
PC §484f Reads:
"Every person who, with the intent to defraud, designs, makes, alters, or embosses a counterfeit access card or utters or otherwise attempts to use a counterfeit access card is guilty of forgery. A person other than the cardholder or a person authorized by him or her who, with the intent to defraud, signs the name of another or of a fictitious person to an access card, sales slip, sales draft, or instrument for the payment of money which evidences an access card transaction, is guilty of forgery."
— California Penal Code §484f
PC §484f is California's credit- and debit-card forgery statute. It reaches four distinct fact patterns: (1) manufacturing counterfeit cards (skimmer-fraud operations); (2) altering existing cards (embossing, magnetic-stripe reprogramming); (3) possessing counterfeit cards with intent to defraud; and (4) signing another person's name to a credit-card slip without authorization. All require intent to defraud — the most-litigated element.
PC §484f vs. §484g vs. §530.5
§484f = forging/counterfeiting the card or signature. §484g = using a forged, expired, revoked, or unauthorized card. §530.5 = using another's personal identifying information (broader). Cases typically involve multiple counts across these statutes.
PC §484f — Card/Signature Forgery
Makes, alters, or forges the card or slip signature. Wobbler.
PC §484g — Fraudulent Use
Uses a card known to be forged, expired, or unauthorized. Wobbler.
Why §484f Cases Are Often Federal Cases
Card-skimming and manufacturing operations routinely cross state lines and target federally-insured institutions, triggering federal parallel prosecution under 18 U.S.C. §1029 (access-device fraud, up to 10-15 years). Rubin Law, P.C. defends §484f cases with attention to intent, chain-of-custody, and state-federal coordination to prevent stacking.
Official Sources
02 — Elements of the Crime
Elements the Prosecution Must Prove Under PC §484f
The prosecution must prove each element beyond a reasonable doubt.
Designed/Made/Altered/Signed
Defendant designed, made, altered, embossed, or signed a counterfeit access card OR signed another's name to a card-transaction slip.
Counterfeit or Unauthorized
The card was counterfeit (fabricated or altered) OR the signature was unauthorized by the true cardholder.
Intent to Defraud
Defendant acted with specific intent to defraud a person, merchant, or issuer.
03 — Degrees
PC §484f — Tiers & Degrees
Charging levels and sentencing tiers for this offense.
§484f — Felony Filing
Felony filing on aggravating facts, prior record, or ring participation.
§484f — Misdemeanor Filing
Misdemeanor filing on lower-loss single-incident cases.
04 — Penalties
Penalties for PC §484f Credit Card Forgery in California
Sentencing exposure and commonly stacked charges.
| Charge | Code | Prison Term | Probation | Strike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access Card Forgery (felony) | PC §484f | 16 mo, 2, or 3 yrs state prison | Available | No |
| Access Card Forgery (misd.) | PC §484f | Up to 1 yr county jail | Available | No |
| Fraudulent Card Use | PC §484g | 16 mo, 2, or 3 yrs prison | Available | No |
| Identity Theft (companion) | PC §530.5 | 16 mo, 2, or 3 yrs prison | Available | No |
| Federal Access Device | 18 U.S.C. §1029 | Up to 10-15 years federal | Available | N/A |
Aggravating Enhancements & Companion Charges
Aggregated Loss >$100,000
PC §186.11
White-collar enhancement adds 1–5 years for aggregate loss.
Identity Theft
PC §530.5
Companion count when card contains real victim's info.
Grand Theft
PC §487
Companion when aggregate loss exceeds $950.
Federal Access Device
18 U.S.C. §1029(a)
Federal parallel — up to 10 years for trafficking, 15 for producing.
Collateral Consequences
- Crime of moral turpitude — deportable and inadmissible
- Aggravated felony under INA §101(a)(43)(M) when loss >$10,000
- Professional-license revocation (banking, real-estate, financial)
- Mandatory restitution to card-issuers and merchants
- Prohibited from merchant-processing and payment-industry employment
- Federal parallel exposure under 18 U.S.C. §1029
Sentencing References
05 — Defense Strategies
How Rubin Law Defends PC §484f Credit Card Forgery Charges
Rubin Law, P.C. defense strategies for this charge.
No Intent to Defraud
Intent to defraud is the mens rea. Mule cases, work-from-home scam victims, and mistaken-authority defenses defeat this element regularly.
Authorized Signature
Spouse, business partner, employee, or family-account authority defeats §484f signature-forgery charges.
People v. Baldwin
Card Was Not Counterfeit
The card was legitimately issued or authorized — even if disputed post-facto. Cardholder-dispute cases are civil, not §484f.
Illegal Search / Miranda
Suppress skimmer-device seizures and forensic device dumps without proper warrant scope. Riley controls device searches.
Riley v. California
Chain of Custody / Multi-Defendant
Ring prosecutions frequently rely on unclear attribution. Cell-site, forensic device, and eyewitness ID all defeatable.
People v. Cuevas
Diversion / Restitution Disposition
First-offense misdemeanor §484f frequently resolves via §1001.95 diversion with full restitution.
Constitutional Sources
07 — Court Process
How PC §484f Credit Card Forgery Cases Move Through Los Angeles Courts
How this case moves through LA County criminal courts.
- 1
Step 1 — Merchant / Issuer Report
Merchant, card issuer (Visa/MC/AmEx), or FinCEN SAR generates fraud report. Financial crimes task force reviews.
- 2
Step 2 — Investigation
USSS Financial Crimes Task Force, LAPD Commercial Crimes, or LASD investigate. Point-of-sale surveillance, skimmer forensics, and cell-site developed.
- 3
Step 3 — Arrest / Search Warrant
Warrant executed for skimmer devices, embossers, magnetic-stripe encoders, blank card stock, computers, and phones.
- 4
Step 4 — Arraignment / Bail Hearing
Bail on §484f felony typically $20,000-$100,000. Ring cases with §186.11 or §1029 exposure much higher.
- 5
Step 5 — Preliminary Hearing
Cross-examination of forensic examiner on skimmer attribution and cardholder-authorization records. Chain-of-custody contested.
- 6
Step 6 — Trial, Diversion, or Plea
Common outcomes: PC §1001.95 diversion on first-offense, reduction to misdemeanor filings, or negotiated plea avoiding federal §1029 referral.
Los Angeles Courts That Handle PC §484f Credit Card Forgery Cases
LA-area courts most commonly handling filings of this offense.
Clara Shortridge Foltz CJC
Downtown LA — DA Commercial Crimes Division.
US District Court, Central District of CA
Federal §1029 access-device parallel prosecutions.
Van Nuys Courthouse
San Fernando Valley skimmer-ring filings.
Long Beach Courthouse
Harbor-area gas-pump-skimmer filings.
Pomona Courthouse
East LA County retail-skimmer filings.
Reviewed by Your Attorney
Daniel S. Rubin — Los Angeles Credit Card Forgery Defense Attorney
Daniel S. Rubin has defended clients charged with credit card forgery and related offenses in Los Angeles County courts — including Clara Shortridge Foltz, Van Nuys, Compton, and Pomona. He understands that these cases are won in the details: the suppression hearing that eliminates key evidence, the preliminary hearing cross-examination that exposes a weak witness, the penalty phase argument that keeps a client out of the worst outcome.
This page was written and reviewed by Daniel A. Rubin, Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, CA State Bar 302093, with 10+ years of experience defending clients charged under PC §484f in Los Angeles County. Last reviewed: July 2026.
CA Bar 302093 | Whittier Law School | Rising Star — Super Lawyers 2019–2023 | Credit Card Forgery Cases Throughout LA County
09 — FAQs
PC §484f Credit Card Forgery Questions — Los Angeles
What is PC §484f?
California's credit- and debit-card forgery statute. Punishes designing, making, altering, or possessing counterfeit access cards, or signing another's name to a card-transaction slip, with intent to defraud. Wobbler.
What is the penalty for PC §484f?
Felony: 16 months, 2, or 3 years state prison plus $10,000 fine and mandatory restitution. Misdemeanor: up to 1 year jail. Aggregate loss >$100,000 adds 1–5 years under §186.11.
What is the difference between §484f and §484g?
§484f punishes making, altering, or forging the card or signature. §484g punishes USING a card known to be counterfeit, expired, revoked, or unauthorized. Both are wobblers and are frequently charged together.
Can §484f be charged when I signed my spouse's card?
Only if you lacked authorization. Signing a spouse's card with express or implied authority is not §484f. Signature-authority defenses succeed regularly on shared-account cases.
What if I was recruited as a mule without knowing the cards were fake?
Strong defense. Work-from-home mule victims and online-recruit fraud victims regularly obtain dismissals when evidence supports lack of knowledge that cards were counterfeit.
Are there immigration consequences?
Yes, severe. §484f is a crime of moral turpitude — deportable and inadmissible. At loss >$10,000, aggravated felony under INA §101(a)(43)(M) attaches — mandatory removal.
Will there be federal charges?
Possibly. Ring cases with skimmers, interstate travel, or federally-insured-institution targets often draw federal parallel prosecution under 18 U.S.C. §1029 — up to 10 years for trafficking or 15 for producing.
What should I do if I am being investigated for card forgery?
Do not speak to Secret Service agents, LAPD Commercial Crimes, or bank fraud investigators without counsel. Preserve devices under attorney-directed forensic hold. Call Rubin Law, P.C. immediately.
Available 24/7 — Free Consultation
Charged With PC §484f Credit Card Forgery in Los Angeles?
PC §484f is a wobbler with felony prison exposure, federal §1029 parallel risk, and aggravated-felony immigration consequences. Rubin Law, P.C. defends card-forgery cases with mule-victim, authority, and diversion strategies. Call 24/7.