Cal Pen Code § 470 (2004)
§ 470. Acts constituting forgery
(a) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, knowing that he
or she has no authority to do so, signs the name of another person or of a
fictitious person to any of the items listed in subdivision (d) is guilty of
forgery.
(b) Every person who, with the intent to defraud,
counterfeits or forges the seal or handwriting of another is guilty of forgery.
(c) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, alters,
corrupts, or falsifies any record of any will, codicil, conveyance, or other
instrument, the record of which is by law evidence, or any record of any
judgment of a court or the return of any officer to any process of any court,
is guilty of forgery.
(d) Every person who, with the intent to defraud, falsely
makes, alters, forges, or counterfeits, utters, publishes, passes or attempts
or offers to pass, as true and genuine, any of the following items, knowing the
same to be false, altered, forged, or counterfeited, is guilty of forgery: any
check, bond, bank bill, or note, cashier's check, traveler's check, money
order, post note, draft, any controller's warrant for the payment of money at
the treasury, county order or warrant, or request for the payment of money,
receipt for money or goods, bill of exchange, promissory note, order, or any assignment
of any bond, writing obligatory, or other contract for money or other property,
contract, due bill for payment of money or property, receipt for money or
property, passage ticket, lottery ticket or share purporting to be issued under
the California State Lottery Act of 1984, trading stamp, power of attorney,
certificate of ownership or other document evidencing ownership of a vehicle or
undocumented vessel, or any certificate of any share, right, or interest in the
stock of any corporation or association, or the delivery of goods or chattels
of any kind, or for the delivery of any instrument of writing, or acquittance,
release or discharge of any debt, account, suit, action, demand, or any other
thing, real or personal, or any transfer or assurance of money, certificate of
shares of stock, goods, chattels, or other property whatever, or any letter of
attorney, or other power to receive money, or to receive or transfer
certificates of shares of stock or annuities, or to let, lease, dispose of, alien,
or convey any goods, chattels, lands, or tenements, or other estate, real or
personal; or any matter described in subdivision (b).
(e) Upon a trial for forging any bill or note purporting to
be the bill or note of an incorporated company or bank, or for passing, or
attempting to pass, or having in possession with intent to pass, any forged
bill or note, it is not necessary to prove the incorporation of the bank or
company by the charter or act of incorporation, but it may be proved by general
reputation; and persons of skill are competent witnesses to prove that the bill
or note is forged or counterfeited.