Penal Code § 32.21(e-1)(4) · State jail felony

FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT >=$2500<$30K IAT

Forgery Financial Instrument at least $2500 under $30K in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.

$7,500
Median cash bail
4%
Released on personal bond
969
Bail records

What “FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT >=$2500<$30K IAT” means

Texas Penal Code § 32.21 defines forgery: with intent to defraud or harm another, altering, making, completing, executing, or authenticating a writing so that it purports to be the act of another who did not authorize it, to be executed at a different time, place, or numbered sequence than was actually the case, or to be a copy of an original that never existed, including passing or possessing such a writing with intent to utter it. This filing is graded under § 32.21(e-1), the value-based scheme that applies when the actor engaged in the forgery to obtain or attempt to obtain property or a service. Under § 32.21(e-1)(4), the offense is a state jail felony when the value of the property or service obtained or sought is $2,500 or more but less than $30,000, mirroring the corresponding bracket of the theft value ladder.

Charged asShare of bail recordsPossible confinementFineSource
State jail felony100% 180 days to 2 years in a state jail Fine up to $10,000 Penal Code § 12.35

Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.

Bail for FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT >=$2500<$30K IAT in Texas

Across 969 Texas bail settings for this charge (6 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $7,500 (middle half: $3,500 – $15,000). 4% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 74 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (224 records), the median was $7,500 and 6% got a personal bond.

CountyRecordsMedian cash bailMiddle halfPersonal bondDenied
Tarrant 206 $3,500 $2,000 – $10,000 4% 4%
Dallas 146 $10,000 $5,000 – $25,000 1% 0%
El Paso 48 $5,000 $4,500 – $10,000 17% 0%
Denton 33 $3,250 $2,500 – $8,125 0% 3%
Travis 33 $9,000 $6,875 – $10,000 48% 3%

Showing the 5 counties with the most records; use the selector for any county with at least 30. Per-charge bond settings on original magistrations, from Texas OCA bail reporting under SB 6. Bail is set case by case — these are statistics, not a prediction.

Recent FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT >=$2500<$30K IAT cases

CaseCountyFiledDisposedOutcome
F-24-21270DallasMay 23, 2025Aug 17, 2026Deferred adjudication
F-25-70995DallasMar 13, 2026Aug 5, 2026Deferred adjudication
F-20-48000DallasMay 6, 2021Aug 4, 2026Dismissed by the prosecutor
F-20-70684DallasMay 6, 2021Jul 31, 2026Dismissed by the prosecutor
F-21-34848DallasJan 26, 2023Jul 31, 2026Dismissed by the prosecutor
F-22-24651DallasAug 11, 2022Jul 22, 2026Dismissed by the prosecutor
F-20-59979DallasMay 6, 2021Jul 15, 2026Dismissed by the prosecutor
F-25-45587DallasMay 15, 2026Jul 14, 2026Guilty or no-contest plea
416-80859-2026CollinFeb 19, 2026Jul 13, 2026Dismissed by the prosecutor
F-24-39788DallasJul 18, 2025Jul 7, 2026Dismissed by the prosecutor

Related charges

Charged with FORGERY FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT >=$2500<$30K IAT?

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Bail data: Texas Office of Court Administration magistration reports (SB 6), Apr 2022 – Jun 2025. Court outcomes: county district and county clerk records. Statistics describe past cases and are not legal advice; every case is decided on its own facts.