Mississippi Code 1972 (2023)
Title 97 - CRIMES (§§ 97-1-1 — 97-47-9)
Chapter 7 - CRIMES AGAINST SOVEREIGNTY OR ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT (§§ 97-7-1 — 97-7-77)
Section 97-7-77 - Fraudulent display or use of tribal identification card; reproduction of tribal identification card with intent that it be offered as valid card prohibited; punishment for violation

• (1) "Tribal identification card" means a valid identification card issued by a federally recognized Indian tribe that contains a color photograph of the card holder and the card holder's legal name, residence address and date of birth.

• (2)
  • (a) It is unlawful for a person knowingly to:
    • (i) Display, or cause or permit to be displayed, or have in the person's possession, any cancelled, fictitious, fraudulently altered, forged, counterfeited or fraudulently obtained tribal identification card;
    • (ii) Permit the use of a tribal identification card issued to the person or lend a tribal identification card to another person;
    • (iii) Display or represent a tribal identification card not issued to the person as being the person's card;
    • (iv) Display or have in the person's possession a fraudulently altered, forged or counterfeited tribal identification card with intent that the altered, forged or counterfeited card be offered, accepted or mistaken for a valid tribal identification card.
  • (b) A violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both.

• (3)
  • (a) It is unlawful for a person to photograph, copy, duplicate, alter, forge, counterfeit or in any way reproduce, manufacture, sell or distribute a tribal identification card or facsimile thereof with intent that it be offered, accepted or mistaken for a valid tribal identification card.
  • (b) A violation of this subsection (3) shall be punished as follows:
    • (i) If the person was twenty-one (21) years of age or older at the time of the offense, the person is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by a fine of not less than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), imprisonment for not more than three (3) years, or both.
    • (ii) If the person was under twenty-one (21) years of age at the time of the offense, a first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, or both, and a second or subsequent offense committed by a minor is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, or both.

Added by Laws, 2021, ch. 378, HB 277,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2021.