{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-519.040","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 519.040","heading":"Falsely reporting an incident.","body":"(1) A person is guilty of falsely reporting an incident when the person:\n(a) Knowingly causes a false alarm of fire or other emergency to be transmitted to\nor within any organization, official or volunteer, that deals with emergencies\ninvolving danger to life  or property, and the false report results in an\nemergency response; or\n(b) Reports to law enforcement authorities an offense or incident within their\nofficial concern knowing that it did not occur; or\n(c) Furnishes law enforcement authorities with infor mation allegedly relating to\nan offense or incident within their official concern when the person knows he\nor she has no information relating to such offense or incident; or\n(d) Knowingly gives false information to any law enforcement officer with intent\nto implicate another; or\n(e) Initiates or circulates a report or warning of an alleged occurrence or\nimpending occurrence of a fire or other emergency under circumstances likely\nto cause public inconvenience or alarm when the person knows the\ninformation reported, conveyed, or circulated is false or baseless, and the false\nreport results in an emergency response.\n(2) (a) Falsely reporting an incident under subsection (1)(b), (c), or (d) of this section\nis a Class A misdemeanor.\n(b) Falsely reporting an incident under subsection (1)(a) or (e) of this section is a\nClass D felony.\n(3) Any violation under this section may be prosecuted in any county where:\n(a) The defendant resides;\n(b) The false report was communicated; or\n(c) There was an emergency response to the false report.\n(4) (a) The court, in imposing a sentence on a defendant who has been convicted of\nany offense under this section, shall order restitution to:\n1. Any agency or organization for the reasonable costs of the emergency\nresponse incurred by that agency or organization resulting from the false\nreport; and\n2. Any person who suffered damages caused by the agency or organization\nthat provided an emergency response.\n(b) An order of restitution under this subsection shall, for the purpose of\nenforcement, be treated as a civil judgment.","path":["KRS Chapter 519"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=52930","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:03Z","sha256":"2919f15ee047490d8cca5011bc660deed80d7077d4894b8afeae0774bcceae3e","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-519.030","next":"us-ky/krs-519.050"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}