{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/forgery-and-counterfeiting-act-1981/section-8",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/forgery-and-counterfeiting-act-1981/section-8.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/45",
  "legislation_title": "Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/forgery-and-counterfeiting-act-1981",
  "path": "section/8",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "8",
  "heading": "Meaning of “instrument”.",
  "text": "(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, in this Part of this Act “instrument” means—\n(a) any document, whether of a formal or informal character;\n(b) any stamp issued or sold by a postal operator;\n(c) any Inland Revenue stamp; and\n(d) any disc, tape, sound track or other device on or in which information is recorded or stored by mechanical, electronic or other means.\n(2) A currency note within the meaning of Part II of this Act is not an instrument for the purposes of this Part of this Act.\n(3) A mark denoting payment of postage which the a postal operator authorises to be used instead of an adhesive stamp is to be treated for the purposes of this Part of this Act as if it were a stamp issued by the postal operator concerned.\n(3A) In this section “postal operator” has the meaning given by section 27 of the Postal Services Act 2011 .\n(4) In this Part of this Act “Inland Revenue stamp” means a stamp as defined in section 27 of the Stamp Duties Management Act 1891.",
  "extent": "E+W+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 8(1)(b) substituted (26.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/1149, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 50(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 8(3) substituted (26.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/1149, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 50(3)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 8(3) substituted (26.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/1149, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 50(3)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 8(3A) inserted (26.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/1149, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 50(4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 8(3A) substituted (1.10.2011) by Postal Services Act 2011 (c. 5), s. 93(2)(3), Sch. 12 para. 111; S.I. 2011/2329, art. 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "M",
      "label": "M1",
      "text": "1891 c. 38."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/45/section/8",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:13:55.287243+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}