Northern Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (NILEA) Competency 1 Practice Exam

The distinguishing factor here is the length of the potential punishment. Misdemeanors are offenses that can be punished by up to one year in jail. Felonies are more serious crimes that carry a sentence longer than one year, so the minimum term for a felony is at least one year (often more, depending on the specific offense). So stating that a misdemeanor maxes out at one year and a felony must have at least one year captures the standard boundary between the two categories. In practice, exact ranges vary by jurisdiction and by the specific class of offense, but the one-year dividing line is the key idea.