Theft Laws by State: Felony Theft Thresholds in All 50 States (2026)

Every state sets its own felony theft threshold: the value at which stealing property stops being a misdemeanor and becomes a felony, or the state's equivalent grade. The lines labeled felony run from just over $500 in Alabama, Illinois and New Mexico to $2,500 in Texas ("$2,500 or more") and Wisconsin (a value that "exceeds $2,500"), and $1,000 is the most common line, used in 22 of the 51 jurisdictions. New Jersey, which does not use the word felony, makes theft of at least $200 a crime of the fourth degree (N.J.S. 2C:20-2(b)). The table below gives every state's line in the statute's own words, because the wording decides which side an exact amount falls on: in Virginia, property worth exactly $1,000 is grand larceny, while in North Carolina exactly $1,000 is still a misdemeanor.

Information last verified on 2026-10-14. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article compares the general theft and larceny grading statutes of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with notes on shoplifting and retail theft statutes, store-entry burglary rules in some states, civil recovery statutes and the main federal theft statutes in Title 18 of the U.S. Code. It does not cover city or county ordinances, robbery, burglary in general, or fraud and identity theft schemes, which have their own guides linked below. Each state's full grading ladder and penalties are on its own page.

How states grade theft

Every state grades ordinary theft mainly by the value of what was taken. A theft below the state's line is usually a misdemeanor (in Colorado, theft under $300 is a petty offense), and the grade climbs as the value rises. What changes from state to state is the dollar line, the label for each step and the list of exceptions.

Petty and grand. Some states keep the old two-part names. In California, theft of property "of a value exceeding nine hundred fifty dollars ($950)" is grand theft (Penal Code 487(a)), and theft of $950 or less is petty theft, a misdemeanor (Penal Code 490.2). Vermont uses grand larceny and petit larceny with a $900 line (13 V.S.A. 2501, 2502), and Virginia uses the same two names with a $1,000 line (Va. Code 18.2-95, 18.2-96).

Degrees and classes. Most states name steps by degree or class instead. New York has petit larceny and four degrees of grand larceny, starting with grand larceny in the fourth degree, a class E felony, when the value "exceeds one thousand dollars" (Penal Law 155.30(1)). Arizona assigns a felony class to each value band, from a class 6 felony at $1,000 to a class 2 felony at $25,000 or more (A.R.S. 13-1802(G)). Texas runs from a Class C misdemeanor under $100 to a first-degree felony at $300,000 or more (Penal Code 31.03(e)).

Other labels. New Jersey's criminal code does not use the word felony. Theft becomes a crime of the fourth degree at $200 and a crime of the third degree when the amount exceeds $500 (N.J.S. 2C:20-2(b)). Maine grades crimes by class, and theft of more than $1,000 but not more than $10,000 is a Class C crime punishable by up to 5 years (17-A MRSA 353(1)(B)(4)). Georgia's value tiers state prison ranges without using the word felony, starting at "$1,500.01" (O.C.G.A. 16-8-12(a)), and the District of Columbia's statute divides theft into first degree ($1,000 or more, up to 10 years) and second degree (up to 180 days) (D.C. Code 22-3212).

Why the boundary wording matters

Statutes write the line in two ways. "$1,000 or more" and "at least $1,500" put the exact amount on the felony side; "more than $1,000" and "exceeds $1,000" put it on the misdemeanor side. Maryland's felony tier starts at "at least $1,500," so property worth exactly $1,500 is a felony there (Criminal Law 7-104(g)(1)). Montana's starts where property "exceeds $1,500 in value," so exactly $1,500 stays a misdemeanor (MCA 45-6-301(7)). Utah covers both possibilities in one phrase: theft is a third degree felony when the value "is or exceeds $1,500" (Utah Code 76-6-404(3)(b)(i)). The table below keeps each statute's own wording for this reason.

Felonies regardless of value

Many states list kinds of property, or kinds of victims, that make a theft a felony however little the property is worth. Common examples from the state pages:

• Firearms. Virginia makes larceny of "any firearm, regardless of the firearm's value" grand larceny (Va. Code 18.2-95). Massachusetts makes larceny of a firearm a felony at any value (G.L. c. 266, s. 30(1)), and Colorado has done the same since June 2, 2025, making theft of a firearm a class 6 felony (C.R.S. 18-4-401(2.3)).
• Taking from the person. In Virginia, taking money or anything of value worth $5 or more from another person's body is grand larceny. Iowa makes theft of property taken from the person of another theft in the first degree, a class C felony (Iowa Code 714.2(1)).
• Motor vehicles. Pennsylvania grades theft of an automobile, motorcycle or other motor-propelled vehicle as a felony of the third degree at any value (18 Pa.C.S. 3903(a.1)), and Mississippi has made motor vehicle theft a felony at any value since July 1, 2024.
• Older or vulnerable victims. In Delaware, theft from a victim who is 62 or older, an impaired adult or a person with a disability is a felony at any value. Ohio makes theft from an elderly person, a disabled adult or an active duty service member a felony at any value, and Texas raises a theft one grade when the owner is an elderly individual or a nonprofit (Penal Code 31.03(f)).
• Theft from a home. Florida sets a much lower line for property taken from a dwelling or its unenclosed curtilage: theft of property "valued at $40 or more, but less than $750" from a dwelling is grand theft of the third degree (Fla. Stat. 812.014(2)(d)1.).

Repeat offenses

A prior record can turn a theft below the dollar line into a felony. In Florida, petit theft by a person "previously convicted two or more times of any theft" is a felony of the third degree (Fla. Stat. 812.014(3)(c)). California's Proposition 36, effective December 18, 2024, allows petty theft or shoplifting by a person with two or more listed theft-type priors to be punished as a felony (Penal Code 666.1). Since January 1, 2024, Arkansas makes theft of $1,000 or less a Class D felony when the person has a theft conviction of any classification within the previous ten years. Maine makes theft a Class C crime at any value once a person has 2 or more prior theft-type convictions (17-A MRSA 353(1)(B)(6)), and in Indiana a prior unrelated conviction for theft, criminal conversion, robbery or burglary makes a theft of any value at least a Level 6 felony (IC 35-43-4-2).

Other states set their own triggers. Wyoming has made a third or subsequent theft or shoplifting conviction a felony at any value since July 1, 2026 (W.S. 6-3-402(j)). Kansas makes theft of property worth at least $50 but less than $1,500 a severity level 9 felony when the person has two or more theft convictions within the previous five years. Wisconsin's 2025 Act 106, in effect since March 22, 2026, lets a prior theft or retail theft conviction raise a misdemeanor theft to a Class I felony. Maryland takes a different approach: a theft of at least $100 but less than $1,500 by a person with four or more prior theft convictions stays a misdemeanor but carries up to 5 years (Criminal Law 7-104(g)(4)).

Adding thefts together

Many states let prosecutors combine the values of several thefts to reach a higher grade. In D.C., since June 8, 2024, two or more thefts within 6 months with an aggregate value of $1,000 or more are first-degree theft and may be charged as a single count (D.C. Code 22-3212(a)). Oregon's first-degree theft applies to property worth $1,000 or more "in a single or aggregate transaction" (ORS 164.055). Delaware added a rule, effective September 14, 2026, that values from "a single course of conduct comprising multiple related thefts" are aggregated, and Wisconsin's 2025 Act 106 added aggregation of values from a course of conduct (Wis. Stat. 943.20(5)). Michigan also allows values to be aggregated over 12 months.

The penalty attached to each grade is a statutory range, and the ranges on the state pages are the ordinary ranges before any habitual-offender or other enhancement. Each state page gives the range for every tier.

Felony theft threshold by state: all 50 states and D.C.

Each row gives the lowest value at which general theft (or larceny) reaches the state's felony grade or its equivalent, quoted from the statute as the state page quotes it, with the grade it carries. The notes column lists only recent or pending changes that a state page records. Lower lines for specific property, victims, repeat offenses or retail theft are not shown here; follow the state link for those.

Two rows need a word of explanation. Georgia's general theft line is "$1,500.01," but its shoplifting statute has a lower felony line (below). New Jersey's fourth-degree crime at $200 is listed because it is the state's first grade above a disorderly persons offense; the Code itself never calls it a felony.

Is shoplifting a felony? Shoplifting and retail theft by state

Whether shoplifting is a felony depends on the state, the value of the merchandise, the person's record and how the theft was carried out. States handle it in two ways.

Charged as ordinary theft. In Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and Wyoming, among others, store theft is charged under the general theft statute and graded by the value of the merchandise, so the felony line in the table above applies.

A separate shoplifting or retail theft statute. Other states have their own section, such as Alabama's retail theft offense (created by Act 2023-531), Arizona's A.R.S. 13-1805, Georgia's O.C.G.A. 16-8-14, Illinois's retail theft section (720 ILCS 5/16-25), Massachusetts's G.L. c. 266, s. 30A, New Jersey's N.J.S. 2C:20-11, Pennsylvania's 18 Pa.C.S. 3929, Virginia's Va. Code 18.2-103 and Wisconsin's Wis. Stat. 943.50. Some of these use the general theft line; others set their own.

Retail theft lines that differ from general theft

• Georgia: theft by shoplifting is a felony when the merchandise "exceeds $500.00 in value" (O.C.G.A. 16-8-14(b)(2)), well below the $1,500.01 general line, and a fourth shoplifting conviction is a felony at any value.
• Illinois: retail theft is a Class 3 felony when the full retail value exceeds $300 (or $150 for motor fuel), compared with more than $500 for general theft (720 ILCS 5/16-25).
• Wisconsin: retail theft is a Class I felony once the merchandise "exceeds $500" (Wis. Stat. 943.50(4)(bf)), against more than $2,500 for general theft.
• Pennsylvania: retail theft is a third-degree felony when the amount exceeds $1,000, when the merchandise is a firearm or motor vehicle, or on a third or subsequent retail theft offense (18 Pa.C.S. 3929), against more than $2,000 for general theft.
• Delaware: shoplifting is a class G felony when the goods are "of the value of $1,500 or more" (11 Del. C. 840), slightly different wording from the general line.
• Mississippi: shoplifting is a felony when the total price "exceeds One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00)" (Miss. Code 97-23-93(7)), while grand larceny starts at $1,000 or more.

Repeat shoplifting and store-specific felonies

Several shoplifting statutes reach a felony through repeat convictions rather than value. West Virginia makes shoplifting a felony on a third or subsequent conviction, whatever the value; in North Dakota, a fourth shoplifting violation of $500 or less within four years is a class C felony; and in Rhode Island, shoplifting is a felony when the merchandise is worth over $100 and the person has a prior shoplifting conviction (R.I. Gen. Laws 11-41-20). Others single out how the theft was done: in Washington, theft from a store is a class C felony at any value when the person leaves through an emergency exit, carries a tool for defeating security systems, or steals from three or more stores within 180 days (RCW 9A.56.360), and Kansas makes thefts from three stores within 72 hours a felony.

When entering a store can be burglary

In some states the burglary statute also reaches store theft, which can make a store entry a felony regardless of value. The rules differ sharply, and some apply only in narrow situations:

• California: shoplifting is entering an open store with intent to take property worth $950 or less, and it must be charged as shoplifting, not burglary; "Any other entry into a commercial establishment with intent to commit larceny is burglary" (Penal Code 459.5).
• Idaho: entering a store with intent to commit theft is burglary under Idaho Code 18-1401, punishable by 1 to 10 years. A separate commercial burglary section, 18-1401A, grades a business-hours entry with a theft under $300 as a misdemeanor, rising to a felony after two prior violations within five years.
• Illinois: entering or remaining in a building without authority "with intent to commit therein a felony or theft" is burglary, a Class 2 felony with no value threshold (720 ILCS 5/19-1).
• Colorado: second degree burglary of a building used for a commercial business is a class 4 felony, but it is a class 2 misdemeanor when the person knowingly violated a retailer's written notice or a court order barring entry to that store (C.R.S. 18-4-203).
• Missouri: second-degree burglary, entering or remaining unlawfully in a building to commit a crime, is a class D felony; since August 28, 2025, entering a restricted area of a commercial business to commit a crime is a class B misdemeanor (class A for a repeat) (RSMo 569.170).
• Minnesota: stealing in, or entering with intent to steal, a building open to the public within one year after being told to leave and not return is fourth-degree burglary (up to 364 days), and third-degree burglary (up to 5 years) with a qualifying prior conviction (Minn. Stat. 609.582).
• West Virginia: entering any shop, storehouse or other building other than a dwelling "with intent to commit a felony or any larceny" is a felony carrying 1 to 10 years, with no minimum value (W. Va. Code 61-3-12).

Organized retail theft

Many states now have a separate organized retail theft offense aimed at group thefts, repeat thefts within a set period, or theft for resale, usually with its own value ladder. Examples from the state pages:

• Texas: organized retail theft is a state jail felony when the total value is $750 or more but less than $2,500, a lower line than general theft (Penal Code 31.16).
• North Carolina: organized retail theft over $1,500, aggregated over 90 days, is a Class H felony (G.S. 14-86.6).
• Massachusetts: organized retail crime involving merchandise over $2,500 is a felony punishable by up to 10 years (G.L. c. 266, s. 30D).
• Virginia: organized retail theft of retail property worth more than $5,000 aggregated over 90 days is a Class 3 felony (Va. Code 18.2-103.1).
• Ohio: organized theft of retail property, which covers theft of retail property worth $7,500 or more for one of two listed purposes, has been an offense since April 9, 2025 (R.C. 2913.08).
• California: organized retail theft is punishable by up to one year in county jail or under Penal Code 1170(h) when violations on two or more occasions within 12 months exceed $950 in aggregate (Penal Code 490.4(b)).

Civil demand and civil liability for shoplifting

Apart from any criminal case, many states let a store, or anyone harmed by a theft, recover money in a civil action. Some statutes also govern the demand letter a store may send before suing. The statutes fall into a few types:

• Retail value plus a capped penalty. New York's General Obligations Law 11-105 allows the retail price of merchandise not recovered in merchantable condition, up to $1,500, plus a penalty that can never exceed $500. Massachusetts caps the extra damages at $50, $250 or $500 depending on value and fines anyone who solicits more than the statute allows (G.L. c. 231, s. 85R 1/2).
• A fixed or ranged add-on. Pennsylvania lets a court award a civil penalty of the value of the merchandise plus $150 and requires 20 days' notice before suit (42 Pa.C.S. 8308). Illinois allows the full retail value plus "an amount not less than $100 nor more than $1,000," plus attorney's fees and court costs (720 ILCS 5/16-27).
• A multiple of the price, with conditions. Michigan allows the retail price plus civil damages of 10 times the price, but not less than $50 or more than $200, and only if a formal police report has been filed (MCL 600.2953). Florida's civil theft remedy allows threefold actual damages, with a $200 minimum, for a claimant who proves the injury by clear and convincing evidence, after a written demand (Fla. Stat. 772.11).
• Punitive or exemplary damages with a cap. In Connecticut, punitive damages are capped at $1,000; Public Act 26-130 raised the cap from $300 effective October 1, 2026 (C.G.S. 52-564a). Wisconsin caps exemplary damages and attorney fees together at $500 per violation (Wis. Stat. 943.51), and Texas's Theft Liability Act allows actual damages plus additional damages of up to $1,000 (Civ. Prac. and Rem. Code 134.005).

Many of these statutes say a criminal conviction is not needed. New York's statute provides that a conviction or guilty plea "is not a prerequisite" to a civil suit, and Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have similar provisions. Some states have gone the other way: Nebraska repealed its shoplifting civil damages statute in 2019 (LB 71), and Vermont repealed its civil recovery statute for retail theft in 2021.

These statutes set what a store can recover and how. They do not say whether a particular demand letter is valid or should be paid. A lawyer licensed in the state can advise on a specific letter.

Recent changes to state theft laws (2024 to 2027)

Theft statutes change often, and recent years brought threshold moves, new repeat-offense rules and a wave of organized retail theft and gift card laws. Changes recorded on the state pages include:

• January 1, 2027 (pending): Oregon's HB 4041 (2026 Oregon Laws chapter 14) raises the felony line from $1,000 to $1,500 and the third-degree line from $100 to $150, for conduct on or after that date.
• January 3, 2027 (pending): Michigan's 2026 Public Acts 109 and 110 add gift card fraud to the Organized Retail Crime Act.
• October 6, 2026: Ohio's theft statute makes theft of a catalytic converter a fifth-degree felony.
• October 1, 2026: Connecticut's Public Act 26-130 lengthens the organized retail theft period from 180 to 365 days and raises the civil punitive damages cap from $300 to $1,000.
• September 14, 2026: Delaware's felony line changes from "$1,500 or more" to "More than $1,500," and related thefts in one course of conduct are aggregated (85 Del. Laws c. 502).
• July 1, 2026: Kansas adds value-independent felonies for livestock, implements of husbandry, grain and hay and a severity level 10 felony for motor vehicles worth $500 to under $1,500; Wyoming lowers its any-value repeat felony from a fifth to a third offense; Alaska adds mail to theft in the third degree.
• March 22, 2026: Wisconsin's 2025 Act 106 adds prior-conviction felony enhancements and aggregation for theft and retail theft.
• January 1, 2026: Oklahoma begins sentencing grand larceny by felony class (D3, D1, C2).
• 2025: Colorado makes firearm theft a class 6 felony at any value (June 2); Montana rewrites its theft penalties into a single felony tier above $1,500 (July 1); Ohio adds prior-conviction triggers and organized theft of retail property (April 9); Texas sets a $750 state jail felony line for organized retail theft (September 1); Maryland creates its organized retail theft felony (October 1).
• 2024: Arkansas's prior-conviction felony rule takes effect (January 1); D.C.'s Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act adds six-month aggregation (June 8); Mississippi makes motor vehicle theft a felony at any value (July 1); Vermont rewrites its retail theft ladder (July 1); California's Proposition 36 adds felony punishment for petty theft or shoplifting with two or more priors (December 18).

Gift card theft drew new laws in many states in 2025 and 2026, including new gift card offenses or valuation rules in Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma and West Virginia, among others.

Federal theft law

Theft is mainly a state crime. Federal theft statutes reach a theft only when it has a federal connection, such as property of the United States, goods moving in interstate or foreign shipment, the mail, or stolen goods or vehicles that cross a state or national boundary. Shoplifting is generally prosecuted under state law.

• Government property (18 U.S.C. 641). Stealing money or property of the United States carries up to 10 years, but if the value "in the aggregate, combining amounts from all the counts for which the defendant is convicted in a single case, does not exceed the sum of $1,000," the maximum is one year. Value means "face, par, or market value, or cost price, either wholesale or retail, whichever is greater."

• Interstate and foreign shipments (18 U.S.C. 659). Theft from shipments in interstate or foreign commerce carries up to 10 years, or up to 3 years if the value "is less than $1,000." The section states that it does not displace state theft laws, and "A judgment of conviction or acquittal on the merits under the laws of any State shall be a bar to any prosecution under this section for the same act or acts."

• Stolen goods crossing state lines (18 U.S.C. 2314, 2315). Transporting goods, securities or money "of the value of $5,000 or more" in interstate or foreign commerce, knowing them stolen, carries up to 10 years, and so does receiving, possessing or selling such goods after they have crossed a state or U.S. boundary (or pledging or accepting them as security for a loan at $500 or more). For these sections, the value of all items "referred to in a single indictment" is added together (18 U.S.C. 2311).

• Stolen vehicles, vessels and aircraft (18 U.S.C. 2312, 2313). Transporting a stolen motor vehicle, vessel or aircraft across state lines, or receiving or selling one that has crossed a state or U.S. boundary, knowing it stolen, carries up to 10 years, with no dollar threshold.

• Mail theft (18 U.S.C. 1708). Stealing mail from a mailbox, post office, mail carrier or other authorized depository, or knowingly possessing stolen mail, carries up to 5 years. Our guide to mail theft and check washing covers how these schemes work and how to report them.

For an individual, a federal felony fine can reach $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, unless the statute setting the offense allows more (18 U.S.C. 3571).

Pending, not law. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (H.R. 2853) passed the House of Representatives on May 12, 2026, by a vote of 348 to 60, and was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee; a companion Senate bill, S. 1404, was referred to the same committee in April 2025. According to the Congressional Research Service summary, the bill would, among other things, let interstate-transport and stolen-goods prosecutions rest on the aggregate value of items stolen over a 12-month period. It is a bill, not law, unless both chambers pass it and it is signed.

Related legal issues

Theft overlaps with several other areas covered on this site. Theft by deception, check fraud and other schemes are covered in our scams and fraud laws guide, and stealing someone's personal information is covered in our identity theft laws guide. Whether a theft conviction can later be sealed or expunged depends on the state; see expungement laws by state and how long a felony stays on your record. The time limit for bringing a theft charge is set by each state's statute of limitations.

Related

• Scams and fraud laws
• Mail theft and check washing
• Identity theft laws
• Expungement laws by state
• Statute of limitations in the United States
• How long does a felony stay on your record?

Disclaimer: This article provides general legal information about theft, larceny and shoplifting laws in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and federal law, as of 2026-10-14. It is not legal advice. Theft statutes change often, and the outcome of any case depends on its facts. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in the state where the case arises.

Last updated: 2026-10-14.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the felony theft threshold in my state?

It ranges from just over $500 (Alabama, Illinois and New Mexico) to $2,500 (Texas and Wisconsin), and $1,000 is the most common line. New Jersey, which does not use the word felony, makes theft of at least $200 a crime of the fourth degree. The table above gives each state's line in the statute's own words, and each state page lists the full ladder.

What is the most common felony theft amount?

$1,000, used in 22 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The wording still differs: in Virginia property worth exactly $1,000 is grand larceny, while in North Carolina it is still a misdemeanor.

Which state has the highest felony theft threshold?

Texas and Wisconsin, at $2,500. In Texas theft of property worth $2,500 or more but less than $30,000 is a state jail felony (Penal Code 31.03(e)(4)(A)); in Wisconsin theft is a Class I felony when the value exceeds $2,500 (Wis. Stat. 943.20(3)(bf)).

Which states have the lowest felony theft threshold?

Alabama, Illinois and New Mexico, where general theft becomes a felony just above $500. New Jersey, which does not use the word felony, makes theft of at least $200 a crime of the fourth degree (N.J.S. 2C:20-2(b)).

Is shoplifting a felony?

It can be. Many states grade shoplifting by the same value lines as theft, and some retail theft statutes set lower lines, such as Georgia (more than $500), Illinois (more than $300) and Wisconsin (more than $500). Repeat convictions, certain methods and, in some states, the burglary statute can also make store theft a felony.

Can stealing something cheap be a felony?

Yes, in many states. Theft of a firearm, property taken from the person, or a motor vehicle is a felony at any value in several states, and prior theft convictions can raise a small theft to a felony, for example after two prior thefts in Florida (Fla. Stat. 812.014(3)(c)).

Can a store demand money from me after a shoplifting accusation?

Many states have civil statutes that let a store recover the merchandise value plus a capped penalty or damages, often without a criminal conviction. The amounts and conditions differ by state; a lawyer licensed in the state can advise on a specific demand letter.

Is theft a federal crime?

Only with a federal connection, such as stealing government property (18 U.S.C. 641), theft from interstate shipments (18 U.S.C. 659), mail theft (18 U.S.C. 1708) or moving stolen goods worth $5,000 or more across state lines (18 U.S.C. 2314). Shoplifting is generally prosecuted under state law.

Is Oregon's felony theft threshold changing?

Yes. Under HB 4041 (2026 Oregon Laws chapter 14), the felony line rises from $1,000 to $1,500 for conduct on or after January 1, 2027.