Arizona Theft Laws: Felony Threshold, Penalties and Shoplifting

In Arizona, theft becomes a felony when the property or services have a value of $1,000 or more: A.R.S. 13-1802(G) makes theft of "one thousand dollars or more but less than two thousand dollars" a class 6 felony, and the class climbs with the value up to a class 2 felony at $25,000 or more. Theft under $1,000 is a class 1 misdemeanor, unless the property is a firearm, is "taken from the person of another," or is an animal taken for animal fighting, which makes it a class 6 felony at any value. Shoplifting has its own section, A.R.S. 13-1805, with the same $1,000 line plus felony grades for repeat offenses, for using a device to shoplift and for a series of thefts within 90 days. For the rules in other states, see our guide to theft laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-13. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers Arizona's state theft statutes in Title 13, Chapter 18 of the Arizona Revised Statutes (Sections 13-1801 through 13-1820 as listed below), the sentencing and fine provisions in Sections 13-702, 13-707, 13-801 and 13-802, and the civil shoplifting statutes in Sections 12-661, 12-691 and 12-692. It does not cover federal theft offenses, city or town ordinances, or identity theft and fraud schemes, which have their own pages linked below.

What counts as theft in Arizona

Arizona folds most kinds of stealing into one statute. Under A.R.S. 13-1802(A), "A person commits theft if, without lawful authority, the person knowingly:" does any of nine things, including:

• "Controls property of another with the intent to deprive the other person of such property"
• "Obtains services or property of another by means of any material misrepresentation with intent to deprive the other person of such property or services"
• keeps lost, mislaid or misdelivered property without reasonable efforts to notify the true owner
• "Controls property of another knowing or having reason to know that the property was stolen"
• obtains services available only for compensation without paying
• controls or knowingly buys stolen ferrous or nonferrous metal

Section 13-1802(B) adds a separate form of theft: knowingly taking "control, title, use or management of a vulnerable adult's property while acting in a position of trust and confidence and with the intent to deprive the vulnerable adult of the property."

"Deprive" means "to withhold the property interest of another either permanently or for so long a time period that a substantial portion of its economic value or usefulness or enjoyment is lost, to withhold with the intent to restore it only on payment of any reward or other compensation or to transfer or dispose of it so that it is unlikely to be recovered" (13-1801(A)(4)). "Property" means "any thing of value, tangible or intangible, including trade secrets" (13-1801(A)(12)).

Arizona theft grading table: felony threshold and penalties

Arizona does not use the labels "petty theft" or "grand theft." It grades theft by value into felony classes 2 through 6 and a class 1 misdemeanor, under A.R.S. 13-1802(G).

The prison ranges come from the first-offense felony table in A.R.S. 13-702(D), which sets five terms for each class: mitigated, minimum, presumptive, maximum and aggravated. The table above shows the mitigated and aggravated ends and the presumptive term. For a class 6 felony, for example, the statute lists ".33 years .5 years 1 year 1.5 years 2 years." Those are the prison terms the statute sets for a person with no prior felony; the table does not address probation, and it is not a prediction of the sentence in any case. The fine ceilings come from 13-801(A) for felonies ("not more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars") and 13-802(A) for class 1 misdemeanors ("not more than two thousand five hundred dollars").

The felony line is written as "one thousand dollars or more," so property worth exactly $1,000 is a class 6 felony. The class 1 misdemeanor tier covers "any property or services valued at less than one thousand dollars."

Large thefts

Under 13-1802(H), a person convicted of theft under subsection A, paragraph 1 or 3 "that involved property with a value of one hundred thousand dollars or more is not eligible for suspension of sentence, probation, pardon or release from confinement on any basis except pursuant to section 31-233, subsection A or B" until the sentence has been served, the person is eligible for release under section 41-1604.07, or the sentence is commuted.

How value is measured and when thefts are combined

Section 13-1801(A)(15) defines value as "the fair market value of the property or services at the time of the theft." The same paragraph sets special rules: stolen ferrous or nonferrous metal is valued at "the average fair market value of the metal in the local area together with the repair or replacement value of any property from which the metal was removed," and "When property has an undeterminable value the trier of fact shall determine its value and, in reaching its decision, may consider all relevant evidence, including evidence of the property's value to its owner." For a metal theft, 13-1802(I) adds that value "includes the amount of any damage to the property of another caused as a result of the theft of the metal."

Thefts can be added together. "In determining the classification of the offense, the state may aggregate in the indictment or information amounts taken in thefts committed pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct, whether the amounts were taken from one or several persons" (13-1801(B)).

Repeat misdemeanors

For misdemeanors generally, A.R.S. 13-707(B) provides that a person who is at least eighteen years of age "and who has been convicted of one or more of the same misdemeanors or petty offenses within two years next preceding the date of the present offense shall be sentenced for the next higher class of offense than that for which the person currently is convicted." For repeat shoplifting, Section 13-1805(I) sets its own felony rule, covered below.

Shoplifting in Arizona (A.R.S. 13-1805)

A person commits shoplifting under 13-1805(A) "if, while in an establishment in which merchandise is displayed for sale, the person knowingly obtains such goods of another with the intent to deprive that person of such goods by:" removing goods from the display or elsewhere in the store without paying; charging them to a fictitious person or to someone without authority; paying less through "some trick or artifice such as altering, removing, substituting or otherwise disfiguring any label, price tag or marking"; transferring goods between containers; or concealment.

A person is presumed to have the required mental state if the person "Knowingly conceals on himself or another person unpurchased merchandise of any mercantile establishment while within the mercantile establishment" or "Uses an artifice, instrument, container, device or other article to facilitate the shoplifting" (13-1805(B)).

Shoplifting grades

A "continuing criminal episode" has a statutory definition: "theft of property with a value of one thousand five hundred dollars or more if committed during at least three separate incidences within a period of ninety consecutive days" (13-1805(H)).

Repeat offenses and tools

Section 13-1805(I) can make shoplifting of any value a felony. It reads:

"I. A person who in the course of shoplifting uses an artifice, instrument, container, device or other article with the intent to facilitate shoplifting or who commits shoplifting and who has previously committed or been convicted within the past five years of two or more offenses involving burglary, shoplifting, robbery, organized retail theft or theft is guilty of a class 4 felony."

The section applies regardless of the value of the merchandise. Its text reaches prior offenses a person "has previously committed or been convicted" of within the past five years.

First offense and public service

The shoplifting statute sets no separate grade for a first offense; a first offense is graded by value under subsection H. Section 13-1805(G) provides that "In imposing sentence on a person who is convicted of violating this section, the court may require any person to perform public services designated by the court in addition to or in lieu of any fine that the court might impose."

Store detention

"A merchant, or a merchant's agent or employee, with reasonable cause, may detain on the premises in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable time any person who is suspected of shoplifting as prescribed in subsection A of this section for questioning or summoning a law enforcement officer" (13-1805(C)). Reasonable cause "is a defense to a civil or criminal action against a peace officer, a merchant or an agent or employee of the merchant for false arrest, false or unlawful imprisonment or wrongful detention" (13-1805(D)).

Organized retail theft

Under A.R.S. 13-1819(A), "A person commits organized retail theft if the person acting alone or in conjunction with another person does any of the following: 1. Removes merchandise from a retail establishment without paying the purchase price with the intent to resell or trade the merchandise for money or for other value. 2. Uses an artifice, instrument, container, device or other article to facilitate the removal of merchandise from a retail establishment without paying the purchase price." Despite its name, the offense does not require a group, and the statute sets no minimum value. "Organized retail theft is a class 4 felony" (13-1819(B)).

Theft detection devices, receipts and UPC labels

• Shielding devices and tag removers (13-1816). Making, selling or distributing a bag or device "unique to and marketed for shielding and intended to shield merchandise from detection by an electronic or magnetic theft alarm sensor," possessing one "with the intent to commit theft or shoplifting," possessing a tag-removal tool intended to remove a theft detection device without permission, or intentionally removing a theft detection device "from merchandise before purchasing that merchandise" is a class 6 felony.
• Fraudulent receipts and UPC labels (13-1817). Possessing at least fifteen fraudulent retail sales receipts or UPC labels, or a device that makes them, with intent to cheat or defraud a merchant, is a class 5 felony. Possessing, using, altering or reproducing a single receipt or UPC label for that purpose is a class 6 felony, and the court may add a fine of "not more than three times the value represented on the retail sales receipt or the retail price represented by the original universal product code label."

Other theft offenses with their own grades

Chapter 18 of Title 13 contains several theft offenses that set their own class instead of following the value ladder in 13-1802(G):

• Theft of means of transportation (13-1814). Controlling another person's vehicle "with the intent to permanently deprive," converting an entrusted vehicle, obtaining one by material misrepresentation, keeping a lost or misdelivered vehicle, or controlling a vehicle known to be stolen is "a class 3 felony," whatever the vehicle is worth.
• Unlawful use of means of transportation (13-1803). Knowingly taking unauthorized control of another person's vehicle "without intent permanently to deprive" is a class 5 felony. Knowingly being transported or physically located in a vehicle the person knows or has reason to know is unlawfully possessed is a class 6 felony.
• Theft by extortion (13-1804). "Theft by extortion is a class 4 felony, except that theft by extortion under subsection A, paragraph 1 of this section is a class 2 felony"; paragraph 1 covers a threat to cause physical injury by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument, or to cause death or serious physical injury.
• Gift card theft (13-1813). Acquiring a gift card or gift card information without consent or by exploitation, or using a card or information acquired without consent to obtain anything of value, with intent to defraud "is a class 4 felony." The legislature added this offense in 2025 (Laws 2025, chapter 186, S.B. 1351).
• Failure to return rented property (13-1806). Knowingly failing without good cause, and without notice to and permission of the lessor, to return rented or leased property within seventy-two hours after the time provided in the rental agreement is "a class 5 felony" if the property is a motor vehicle; "In all other cases," it is a class 1 misdemeanor.
• Issuing a bad check (13-1807). Issuing or passing a check knowing there are insufficient funds to pay it is a class 1 misdemeanor, but a bad check "in an amount of five thousand dollars or more is a class 6 felony if the person fails to pay the full amount of the check, including accrued interest at the rate of twelve per cent per year and any other applicable fees pursuant to this chapter, within sixty days after receiving notice pursuant to section 13-1808."
• Misappropriation of charter school monies (13-1818). Converting monies the state provides under a charter school contract, without lawful authority and with intent to defraud, in a way that does not further the purposes of the charter and is not reasonably related to the business of the charter school, is "a class 4 felony, except that if the amount of monies converted is twenty-five thousand dollars or more" it "is a class 2 felony."
• Theft of trade secrets (13-1820). "A violation of this section is a class 5 felony."
• Vehicle engines and transmissions (13-1802(G)). Theft of "any vehicle engine or transmission is a class 4 felony regardless of value."

Can a store demand money after shoplifting in Arizona?

Arizona has three civil statutes a merchant can use, separate from any criminal case. Section 13-1805(F) provides that a merchant injured by the shoplifting of an adult or emancipated minor "may bring a civil action against the adult or emancipated minor pursuant to section 12-691," and 13-1805(E) lets a merchant sue the parent or legal guardian of a minor "under either section 12-661 or 12-692."

Adults and emancipated minors (12-691). The official text reads:

"An adult or emancipated minor who commits shoplifting as defined by section 13-1805 is civilly liable to the owner of the obtained goods for all of the following: 1. A penalty in the amount of the retail value of the obtained goods. 2. For an adult, an additional penalty of at least two hundred fifty dollars but not more than two hundred fifty dollars plus the actual damages to the owner. 3. For an emancipated minor, an additional penalty of at least one hundred dollars but not more than one hundred dollars plus the actual damages to the owner."

The minimum and maximum stated for each additional penalty are the same figure: $250 for an adult and $100 for an emancipated minor.

Parents of an unemancipated minor (12-692). "The parents or legal guardians having custody or control of an unemancipated minor who commits shoplifting as defined by section 13-1805 are civilly liable to the owner of the obtained goods for all of the following: 1. A penalty in the amount of the retail value of the obtained goods. 2. An additional penalty of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one hundred dollars plus the actual damages to the owner." Foster parents are not liable for the acts of children placed with them under the listed foster-care provisions (12-692(B)).

General parental liability (12-661). Any act of malicious or wilful misconduct of a minor that injures another's person or property, "to include theft or shoplifting, shall be imputed to the parents or legal guardian having custody or control of the minor," and that liability "shall not exceed ten thousand dollars for each tort of the minor" (12-661(A), (B)).

Sections 12-691 and 12-692 do not state whether a criminal conviction is required before a merchant may recover. These sections set what a merchant can recover; whether a particular demand letter matches them is a question for a lawyer licensed in Arizona.

Related legal issues

Fraud schemes and theft by material misrepresentation, and how to report them, are covered in our guide to Arizona scam and fraud laws. Misusing someone's personal information is a separate set of offenses covered in Arizona identity theft laws. For sealing or clearing a theft record, see Arizona expungement laws, and for filing deadlines see the Arizona statute of limitations guide. Federal theft offenses are covered on our theft laws hub.

Related

• Theft laws by state
• Arizona scam and fraud laws
• Arizona identity theft laws
• Arizona expungement laws
• Arizona statute of limitations

This article provides general legal information about Arizona theft and shoplifting statutes as of October 13, 2026. It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in Arizona.

Last updated: 2026-10-13.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the felony theft threshold in Arizona?

Theft of property or services with a value of $1,000 or more is a felony in Arizona: a class 6 felony from $1,000 to under $2,000, rising to a class 2 felony at $25,000 or more (A.R.S. 13-1802(G)). Theft of a firearm, of property taken from the person of another, or of an animal taken for animal fighting is a class 6 felony at any value.

Is stealing $1,000 a felony in Arizona?

Yes. The class 6 felony tier covers a value of 'one thousand dollars or more but less than two thousand dollars,' so exactly $1,000 qualifies (A.R.S. 13-1802(G)). Under $1,000 is a class 1 misdemeanor.

What is the penalty for petty theft in Arizona?

Arizona does not use the term petty theft. Theft valued at less than $1,000 is a class 1 misdemeanor (A.R.S. 13-1802(G)), punishable by up to 6 months in jail (13-707(A)(1)) and a fine of up to $2,500 (13-802(A)).

Is shoplifting a felony in Arizona?

Shoplifting is a class 6 felony at $1,000 to under $2,000 or for a firearm, and a class 5 felony at $2,000 or more, during a continuing criminal episode, or for a criminal street gang or syndicate (A.R.S. 13-1805(H)). It is a class 4 felony at any value when a device is used to facilitate it or the person has two or more listed prior offenses within five years (13-1805(I)).

Is a third shoplifting offense a felony in Arizona?

Under A.R.S. 13-1805(I), shoplifting by a person who has previously committed or been convicted within the past five years of two or more offenses involving burglary, shoplifting, robbery, organized retail theft or theft is a class 4 felony, regardless of the value taken.

Is stealing a car a felony in Arizona?

Yes. Theft of means of transportation is a class 3 felony under A.R.S. 13-1814, whatever the vehicle's value. Taking a vehicle without intent to keep it permanently is unlawful use of means of transportation, a class 5 felony (13-1803).

Can a store make me pay a civil penalty for shoplifting in Arizona?

Under A.R.S. 12-691, an adult who shoplifts is civilly liable for the retail value of the goods, plus an additional penalty stated as at least $250 but not more than $250, plus actual damages. For an emancipated minor the additional penalty is stated as at least $100 but not more than $100, and parents of an unemancipated minor face a parallel penalty under 12-692.

Can an Arizona store detain a suspected shoplifter?

A merchant or its agent or employee with reasonable cause may detain a suspected shoplifter on the premises in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable time for questioning or summoning a law enforcement officer (A.R.S. 13-1805(C)).