Report a theft in the District of Columbia to the local police department or sheriff first and keep the case number. Under D.C. Code § 22-3212, theft becomes a felony at $1,000. Then follow the checklist for what was taken, below.
District of Columbia at a glance
| Felony theft threshold | $1,000. Theft of property worth $1,000 or more is first-degree theft in the District of Columbia, punishable by up to 10 years of incarceration. |
|---|---|
| Theft statute | D.C. Code § 22-3212 |
| Grading | Second-degree theft: property with some value under $1,000, up to 180 days. First-degree theft: $1,000 or more, or repeated thefts within six months totaling $1,000 or more, up to 10 years. Fines in both cases are set by D.C. Code § 22-3571.01. |
| Vehicle theft | Taking, using or operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent is unauthorized use of a motor vehicle under D.C. Code § 22-3215, punishable by up to 5 years; up to 10 years when used during or to facilitate a crime of violence, and 30 months to 15 years for a person with two or more prior convictions for unauthorized use or first-degree theft. |
| State police | Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) |
| Motor vehicles | DC Department of Motor Vehicles |
| Consumer protection | DC Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection |
| Online police reports | The Metropolitan Police Department accepts online reports for theft, theft from auto, lost vehicle tags and property damage in the District when the suspect is unknown and gone, no one was hurt, no scene investigation is needed and the event was within the last six months; incidents on Metro property and used stolen cards are excluded. |
| Lost or stolen gun reporting | The District of Columbia requires owners to report a lost or stolen firearm immediately upon discovering the loss or theft, according to the Giffords Law Center (an advocacy group's summary). |
| Pawn and secondhand dealers | No statewide holding period was found; rules are set by cities or counties. |
| Official stolen property lookups | No public state-run lookup was found for the District of Columbia. Use the national tools in the lookup directory. |
Statute text checked on code.dccouncil.gov. Laws change; confirm the current version before relying on it.
District of Columbia by the numbers
| Measure | District of Columbia | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity theft reports to the FTC, 2024 | 3,225 reports, 480 per 100,000 residents; not ranked (the FTC lists DC separately) | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Fraud and other reports to the FTC, 2024 | 16,860 reports, 2,509 per 100,000 residents; median reported fraud loss $448; total reported fraud losses $30.4M | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Firearms reported stolen from private citizens | 318 a year on average, 46.1 per 100,000 residents (2019 to 2023) | ATF National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment |
These figures count reports made to federal agencies, so they measure what was reported, not every theft. National context is on the theft statistics page.
Reporting a theft in the District of Columbia
In the District of Columbia, the local police agency for most thefts is the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). There are no counties or state police; MPD, the DC DMV and the DC Office of the Attorney General fill those roles. Thefts on Metrorail, Metrobus or other Metro property cannot be filed through MPD's online system.
MPD's online reporting takes theft, theft from auto, lost property, lost vehicle tags and property damage. Every condition must be true:
- The incident happened in the District, not on Metro property, within the last six months.
- You do not know the suspects, and they have left.
- No one was injured and no scene investigation, physical evidence or witnesses are involved.
- It is not a traffic crash.
A stolen checkbook, card or Social Security number that may have been used is treated as fraud or identity theft and should not be filed through the online theft form. Call 911 for anything in progress.
District of Columbia theft law and the felony threshold
The D.C. Code has only two degrees of theft, split at $1,000 under § 22-3212:
- First-degree theft: property worth $1,000 or more, up to 10 years of incarceration, a fine, or both.
- Second-degree theft: property with some value under $1,000, up to 180 days, a fine, or both.
Repeated thefts within six months that add up to $1,000 or more are also first-degree theft, so a series of small takings can be charged as one serious offense. Fines are capped by § 22-3571.01. The Attorney General's office lists the U.S. Attorney's Office as the contact for adult felony cases in the District. This is general information; prosecutors decide the actual charge.
Stolen vehicles and license plates in the District of Columbia
Car theft in the District is usually charged as unauthorized use of a motor vehicle under D.C. Code § 22-3215: taking, using or operating a vehicle without the owner's consent, punishable by up to 5 years. The penalty rises to up to 10 years when the vehicle is used in a crime of violence, and to 30 months to 15 years for someone with two prior convictions for unauthorized use or first-degree theft.
The DC DMV's stolen vehicle page sets out the order:
- File an MPD report with the tag number, make, model, color and VIN.
- File an insurance claim with the report.
- Contest any tickets you still receive, attaching the report.
- Tell MPD right away if you recover the vehicle yourself.
The DMV says tickets issued to a vehicle or tag reported stolen, including photo enforcement tickets, are dismissed or voided under its cross-check with MPD, but an owner who never reported the theft may remain responsible. Lost tags can be reported to MPD online. For tag replacement, contact the DMV. See our stolen vehicle guide and check if stolen page; we found no public District stolen vehicle search.
Pawn shops and secondhand sales
We did not verify a District pawn holding period for this page. If you see your property in a pawn shop or online listing, give MPD the serial number and your report number and let officers make contact. Our stolen property guide explains how to document ownership.
Identity theft and fraud help in the District of Columbia
The DC Office of the Attorney General directs identity theft victims to MPD's Financial and Cyber Crimes Unit for a police report, then to each affected financial institution in writing by certified mail, then to a fraud alert or security freeze with the three credit bureaus. Consumer complaints go to the office's Consumer and Tenant Response program through its consumer protection page. File with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov. The District requires owners to report a lost or stolen gun immediately; see the stolen firearm guide and our identity theft guide.
Checklists for what was stolen
Each guide opens with a checklist in the order to act, with a free printable PDF.
- Domain names
- Identity theft
- Vehicles
- Social media and email
- SIM swap and phone numbers
- Stolen phones
- Bicycles and e-bikes
- Packages and mail
- Wallets, cards and checks
- Passports
- Firearms
- Art and collectibles
- Cryptocurrency
This page is general information about the District of Columbia, not legal advice. For your situation, consult an attorney licensed in the District of Columbia.
Sources
- D.C. Code § 22-3212, Penalty for theft
- D.C. Code § 22-3215, Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle
- Metropolitan Police Department, File a Police Report Online
- DC DMV, What to Do if Your Vehicle Was Stolen in DC
- DC Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Alert: Identity Theft
- DC Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection
- Metropolitan Police Department
- DC Department of Motor Vehicles
- Giffords Law Center, Reporting Lost and Stolen Firearms (advocacy group)