What to do when something is stolen in Georgia

Georgia at a glance

Statute text checked on law.justia.com. Laws change; confirm the current version before relying on it.

Georgia by the numbers

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 Georgia

In Georgia, the place a theft happened decides who takes the report: the city police department inside city limits, the county police or sheriff elsewhere, and campus or transit police on their own property. The Georgia Department of Public Safety, which runs the Georgia State Patrol, handles highways and does not replace your local agency. Call 911 for a theft in progress; otherwise use the local non-emergency line.

Online filing is limited and specific. The Atlanta Police Department takes online reports for lost property, vandalism, harassing calls or messages, and identity theft. It requires an email address and an uploaded government photo ID. Ordinary thefts, burglaries and vehicle thefts in Atlanta are reported by phone. Other Georgia departments set their own rules. Whatever route you use, keep the case number; our stolen property guide explains why it matters.

Georgia theft law and the felony threshold

Georgia's penalty statute, O.C.G.A. § 16-8-12, treats theft as a misdemeanor unless an exception applies. The main exception is value. Theft of property worth more than $1,500 is punishable as a felony:

• $1,500.01 to under $5,000: one to five years, or misdemeanor punishment at the judge's discretion.
• $5,000 to under $25,000: one to ten years, or misdemeanor punishment at the judge's discretion.
• Over $24,999.99: two to 20 years.

Two features stand out. First, Georgia judges keep discretion to sentence the lower felony tiers as misdemeanors. Second, some property is a felony regardless of value: theft of a firearm, explosive or destructive device carries one to ten years, and a third theft conviction is a felony. The same statute also sets felony penalties for theft by fiduciaries and government or bank employees, and for theft of regulated metal property.

Stolen vehicles and license plates in Georgia

Georgia does not have a separate fixed penalty for car theft in its theft statute; a stolen vehicle is graded by value under the same tiers, so most vehicle thefts reach the felony range. Report the vehicle to the local police with its plate number and VIN (vehicle identification number, the 17-character code on the dashboard and title), then notify your insurer and lienholder.

Georgia has no public stolen vehicle search run by the state that we could confirm. Registration and titles are handled by the Department of Revenue's Motor Vehicle Division through county tag offices; contact your county tag office about replacing a stolen plate and bring your police case number. For checking a used vehicle, see our guide to checking if an item is stolen, which covers the national NICB VINCheck, and our stolen vehicle checklist.

Pawn shops and secondhand sales

Georgia's pawnbroker statutes set terms for pawn loans (30-day periods that can be renewed) but we did not find a statewide holding period for goods bought by dealers. Record-keeping and police reporting rules for pawn and secondhand dealers are often set by city or county ordinance, so ask the officer on your case whether the local agency checks pawn records, and give a full description and serial numbers.

Identity theft and fraud help in Georgia

Identity theft is a felony in Georgia under O.C.G.A. § 16-9-121, as the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division notes. Its guidance tells victims to place a fraud alert, pull reports from all three credit bureaus, and build an Identity Theft Report from an FTC complaint at IdentityTheft.gov plus a police report. Georgia residents can freeze their credit files for free, and a stolen driver's license should be reported to the Georgia Department of Driver Services. For a gun, Georgia does not require owners to report a loss or theft, according to the Giffords Law Center, but reporting it protects you; see our stolen firearm guide and identity theft checklist.

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 Georgia, not legal advice. For your situation, consult an attorney licensed in Georgia.