Report a theft in Illinois to the local police department or sheriff first and keep the case number. Under 720 ILCS 5/16-1, theft becomes a felony at $500. Then follow the checklist for what was taken, below.
Illinois at a glance
| Felony theft threshold | $500. Theft of property worth more than $500 is a felony (Class 3) under 720 ILCS 5/16-1; theft of $500 or less not from the person is a Class A misdemeanor. |
|---|---|
| Theft statute | 720 ILCS 5/16-1 |
| Grading | Up to $500 (not from the person): Class A misdemeanor. Over $500 to $10,000, or any theft from the person up to $500: Class 3 felony. Over $10,000 to $100,000: Class 2. Over $100,000 to $500,000: Class 1. Over $500,000 to $1,000,000: Class 1 non-probationable. Over $1,000,000: Class X. Theft in a school or place of worship, or of government property, is graded one class higher, and a low-value theft by someone with a prior theft conviction is a Class 4 felony. |
| Vehicle theft | Theft of a vehicle is graded by value under 720 ILCS 5/16-1. Separately, knowingly possessing, concealing, selling or transferring a stolen vehicle or essential part, or altering a VIN, is a Class 2 felony under the Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/4-103. |
| State police | Illinois State Police |
| Motor vehicles | Illinois Secretary of State (vehicle titles and registration) |
| Consumer protection | Illinois Attorney General, Consumer Protection |
| Online police reports | Chicago routes non-emergency police reports, including theft from a vehicle, auto theft and garage burglary when the offender is gone, through its 3-1-1 non-emergency line (CPD: Use 3-1-1). Online reporting elsewhere in Illinois varies by department. |
| Lost or stolen gun reporting | Illinois requires FOID card holders to report a lost or stolen firearm to local law enforcement within 48 hours of discovering the loss or theft (720 ILCS 5/24-4.1), according to the Giffords Law Center, an advocacy group's summary of state law; the window was previously 72 hours. |
| Pawn and secondhand dealers | Under the Pawnbroker Regulation Act (205 ILCS 511), pawnbrokers must deliver a daily report of items received to the sheriff or local police, keep records for three years, and hold property under a police hold order for up to 120 days. |
| Official stolen property lookups |
|
Statute text checked on ilga.gov. Laws change; confirm the current version before relying on it.
Illinois by the numbers
| Measure | Illinois | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity theft reports to the FTC, 2024 | 43,028 reports, 339 per 100,000 residents; ranked 9 of 50 | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Fraud and other reports to the FTC, 2024 | 186,426 reports, 1,469 per 100,000 residents; median reported fraud loss $400; total reported fraud losses $318.1M | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Firearms reported stolen from private citizens | 4,487 a year on average, 35.0 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 Illinois
Illinois sets its felony theft line at a comparatively low $500, which makes an accurate police report and a documented value especially important. Report to the city or county agency where the theft happened. In Chicago, the police department treats pickpocketing, theft from a vehicle, auto theft, garage burglary and deceptive practices as non-emergencies when the offender has left, and directs residents to call 3-1-1 rather than 9-1-1. The Illinois State Police patrols interstates and runs the FOID (Firearm Owner's Identification) program, but most household thefts belong with local police. Other departments set their own online or phone reporting rules. See our stolen property guide for what to have ready.
Illinois theft law and the felony threshold
Under 720 ILCS 5/16-1, theft of property not from the person and not exceeding $500 is a Class A misdemeanor. Above $500 it becomes a felony. The tiers are:
- Over $500 to $10,000: Class 3 felony (also any theft from the person up to $500).
- Over $10,000 to $100,000: Class 2 felony.
- Over $100,000 to $500,000: Class 1 felony.
- Over $500,000 to $1,000,000: Class 1, not eligible for probation.
- Over $1,000,000: Class X felony.
Location and history also matter. Theft in a school or place of worship, or of government property, moves up a class, so even a theft under $500 there is a Class 4 felony. A person with a prior theft-type conviction can face a Class 4 felony for a low-value theft. Deception against a person 60 or older, or a person with a disability, involving $5,000 or more is a Class 2 felony.
Stolen vehicles and license plates in Illinois
A stolen car is graded by value under the theft statute, and the Illinois Vehicle Code adds a separate Class 2 felony under 625 ILCS 5/4-103 for possessing, concealing or selling a stolen vehicle or essential part, altering a VIN, or filing a false vehicle theft report.
In Chicago, the police department's Find My Car search lets you look up a vehicle by plate, VIN or police report number. It is primarily a towed and impounded vehicle locator: its records cover tows, private tows and repossessions as well as stolen vehicles and lost or stolen plates. Check it before assuming a missing car was stolen, but treat it as a Chicago tool, not a statewide database.
For stolen plates, Public Act 103-1005 amended 625 ILCS 5/3-820 so that the Secretary of State issues a new plate or registration sticker with no fee when the owner files a police report and affidavit; the Secretary of State has said victims could apply starting January 1, 2025. See our stolen vehicle checklist.
Pawn shops and secondhand sales
Illinois pawnbrokers work under detailed state rules. The Pawnbroker Regulation Act requires a daily report of items received to the county sheriff or, in larger cities, the police chief, and records must be kept for three years. When police place a hold order, the pawnbroker must keep the item for 120 days, extendable once by warrant. Stolen property of modest value ($500 or less in smaller counties, $1,000 or less in counties over 300,000 people) is returned to the owner without repaying the pawn loan, if the owner provides a sworn statement.
Identity theft and fraud help in Illinois
The Illinois Attorney General runs an Identity Theft Hotline at 1-866-999-5630, staffed by trained advocates who help victims report to banks and police, repair credit and place security freezes; the office also publishes a public database of reported data breaches. File with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov as well. For guns, Illinois is one of the states that requires reporting: FOID holders have 48 hours after discovering a loss or theft. 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 Illinois, not legal advice. For your situation, consult an attorney licensed in Illinois.
Sources
- 720 ILCS 5/16-1 (Theft)
- 625 ILCS 5/4-103 (Stolen vehicle offenses)
- Public Act 103-1005 (625 ILCS 5/3-820)
- WSIU: Legislation assisting victims of auto theft signed into law
- 205 ILCS 511/10-25 (Pawnbroker records and reports)
- 205 ILCS 511/15-55 (Hold orders)
- Chicago Police: Search for Towed or Stolen Vehicles
- Chicago Police: Use 3-1-1 to Report Non-Emergencies
- Illinois State Police
- Illinois Secretary of State
- Illinois Attorney General, Consumer Protection
- Illinois Attorney General, Identity Theft
- Giffords Law Center: Reporting lost and stolen guns in Illinois