Report a theft in Kentucky to the local police department or sheriff first and keep the case number. Under KRS 514.030, theft becomes a felony at $1,000. Then follow the checklist for what was taken, below.
Kentucky at a glance
| Felony theft threshold | $1,000. Theft by unlawful taking of property worth $1,000 or more is a Class D felony under KRS 514.030. |
|---|---|
| Theft statute | KRS 514.030 |
| Grading | Under $500: Class B misdemeanor. $500 to under $1,000: Class A misdemeanor. $1,000 to under $10,000: Class D felony. $10,000 to under $1,000,000: Class C felony. $1,000,000 or more: Class B felony. Theft of a firearm, of anhydrous ammonia, or of controlled substances worth under $10,000 is a Class D felony regardless of value, as is a fourth Class A misdemeanor theft within five years. A theft committed in an area under a declared emergency is charged one level higher. |
| Vehicle theft | KRS 514.030 has no separate tier for motor vehicles, so vehicle theft is graded by the vehicle's value; a vehicle worth $1,000 or more is a felony theft. |
| State police | Kentucky State Police |
| Motor vehicles | Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (Drive.ky.gov) |
| Consumer protection | Kentucky Attorney General, Office of Consumer Protection |
| Online police reports | Online reporting for non-emergency theft varies by department in Kentucky; the Kentucky State Police site does not offer an online theft report, so contact the city police or county sheriff where the theft occurred. |
| Lost or stolen gun reporting | Kentucky has no statewide requirement for owners to report a lost or stolen firearm, according to the Giffords Law Center, an advocacy group's summary of state law. |
| 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 Kentucky. Use the national tools in the lookup directory. |
Statute text checked on law.justia.com. Laws change; confirm the current version before relying on it.
Kentucky by the numbers
| Measure | Kentucky | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity theft reports to the FTC, 2024 | 6,396 reports, 142 per 100,000 residents; ranked 37 of 50 | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Fraud and other reports to the FTC, 2024 | 38,739 reports, 859 per 100,000 residents; median reported fraud loss $349; total reported fraud losses $70.8M | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Firearms reported stolen from private citizens | 4,256 a year on average, 94.5 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 Kentucky
In Kentucky, the value you report can decide whether a theft is a misdemeanor or a felony, and a theft during a declared emergency is charged more severely, so give police an accurate, documented value. Report to the city police department or county sheriff where the theft happened; the Kentucky State Police takes tips and collision reports online, but its site does not offer an online theft report. Whether a local agency accepts online reports varies, so check its site or call the non-emergency line. Call 911 for a theft in progress. Our stolen property guide covers what to have ready.
Kentucky theft law and the felony threshold
Under KRS 514.030, theft by unlawful taking becomes a felony when the property is worth $1,000 or more. The tiers are:
- Under $500: Class B misdemeanor.
- $500 to under $1,000: Class A misdemeanor.
- $1,000 to under $10,000: Class D felony.
- $10,000 to under $1,000,000: Class C felony.
- $1,000,000 or more: Class B felony.
Several categories are felonies at any value. Theft of a firearm is a Class D felony however little the gun is worth, and the same applies to anhydrous ammonia (with higher penalties when intended for methamphetamine production) and to controlled substances worth under $10,000. A person convicted of three or more Class A misdemeanor thefts within five years faces a Class D felony on the next. Kentucky also raises the charge by one level when a theft is committed in an area covered by a declared emergency.
Stolen vehicles and license plates in Kentucky
Kentucky's theft statute does not give motor vehicles their own tier, so a stolen car is graded by value: theft of a vehicle worth $1,000 or more is a Class D felony or higher, and a lower-value vehicle is a misdemeanor theft. Report a stolen vehicle to local police with the plate and VIN (vehicle identification number), then notify your insurer and lienholder.
For plates, the Transportation Cabinet's Drive.ky.gov license plate page tells owners to contact their local County Clerk's office to report a missing plate and request a replacement. Bring your police case number; it helps if the stolen plate is later used on another vehicle. We found no public state-run stolen vehicle search in Kentucky. See our stolen vehicle checklist and how to check if an item is stolen.
Pawn shops and secondhand sales
We did not confirm a statewide pawn or secondhand dealer holding period for Kentucky. Reporting rules for pawnshops and precious metal buyers can be set locally, so ask the officer handling your case whether pawn records are checked in your area. Supply serial numbers, photos and distinguishing marks, and do not try to recover an item from a shop yourself.
Identity theft and fraud help in Kentucky
The Kentucky Attorney General's consumer resources include the Office of Consumer Protection, which enforces the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act and takes consumer complaints, scam alerts, an Office of Senior Protection, and an Office of Data Privacy that enforces the Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act. For identity theft, file with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and make a local police report. Kentucky does not require gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm, according to the Giffords Law Center, but firearm theft is a felony at any value, so a prompt report protects the owner; 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 Kentucky, not legal advice. For your situation, consult an attorney licensed in Kentucky.