How Much Theft Is a Felony in Illinois: Thresholds and Exceptions

In Illinois, theft becomes a felony once the stolen property is worth more than $500. At or below that amount, a standard theft is a Class A misdemeanor; above it, the charge starts at a Class 3 felony and climbs through five more tiers as the dollar figure rises. Value is the main trigger, but it is not the only one. Stealing from a person’s body, taking property from a school or place of worship, targeting an elderly or disabled victim through deception, having certain prior convictions, or stealing specific items like firearms or vehicles can all turn a sub-$500 theft into a felony.

The Dollar Thresholds

The Illinois theft statute sets out a staircase of classifications tied directly to the value of what was taken.

  • $500 or less (not from a person): Class A misdemeanor, up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.1Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-55 – Class A Misdemeanors
  • More than $500 but not more than $10,000: Class 3 felony, two to five years in prison.
  • More than $10,000 but not more than $100,000: Class 2 felony, three to seven years.
  • More than $100,000 but not more than $500,000: Class 1 felony, four to 15 years.
  • More than $500,000 but not more than $1,000,000: Class 1 felony, non-probationable. Four to 15 years, and the judge cannot grant probation.
  • More than $1,000,000: Class X felony, six to 30 years.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/16-1 – Theft

Most cases turn on the misdemeanor-to-felony line at $500. A Class A misdemeanor keeps a defendant in county jail with a modest fine. One dollar over the line puts state prison on the table and leaves a felony record.

When a Theft Under $500 Is Still a Felony

Several situations pull low-value thefts into felony territory regardless of the price tag.

Theft From a Person

Pickpocketing or snatching something directly off someone’s body is a Class 3 felony even when the item is worth $500 or less. That is the same class as stealing $500 to $10,000 worth of unattended property. If the theft from a person occurs at a school or place of worship, it rises to a Class 2 felony.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/16-1 – Theft

Theft at a School or Place of Worship

Stealing anything from a school or place of worship, even an item worth $10, is a Class 4 felony punishable by one to three years in prison. Above $500, the school or worship location bumps every value tier up by one felony class. A theft of $500 to $10,000 at a school is a Class 2 rather than a Class 3; a theft over $100,000 at a school is a Class X rather than a Class 1.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/16-1 – Theft

Theft of Government Property

Government property follows the same enhancement pattern. Any theft of government property worth $500 or less is a Class 4 felony, and each higher value tier moves up one class as well.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/16-1 – Theft

Elderly or Disabled Victims

Theft by deception from a person aged 60 or older, or a person with a disability, is a Class 2 felony when the amount is more than $5,000. The enhancement is limited to theft by deception, meaning scams and fraudulent schemes, not every form of theft. A $6,000 deception against a 65-year-old is a Class 2 (three to seven years) rather than the Class 3 that would otherwise apply at that value.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/16-1 – Theft

Prior Theft-Related Convictions

A prior conviction for any theft, robbery, armed robbery, burglary, residential burglary, possession of burglary tools, home invasion, forgery, possession of a stolen vehicle, or certain fraud offenses makes a sub-$500 theft a Class 4 felony automatically. The prosecution must note the prior in the charging document. For anyone with a theft-adjacent record, stealing a low-value item means one to three years in state prison instead of county jail.2Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/16-1 – Theft

Property That Is Always a Felony to Steal

Some items carry automatic felony charges under separate statutes, with no dollar threshold at all.

Possessing a stolen firearm is a Class 2 felony, three to seven years in prison. The statute reaches anyone who possesses a firearm they know to be stolen, and a jury can infer that knowledge from an altered or removed serial number.3Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/24-3.8 – Possession of a Stolen Firearm

Possessing a stolen motor vehicle is also a Class 2 felony under the Vehicle Code. An older car worth well under $500 still triggers a felony charge because it is a motor vehicle.4Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 625 ILCS 5/4-103 – Possession of a Stolen or Converted Motor Vehicle

Identity theft is always a felony, no matter the amount. Using someone else’s personal information to obtain goods or services worth $300 or less is a Class 4 felony; $300 to $2,000 is a Class 3; $2,000 to $10,000 is a Class 2. Prior identity theft convictions, certain prior theft-related convictions, and targeting an active-duty military member serving overseas each push the classification up a class.5Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/16-30 – Identity Theft

Shoplifting is covered by a separate retail theft statute with its own tier structure based on merchandise value and the defendant’s prior retail theft history. Prosecutors can charge shoplifting under either the general theft statute or the retail theft statute depending on the facts.6Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/16-25 – Retail Theft

When Small Thefts Add Up to a Felony

Illinois prosecutors can combine the value of multiple separate thefts into a single charge. This is called aggregation. An employee who takes $100 a week from the same employer for eight weeks can face one felony based on the $800 total rather than eight misdemeanors. The thefts must be part of a single intention and design, and the property must belong to the same person or to people with a common interest in it.7Illinois Office of the State Appellate Defender. Digest Chapter 48 – Theft and Other Property Offenses

Aggregation is how embezzlement, ongoing employee theft, and repeated shoplifting from the same store commonly become felonies. Random, unrelated thefts from different victims generally cannot be combined.

What Each Felony Class Means in Practice

Prison ranges for each class apply across all the triggers above:

Any felony theft conviction can also carry a fine of up to $25,000, and the court can order restitution to the victim on top of that fine.13Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-50 – Fines Extended-term sentencing, triggered by certain prior felonies or aggravating factors, can roughly double the upper end of each range; a Class 4 can reach six years and a Class 2 can reach 14. Probation is available for most first-time lower-class felonies but is off the table for Class X convictions and for the non-probationable Class 1 tier that begins at $500,000.