Theft, and How the Value Sets the Class
720 ILCS 5/16-1 — a Class A misdemeanor up to $500, rising with value to a Class X felony over $1,000,000
A person commits theft when they knowingly obtain or exert unauthorized control over the owner's property, or obtain control by deception or by threat, or take property knowing or having reason to believe it was stolen, and intend to deprive the owner of it permanently or act in one of the other ways the section lists.
Who handles this in Illinois: Illinois State Bar Association, Illinois Lawyer Finder; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Illinois directory.
| Value of the property | Class |
|---|---|
| Value of the propertyNot from the person, $500 or less | ClassClass A misdemeanor |
| Value of the propertyFrom the person, $500 or less, or over $500 up to $10,000 | ClassClass 3 felony |
| Value of the propertyOver $10,000 up to $100,000 | ClassClass 2 felony |
| Value of the propertyOver $100,000 up to $500,000 | ClassClass 1 felony |
| Value of the propertyOver $500,000 up to $1,000,000 | ClassClass 1 non-probationable felony |
| Value of the propertyOver $1,000,000 | ClassClass X felony |
- Theft in a school or place of worship, or of governmental property, is graded higher: up to $500 it is a Class 4 felony, and over $100,000 a Class X felony.
- Posing as a landlord to take a rent payment or security deposit is a Class 3 felony up to $500 and a Class 2 felony above it.
Retail theft, taking merchandise from a store without paying the full retail value, has its own section. Merchandise worth $300 or less, or motor fuel worth $150 or less, is a Class A misdemeanor, and leaving by an emergency exit with property of that value is a Class 4 felony.
Sources for this section (2)
- 720 ILCS 5/16-1 — Theft
- 720 ILCS 5/16-25 — Retail theft
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Illinois attorney.