Shoplifting
IC 34-24-3-1 — on top of the charge, the store may sue for up to three times its actual damages
Taking goods from a store is charged as theft: a Class A misdemeanor, and a Level 6 felony where the goods are worth at least $750. The price tag or price marking on goods displayed for sale is prima facie evidence of their value.
Who handles this in Indiana: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Indiana directory.
- An amount not more than three times the actual damages.
- The costs of the action and a reasonable attorney's fee.
- Actual travel expenses, and reasonable amounts for the time spent filing papers and attending court, and for employees' time doing so.
- All other reasonable costs of collection.
That civil action is open to anyone who suffers a pecuniary loss from a property crime in the article covering theft, conversion, burglary, trespass and vandalism, whether or not anyone is convicted of it.
Sources for this section (2)
- IC 35-43-4-2 — Theft
- IC 34-24-3-1 — Offenses against property; recovery of damages, costs, and attorney's fee
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Indiana attorney.