Retail Theft
13 V.S.A. § 2577 — up to 30 days for $250 or less, rising with value and repeat offenses
Retail theft is taking merchandise from a store without paying, switching or removing price tags and paying less, or moving goods between containers to pay less, with intent to wrongfully deprive the merchant.
| Retail value | Most it carries |
|---|---|
| Retail value$250 or less | Most it carries30 days, $500 |
| Retail valueOver $250 to $900, first offense | Most it carriesSix months, $500 |
| Retail valueOver $250 to $900, second within two years | Most it carriesTwo years, $1,000 |
| Retail valueOver $900 | Most it carries10 years, $1,000 |
When the store holds someone. A merchant with reasonable cause to believe someone committed or tried retail theft may detain the person nearby, out of public view if possible, in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable time, to verify identification, ask about and recover unpaid merchandise, and turn the person over to police; a minor's parent is told too. A person held for the police has the right to one local phone call, and the merchant says so.
Sources for this section (3)
- 13 V.S.A. § 2575 — Offense of retail theft
- 13 V.S.A. § 2577 — Penalty
- 13 V.S.A. § 2576 — Detention
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Vermont attorney.