(1) A person commits theft if he or she knowingly obtains or uses, or endeavors to obtain or to use, the property of another with intent to, either temporarily or permanently:

(a) Deprive the other person of a right to the property or a benefit from the property.

Attorney's Note

Under the Florida Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Felony of the first degreeup to 30 yearsup to $10,000
Felony of the second degreeup to 15 yearsup to $10,000
Felony of the third degreeup to 5 yearsup to $5,000
misdemeanor of the second degreeup to 60 daysup to $500
misdemeanor of the first degreeup to 1 yearup to $1,000
For details, see Fla. Stat. § 775.082(3)(b), Fla. Stat. § 775.082(3)(d), Fla. Stat. § 775.082(3)(e), Fla. Stat. § 775.082(4)(b) and Fla. Stat. § 775.082(4)(a)
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Terms Used In Florida Statutes 812.014

  • Codicil: An addition, change, or supplement to a will executed with the same formalities required for the will itself.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Office of Economic and Demographic Research: means an entity designated by joint rule of the Legislature or by agreement between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability: means an entity designated by joint rule of the Legislature or by agreement between the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • registered mail: includes certified mail with return receipt requested. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01
(b) Appropriate the property to his or her own use or to the use of any person not entitled to the use of the property.
(2)(a)1. If the property stolen is valued at $100,000 or more or is a semitrailer that was deployed by a law enforcement officer; or
2. If the property stolen is cargo valued at $50,000 or more that has entered the stream of interstate or intrastate commerce from the shipper’s loading platform to the consignee’s receiving dock; or
3. If the offender commits any grand theft and:

a. In the course of committing the offense the offender uses a motor vehicle as an instrumentality, other than merely as a getaway vehicle, to assist in committing the offense and thereby damages the real property of another; or
b. In the course of committing the offense the offender causes damage to the real or personal property of another in excess of $1,000,

the offender commits grand theft in the first degree, punishable as a felony of the first degree, as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

(b)1. If the property stolen is valued at $20,000 or more, but less than $100,000;
2. If the property stolen is cargo valued at less than $50,000 that has entered the stream of interstate or intrastate commerce from the shipper’s loading platform to the consignee’s receiving dock;
3. If the property stolen is emergency medical equipment, valued at $300 or more, that is taken from a facility licensed under chapter 395 or from an aircraft or vehicle permitted under chapter 401; or
4. If the property stolen is law enforcement equipment, valued at $300 or more, that is taken from an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in s. 316.003,

the offender commits grand theft in the second degree, punishable as a felony of the second degree, as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. Emergency medical equipment means mechanical or electronic apparatus used to provide emergency services and care as defined in s. 395.002(9) or to treat medical emergencies. Law enforcement equipment means any property, device, or apparatus used by any law enforcement officer as defined in s. 943.10 in the officer’s official business. However, if the property is stolen during a riot or an aggravated riot prohibited under s. 870.01 and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the riot; or within a county that is subject to a state of emergency declared by the Governor under chapter 252, the theft is committed after the declaration of emergency is made, and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the emergency, the theft is a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. As used in this paragraph, the term “conditions arising from the riot” means civil unrest, power outages, curfews, or a reduction in the presence of or response time for first responders or homeland security personnel and the term “conditions arising from the emergency” means civil unrest, power outages, curfews, voluntary or mandatory evacuations, or a reduction in the presence of or response time for first responders or homeland security personnel. A person arrested for committing a theft during a riot or an aggravated riot or within a county that is subject to a state of emergency may not be released until the person appears before a committing magistrate at a first appearance hearing. For purposes of sentencing under chapter 921, a felony offense that is reclassified under this paragraph is ranked one level above the ranking under s. 921.0022 or s. 921.0023 of the offense committed.

(c) It is grand theft of the third degree and a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property stolen is:

1. Valued at $750 or more, but less than $5,000.
2. Valued at $5,000 or more, but less than $10,000.
3. Valued at $10,000 or more, but less than $20,000.
4. A will, codicil, or other testamentary instrument.
5. A firearm, except as provided in paragraph (g).
6. A motor vehicle, except as provided in paragraph (a).
7. Any commercially farmed animal, including any animal of the equine, avian, bovine, or swine class or other grazing animal; a bee colony of a registered beekeeper; and aquaculture species raised at a certified aquaculture facility. If the property stolen is a commercially farmed animal, including an animal of the equine, avian, bovine, or swine class or other grazing animal; a bee colony of a registered beekeeper; or an aquaculture species raised at a certified aquaculture facility, a $10,000 fine shall be imposed.
8. Any fire extinguisher that, at the time of the taking, was installed in any building for the purpose of fire prevention and control. This subparagraph does not apply to a fire extinguisher taken from the inventory at a point-of-sale business.
9. Any amount of citrus fruit consisting of 2,000 or more individual pieces of fruit.
10. Taken from a designated construction site identified by the posting of a sign as provided for in s. 810.09(2)(c).
11. Any stop sign.
12. Anhydrous ammonia.
13. Any amount of a controlled substance as defined in s. 893.02. Notwithstanding any other law, separate judgments and sentences for theft of a controlled substance under this subparagraph and for any applicable possession of controlled substance offense under s. 893.13 or trafficking in controlled substance offense under s. 893.135 may be imposed when all such offenses involve the same amount or amounts of a controlled substance.

However, if the property is stolen during a riot or an aggravated riot prohibited under s. 870.01 and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the riot; or within a county that is subject to a state of emergency declared by the Governor under chapter 252, the property is stolen after the declaration of emergency is made, and the perpetration of the theft is facilitated by conditions arising from the emergency, the offender commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property is valued at $5,000 or more, but less than $10,000, as provided under subparagraph 2., or if the property is valued at $10,000 or more, but less than $20,000, as provided under subparagraph 3. As used in this paragraph, the terms “conditions arising from a riot” and “conditions arising from the emergency” have the same meanings as provided in paragraph (b). A person arrested for committing a theft during a riot or an aggravated riot or within a county that is subject to a state of emergency may not be released until the person appears before a committing magistrate at a first appearance hearing. For purposes of sentencing under chapter 921, a felony offense that is reclassified under this paragraph is ranked one level above the ranking under s. 921.0022 or s. 921.0023 of the offense committed.

(d)1. It is grand theft of the third degree and a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property stolen is valued at $40 or more, but less than $750, and is taken from a dwelling as defined in s. 810.011(2) or from the unenclosed curtilage of a dwelling pursuant to s. 810.09(1).
2. It is grand theft of the third degree and a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property stolen is valued at $750 or more and is taken from a dwelling as defined in s. 810.011(2) or from the unenclosed curtilage of a dwelling pursuant to s. 810.09(1).
3. It is grand theft of the second degree and a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property stolen is taken from more than 20 dwellings as defined in s. 810.011(2) or from the unenclosed curtilage of more than 20 dwellings pursuant to s. 810.09(1), or any combination thereof.
(e)1. It is petit theft of the first degree and a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, if the property stolen is valued at less than $40 and is taken from a dwelling as defined in s. 810.011(2) or from the unenclosed curtilage of a dwelling pursuant to s. 810.09(1).
2. A person who commits a violation of subparagraph 1. and who has previously been convicted of any theft commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
3. A person who commits a violation of subparagraph 1. and who has previously been convicted two or more times of any theft commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(f) Except as provided in paragraph (d), if the property stolen is valued at $100 or more, but less than $750, the offender commits petit theft of the first degree, punishable as a misdemeanor of the first degree, as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(g) It is grand theft of the second degree and a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084, if the property stolen is a firearm and the offender has previously been convicted of grand theft of a firearm under subparagraph (c)5.
(3)(a) Theft of any property not specified in subsection (2) is petit theft of the second degree and a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, and as provided in subsection (5), as applicable.
(b) A person who commits petit theft and who has previously been convicted of any theft commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(c) A person who commits petit theft and who has previously been convicted two or more times of any theft commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(d)1. A judgment of guilty or not guilty of a petit theft must be in:

a. A written record that is signed by the judge and recorded by the clerk of the circuit court; or
b. An electronic record that contains the judge’s electronic signature as defined in s. 933.40 and is recorded by the clerk of the circuit court.
2. A judge shall cause the fingerprints of a defendant who is found guilty of petit theft to be manually taken or electronically captured. Such fingerprints must be certified and filed in the case in which the judgment of guilty is entered as provided in s. 921.241(3).
3. A written or an electronic judgment of guilty of a petit theft, or a certified copy thereof, is admissible in evidence in the courts of this state as provided in s. 921.241(4).
(4) Failure to comply with the terms of a lease when the lease is for a term of 1 year or longer shall not constitute a violation of this section unless demand for the return of the property leased has been made in writing and the lessee has failed to return the property within 7 days of his or her receipt of the demand for return of the property. A demand mailed by certified or registered mail, evidenced by return receipt, to the last known address of the lessee shall be deemed sufficient and equivalent to the demand having been received by the lessee, whether such demand shall be returned undelivered or not.
(5)(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle so as to cause it to leave the premises of an establishment at which gasoline offered for retail sale was dispensed into the fuel tank of such motor vehicle unless the payment of authorized charge for the gasoline dispensed has been made.
(b) In addition to the penalties prescribed in paragraph (3)(a), every judgment of guilty of a petit theft for property described in this subsection shall provide for the suspension of the convicted person’s driver license. The court shall forward the driver license to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in accordance with s. 322.25.

1. The first suspension of a driver license under this subsection shall be for a period of up to 6 months.
2. The second or subsequent suspension of a driver license under this subsection shall be for a period of 1 year.
(6) A person who individually, or in concert with one or more other persons, coordinates the activities of one or more persons in committing theft under this section where the stolen property has a value in excess of $3,000 commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(7) The Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall perform a study every 5 years to determine the appropriateness of the threshold amounts included in this section. The study’s scope must include, but need not be limited to, the crime trends related to theft offenses, the theft threshold amounts of other states in effect at the time of the study, the fiscal impact of any modifications to this state’s threshold amounts, and the effect on economic factors, such as inflation. The study must include options for amending the threshold amounts if the study finds that such amounts are inconsistent with current trends. In conducting the study, OPPAGA shall consult with the Office of Economic and Demographic Research in addition to other interested entities. OPPAGA shall submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by September 1 of every 5th year.
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