Free tool · vehicle theft · California
Vehicle theft in California.
Motor vehicle thefts reported by police agencies in California, by month and by year, from the FBI's crime data.
In 2025, police agencies in California reported motor vehicle thefts.
That is per 100,000 people covered, against nationally. were cleared by an arrest or by exceptional means: .
2026 so far (Jan–Sep, partial year): thefts reported.
Rate = thefts ÷ population covered by reporting agencies × 100,000. Cleared = offenses cleared ÷ offenses.
Thefts by month, 2025
The most were reported in Jan: 11,874.
The last 5 complete years
| Year | Thefts | Per 100k | Cleared | Cleared % | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Jan–Sep, partial | 51,132 | — | 4,048 | 7.9% | 77.4% |
| 2025 | 124,872 | 317.4 | 8,209 | 6.6% | 100.0% |
| 2024 | 153,203 | 389.7 | 9,311 | 6.1% | 99.7% |
| 2023 | 198,298 | 518.8 | 11,191 | 5.6% | 98.1% |
| 2022 | 183,786 | 476.8 | 13,140 | 7.1% | 98.8% |
| 2021 | 31,855 | 309.3 | 1,987 | 6.2% | 26.2% low |
Coverage = share of the population whose police agencies reported to the FBI. A low-coverage year undercounts; compare rates per 100k, not raw counts, across those years.
What to do if your vehicle is stolen in California
- Make sure it was stolen, not towed or repossessed. Call the local police non-emergency line first; tows and repossessions are often reported to the police, so they may already know where it is.
- Report it to the police right away. Have the VIN, plate number, year, make, model, color and anything distinctive (dents, racks, stickers). Write down the report number.
- If it has a GPS tracker, give the police its location. Let officers make the recovery; do not go after the vehicle yourself.
- Call your insurance company with the police report number. Theft is usually covered under comprehensive coverage, not liability.
- If it is financed or leased, tell the lender.
- Ask your state's DMV whether you need to report the plates or the title as stolen.
- Close the doors it opens. If a garage opener, house keys or a toll tag were inside, change the codes, rekey the locks and suspend the tag. Remove the vehicle from any connected-car app.
Buying a used vehicle? NICB's free VINCheck shows whether a VIN has been reported stolen and not recovered.