California Codes

Cal. Penal Code § 487 (2026)

✓ current as of May 2026
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Grand theft is theft committed in any of the following cases:

(a)When the money, labor, real property, or personal property taken is of a value exceeding nine hundred fifty dollars ($950), except as provided in subdivision (b).

(b)Notwithstanding subdivision (a), grand theft is committed in any of the following cases:

(1)(A)When domestic fowls, avocados, olives, citrus or deciduous fruits, other fruits, vegetables, nuts, artichokes, or other farm crops are taken of a value exceeding two hundred fifty dollars ($250).

(B)For the purposes of establishing that the value of domestic fowls, avocados, olives, citrus or deciduous fruits, other fruits, vegetables, nuts, artichokes, or other farm crops under this paragraph exceeds two hundred fifty dollars ($250), that value may be shown by the presentation of credible evidence which establishes that on the day of the theft domestic fowls, avocados, olives, citrus or deciduous fruits, other fruits, vegetables, nuts, artichokes, or other farm crops of the same variety and weight exceeded two hundred fifty dollars ($250) in wholesale value.

(2)When fish, shellfish, mollusks, crustaceans, kelp, algae, or other aquacultural products are taken from a commercial or research operation which is producing that product, of a value exceeding two hundred fifty dollars ($250).

(3)Where the money, labor, real property, or personal property is taken by a servant, agent, or employee from their principal or employer and aggregates nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) or more in any 12 consecutive month period.

(c)When the property is taken from the person of another.

(d)When the property taken is any of the following:

(1)An automobile.

(2)A firearm.

(e)If the value of the money, labor, real property, or personal property taken exceeds nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) over the course of distinct but related acts, including acts committed against multiple victims or in counties other than the county of the current offense, the value of the money, labor, real property, or personal property taken may properly be aggregated to charge a count of grand theft, if the acts are motivated by one intention, one general impulse, and one plan. Evidence that distinct acts are motivated by one intention, one general impulse, and one plan may include, but is not limited to, evidence that the acts involve the same defendant or defendants, are substantially similar in nature, or occur within a 90-day period.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 951 cases (141 in the last 5 years), 1880–2026 · leading case: People v. Whitmer, 329 P.3d 154 (Cal. 2014).
People v. Whitmer, 329 P.3d 154 (Cal. 2014). · cites it 6× “‖ The value of the stolen vehicles ranged from $9,100 to over $20,000 per vehicle, resulting in a total loss to the dealership of over $250,000.”
George Garcia v. Loretta E. Lynch, 786 F.3d 789 (9th Cir. 2015). · cites it 10× “” Cal. Penal Code § 487 (2009). The statute has since been amended to raise the value establishing grand theft to $950.”
People v. George B., 91 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 2163 (Cal. Ct. App. 1991). · cites it 10× “(Pen. Code, § 487, subd. 2.) The minor, already a ward of the court, was continued in that status and committed to the California Youth Authority (CYA).”
People v. Jesus O., 152 P.3d 1100 (Cal. 2007). · cites it 6× “(Pen.Code, § 487, subd. (c).) Here, the juvenile and a cohort, intending to steal property, assaulted someone who possessed a cellular telephone.”
Rummel v. Estelle, 445 U.S. 263 (1980). · cites it 2× “[24] See Cal. Penal Code Ann. § 487 (1) (West 1970).”
People v. Van Orden, 9 Cal. App. 5th 1277 (Cal. Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 6× “(Pen. Code, § 487, subd. (a).) However, the Penal Code made exceptions to this dollar-amount threshold for certain types of property.”
People v. Marks, 72 P.3d 1222 (Cal. 2003). · cites it 2× “a) The Prior Convictions Before defendant testified, the People referred to four prior convictions with which they wished to impeach him: a 1989 conviction for grand theft person (Pen. Code, § 487), a 1985 conviction for sale of marijuana (Health & Saf.”
Sergio Martinez-Perez v. Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney Gen., 417 F.3d 1022 (9th Cir. 2005). · cites it 3× “Cal.Penal Code § 487 (West 2003). Section 487(c) provides that grand theft is theft committed “[w]hen the property is taken from the person of another.”
People v. Smith, 80 P.3d 662 (Cal. 2003). · cites it 4× “Code, §§ 211, 664), grand theft of an automobile (Pen.Code, § 487, subd. (d)), and grand theft of personal property (Pen.”
People v. Solis, 200 Cal. Rptr. 3d 463 (Cal. Ct. App. 2nd 2016). · cites it 3× “FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND On March 15, 2012, defendant and three co-defendants were charged by information with grand theft auto, a felony (Pen.Code, § 487, subd. (d)(1) ; count 1); driving or taking a vehicle, a felony (Veh.”
People v. Singh, 37 Cal. App. 4th 1343 (Cal. Ct. App. 1995). · cites it 7× “Burke were charged in a fifteen-count indictment with three counts of grand theft (Pen. Code, § 487), one count of attempted grand theft (Pen.”
People v. McFarland, 376 P.2d 449 (Cal. 1962). · cites it 4× “Code, §§ 459, 460), and one count of grand theft (Pen. Code, § 487, subd. 1). The sentences imposed by the court for the taking of automobiles were made concurrent with each other but consecutive with respect to concurrent sentences imposed on the burglary counts.”
— Cal. Penal Code § 487(1) — 2 cases
Kennedy v. Los Angeles Police Dep't, 667 F. Supp. 697 (C.D. Cal. 1987).
Marghzar v. Comm'r, 58 T.C.M. 663 (Tax Ct. 1989).
— Cal. Penal Code § 487(2) — 4 cases
United States v. Jennings, 515 F.3d 980 (9th Cir. 2008).
United States v. Hawley, 516 F.3d 264 (5th Cir. 2008).
United States v. Brett Wayne Wofford, 122 F.3d 787 (9th Cir. 1997).
— Cal. Penal Code § 487(3) — 2 cases
United States v. Rodriguez-Lopez, 51 F. App'x 664 (9th Cir. 2002).
United States v. Rodriguez-Lopez, 15 F. App'x 535 (9th Cir. 2001).
— Cal. Penal Code § 487(A) — 2 cases
Gutierrez v. Holder, 6 F. Supp. 3d 1035 (N.D. Cal. 2014).
— Cal. Penal Code § 487(A)(4) — 1 case
People v. Wang, 106 Cal. Rptr. 2d 829 (Cal. Ct. App. 2001).
— Cal. Penal Code § 487(a) — 21 cases
George Garcia v. Loretta E. Lynch, 786 F.3d 789 (9th Cir. 2015). “” Cal. Penal Code § 487 (2009). The statute has since been amended to raise the value establishing grand theft to $950.”
United States v. Stoterau, 524 F.3d 988 (9th Cir. 2008).
Eduardo Guzman v. Sandra Shewry, 552 F.3d 941 (9th Cir. 2009).
Restrepo v. Attorney Gen. of US, 617 F.3d 787 (3rd Cir. 2010).
— Cal. Penal Code § 487(b)(3) — 3 cases
Kui Myles v. United States, 47 F.4th 1005 (9th Cir. 2022).
Jones v. City of Santa Monica, 382 F.3d 1052 (9th Cir. 2004).
Dykstra, 1999 T.C. Memo. 219 (1970).
— Cal. Penal Code § 487(c) — 12 cases
Sergio Martinez-Perez v. Alberto R. Gonzales, Attorney Gen., 417 F.3d 1022 (9th Cir. 2005). “Cal.Penal Code § 487 (West 2003). Section 487(c) provides that grand theft is theft committed “[w]hen the property is taken from the person of another.”
Toledo v. United States, 581 F.3d 678 (8th Cir. 2009).
United States v. Hawley, 516 F.3d 264 (5th Cir. 2008).
— Cal. Penal Code § 487(d) — 2 cases
State v. Allen, 2001 MT 266 (Mont. 2001).
United States v. Cesar Pulido-Estrada, 624 F. App'x 526 (9th Cir. 2015).
— Cal. Penal Code § 487(d)(1) — 7 cases
United States v. Vidal, 504 F.3d 1072 (9th Cir. 2007).
Johnson v. Uribe, 700 F.3d 413 (9th Cir. 2012).
Kennard Johnson v. Domingo Uribe, Jr., 682 F.3d 1238 (9th Cir. 2012).
People v. Mincks CA4/2 (Cal. Ct. App. 2016).
P. v. Stewart CA2/8 (Cal. Ct. App. 2013).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.