A person commits the criminal offense (crime) of theft—also known as stealing—by unlawfully taking or appropriating the property of another person or entity with the intent to deprive the owner of the property.

Taking or appropriating property is generally unlawful if it is done without the owner's effective consent—for example, if the property was taken by threat, deception, or extortion.


In Kentucky, theft is defined under Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) 514.030 as the act of unlawfully taking or exercising control over movable property of another with the intent to deprive them thereof. The severity of the offense and the penalties involved depend on the value of the property stolen. Theft by unlawful taking or disposition is considered a Class A misdemeanor if the value of the property is less than $500. It escalates to a felony if the value exceeds this amount, with increasing degrees of severity for higher value thresholds. Additionally, theft by deception, as outlined in KRS 514.040, occurs when a person obtains property of another by creating or reinforcing a false impression, failing to correct a false impression, or preventing another from acquiring information pertinent to the disposition of the property. Theft by extortion, under KRS 514.080, involves obtaining property by threatening to inflict physical harm, accuse someone of a crime, expose a secret, or take or withhold action as an official, among other things. Each of these forms of theft requires the absence of the owner's effective consent and the intent to deprive the owner of their property.