Theft & Shoplifting Bail Bonds
The $950 line decides almost everything. PC 459.5, 484, 487 and 459 carry very different consequences.
California theft law changed substantially with Proposition 47, and the dividing line that decides almost everything is $950. Below it, most theft is a misdemeanor. Above it, the exposure and the bail figure change sharply. Knowing which side of that line a booking falls on tells you most of what you need to know tonight.
The $950 line, in the statutes’ own words
Penal Code § 459.5 defines shoplifting as “entering a commercial establishment with intent to commit larceny while that establishment is open during regular business hours, where the value of the property that is taken or intended to be taken does not exceed nine hundred fifty dollars ($950).” The statute continues: “Any other entry into a commercial establishment with intent to commit larceny is burglary.” Shoplifting is punished as a misdemeanor, with an exception for people with certain specified prior convictions or registration requirements.
Penal Code § 487 defines grand theft as theft “when the money, labor, real property, or personal property taken is of a value exceeding nine hundred fifty dollars ($950),” subject to specific exceptions. Some categories have their own lower thresholds — for example certain farm crops, domestic fowl, avocados, citrus and other produce are grand theft above $250.
Penal Code § 484 is the general theft definition that sits underneath both, covering the taking of another’s property. Theft that is not grand theft is petty theft, ordinarily a misdemeanor.
Scheduled bail amounts in Orange County
| Charge | Scheduled bail |
|---|---|
| PC 487 — grand theft | $20,000, or the amount of the theft, whichever is higher |
| PC 459 — burglary, residential | $50,000 |
| PC 211 — robbery, first degree | $100,000 |
| PC 211 — robbery, second degree | $50,000 |
| PC 459.5 — shoplifting | Misdemeanor — set under the county misdemeanor schedule. Call and we will read you the current figure |
The clause that catches people out. Grand theft is not simply $20,000. The schedule sets it at $20,000 or the amount of the theft, whichever is higher. On a large-value allegation the bail figure can be far above the base number, and families who budget from the $20,000 figure alone get a shock at the counter. Tell us the alleged value when you call and we will give you a realistic figure rather than a comforting one.
Figures from the 2026 Uniform Bail Schedule published by the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, effective 1 January 2026. Statute text from California Legislative Information: § 459.5 and § 487. We are a bail agency, not a law firm — this is general information, not advice about any particular case.
Shoplifting versus burglary — the detail that changes the charge
Read § 459.5 again carefully, because two conditions do a lot of work: the establishment must be open during regular business hours, and the value must not exceed $950. The statute then says any other entry into a commercial establishment with intent to commit larceny is burglary.
So the same physical act can be a misdemeanor or a felony-exposure burglary depending on the hour it happened and the alleged value. That is why the booking section matters more than the description, and why “it was just shoplifting” is sometimes not what the paperwork says.
Why the alleged value is the number to establish first
With theft charges, more than almost any other category, the first useful question is not “how much is bail” but “what value is alleged.” That figure drives whether the charge is petty or grand, and on grand theft it can drive the bail amount itself.
We will find the booking charge and the alleged value for free, usually within a few minutes, and tell you what the scheduled figure works out to before you commit to anything.
What families should do first
- Get the exact booking section. 459.5, 484, 487, 459 and 211 are five different outcomes.
- Find out the alleged value. On grand theft it can change the bail figure directly.
- Find out where they are held. City facility or county intake changes the timeline.
- Ask about prior convictions only with an attorney. § 459.5 has an exception tied to specified priors, and that is a legal question, not one for us.
Where they will be held and where the case is heard
Orange County custody runs through the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana, with transfers possible to Theo Lacy or the Musick Facility. North county matters are associated with the North Justice Center in Fullerton. That is what the courthouse handles, not a case assignment — the release paperwork and case record control where a case is actually heard.
Retail theft arrests frequently begin at a city facility — Buena Park and Brea both have large retail corridors, and Fullerton, Santa Ana and Whittier all operate their own facilities. In Los Angeles County, custody runs through the Inmate Reception Center for men and the Century Regional Detention Facility for women.
When theft becomes something heavier
Force or fear turns a theft into robbery, a violent felony carrying $100,000 for first degree and $50,000 for second degree on the Orange County schedule. Entering a structure intending to steal is burglary — though in an open shop, under $950, it is usually shoplifting instead. Both pages explain exactly where the line falls.
When theft is charged as fraud
Where the allegation involves a forged instrument, an identity or a scheme rather than a straightforward taking, it becomes a fraud or forgery case — and grand theft on the Orange County schedule is $20,000 or the amount of the theft, whichever is higher.
Related pages
- Felony bail bonds, including PC 1275.1 source-of-funds holds on larger bonds.
- Misdemeanor bail bonds.
- Warrant bail and failure to appear.
- Drug charges and assault and battery.
Common questions
What is the $950 rule in California theft law?
Under Penal Code § 459.5, shoplifting means entering an open commercial establishment intending to commit larceny where the value taken or intended does not exceed $950, and is punished as a misdemeanor subject to a prior-conviction exception. Under § 487, theft of value exceeding $950 is generally grand theft.
How much is bail for grand theft in Orange County?
The 2026 Orange County Uniform Bail Schedule lists PC 487 grand theft at $20,000 or the amount of the theft, whichever is higher. On a large-value allegation the figure can be considerably above the base amount.
When does shoplifting become burglary?
Section 459.5 states that any entry into a commercial establishment with intent to commit larceny other than the shoplifting situation it defines — open during regular business hours, value not exceeding $950 — is burglary.
Are there lower thresholds than $950?
Yes, for specific categories. Section 487 makes theft of certain farm crops, domestic fowl, avocados, citrus and other produce grand theft above $250.
Is petty theft a misdemeanor?
Theft that is not grand theft is ordinarily petty theft and a misdemeanor, set under the county misdemeanor schedule. Whether a particular case is charged that way is a question for the prosecutor and the court.
Where we work from
Our three offices are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year: Anaheim, Brea and La Habra. We post bail throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County.
Where petty theft ends and grand theft begins
The dividing line most people are looking for is $950.
| PC 484 / 488 | Petty theft — generally a misdemeanour. |
| PC 459.5 | Shoplifting, created by Proposition 47 — entering a commercial establishment during business hours intending to steal property valued at $950 or less. Generally a misdemeanour. |
| PC 487 | Grand theft — broadly where the value exceeds $950, with specific provisions for particular property. A wobbler. |
| PC 487(d)(1) | Grand theft of an automobile — see vehicle theft, which also covers VC 10851 unlawful taking. |
Proposition 47 matters here because it moved a great deal of conduct from felony to misdemeanour, subject to exceptions including certain prior convictions. For bail that is the difference between a schedule figure that usually needs no bond at all and one that does.
Two other things commonly raise the total: multiple counts stack, and property found in someone’s possession may attract a separate charge under Penal Code 496. Where entry into a structure is alleged, the charge may be burglary instead; where force or fear is alleged, robbery.
Our three offices
Anaheim, CA 92801(714) 520-2002
Brea, CA 92821(657) 286-5038
La Habra, CA 90631(562) 690-8303