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Does Nevada consider theft a felony only if something valued at $1,200 or more is stolen?

By Esther Tsvayg
YES

With the passage of AB236, signed June 2019, the threshold for felony theft in Nevada was raised to $1,200. Theft of property or services below this threshold is classified as a misdemeanor. Prior to the passage of AB236, Nevada had one of the lowest thresholds for felony theft at $650, with 43 states having a higher threshold.

While an earlier version of the bill proposed setting the threshold at $2,000, the final language sets the amount at $1,200—meaning that the penalty for stealing a single smartphone would be a misdemeanor.

“It was a compromise. But we definitely had discussions about iPhones,” said Democratic Assemblywoman Rochelle Nguyen.

AB236 also created a tiered penalty structure based on increasing values of theft.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Nevada Advisory Commission on the Administration of Justice Practitioner Guide to AB 236
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