ARS 13-1814: Theft of Means of Transportation
The complete text of A.R.S. § 13-1814 on theft of means of transportation, what the State has to prove, and the sentencing range, with a violation charged as a class 3 felony and exposure reaching up to 8.75 years in prison.
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ARS 13-1814 Theft of Means of Transportation: What the State Must Prove
A.R.S. § 13-1814 makes it a class 3 felony to knowingly take another person’s vehicle without lawful authority intending to permanently deprive them of it, to keep an entrusted vehicle beyond the authorized use, to obtain one by misrepresentation, to keep a lost or misdelivered vehicle, or to control a vehicle you know or have reason to know is stolen. There is no dollar threshold; the class is fixed.
- Class 3 felony regardless of the vehicle’s value: 2 to 8.75 years for a first offense, presumptive 3.5 years, probation eligible.
- Unlawful use of means of transportation (joyriding, § 13-1803), with no intent to permanently deprive, is a class 5 felony for the driver and a class 6 for a passenger.
- Reporting a vehicle stolen requires a sworn affidavit (subsection C); a false report is its own crime, and a missing or late affidavit removes the car from the stolen-vehicle databases.
- Related charges: theft (§ 13-1802), trafficking in stolen property (§ 13-2307), and chop shop offenses (§ 13-4702).
Elements the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt
- That you acted knowingly and without lawful authority.
- One of the five acts in subsection A: control with intent to permanently deprive (1), conversion of an entrusted vehicle for an unauthorized term or use (2), obtaining by material misrepresentation with intent to permanently deprive (3), keeping a lost or misdelivered vehicle without reasonable efforts to find the owner (4), or controlling a vehicle knowing or having reason to know it is stolen (5).
- For (A)(1) and (A)(3), intent to permanently deprive, which separates this charge from joyriding under § 13-1803.
- For (A)(5), knowledge or reason to know the vehicle was stolen; under § 13-2305, unexplained possession of a recently stolen vehicle permits an inference of knowledge.
How the statute itself lists the conduct
A. A person commits theft of means of transportation if, without lawful authority, the person knowingly does one of the following:
- Controls another person’s means of transportation with the intent to permanently deprive the person of the means of transportation.
- Converts for an unauthorized term or use another person’s means of transportation that is entrusted to or placed in the defendant’s possession for a limited, authorized term or use.
- Obtains another person’s means of transportation by means of any material misrepresentation with intent to permanently deprive the person of the means of transportation.
- Comes into control of another person’s means of transportation that is lost or misdelivered under circumstances providing means of inquiry as to the true owner and appropriates the means of transportation to the person’s own or another’s use without reasonable efforts to notify the true owner.
- Controls another person’s means of transportation knowing or having reason to know that the property is stolen.
The State must prove every element of the paragraph it actually charged, beyond a reasonable doubt. Which paragraph appears on the complaint decides what the case is about, and it is the first thing to check.
Penalties for a § 13-1814 Conviction
| Class | Mitigated | Minimum | Presumptive | Maximum | Aggravated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 3 felony | 2 years | 2.5 years | 3.5 years | 7 years | 8.75 years |
Felony ranges are set by A.R.S. § 13-702(D) and apply to a first felony conviction that is not dangerous and not repetitive. A dangerous offense (§ 13-704), a repetitive offense (§ 13-703) or a dangerous crime against children (§ 13-705) carries a longer range, and some carry mandatory prison with no probation. Misdemeanor maximums come from §§ 13-707 and 13-802; surcharges are added on top of every fine.
Full Text of A.R.S. § 13-1814
A. A person commits theft of means of transportation if, without lawful authority, the person knowingly does one of the following:
1. Controls another person’s means of transportation with the intent to permanently deprive the person of the means of transportation.
2. Converts for an unauthorized term or use another person’s means of transportation that is entrusted to or placed in the defendant’s possession for a limited, authorized term or use.
3. Obtains another person’s means of transportation by means of any material misrepresentation with intent to permanently deprive the person of the means of transportation.
4. Comes into control of another person’s means of transportation that is lost or misdelivered under circumstances providing means of inquiry as to the true owner and appropriates the means of transportation to the person’s own or another’s use without reasonable efforts to notify the true owner.
5. Controls another person’s means of transportation knowing or having reason to know that the property is stolen.
B. The inferences set forth in section 13-2305 apply to any prosecution under subsection A, paragraph 5 of this section.
C. A person who alleges that a theft of means of transportation has occurred shall attest to that fact by signing an affidavit that is provided by the law enforcement officer or agency when the report is taken in person or by signing and notarizing an affidavit that is provided by the law enforcement agency if the report is taken other than in person. If the affidavit is not taken in person by a law enforcement officer or agency, the person who alleges that a theft of means of transportation has occurred shall mail or deliver the signed and notarized affidavit to the appropriate local law enforcement agency within seven days after reporting the theft. If the appropriate law enforcement agency does not receive the signed and notarized affidavit within thirty days after the initial report, the vehicle information shall be removed from the databases of the national crime information center and the Arizona criminal justice information system. The affidavit provided by the law enforcement agency shall indicate that a person who falsely reports a theft of means of transportation may be subject to criminal prosecution.
D. Theft of means of transportation is a class 3 felony.
Source: Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1814, as published by the Arizona Legislature. Read the official text on azleg.gov. Statutes change; verify the current version before relying on it.
Our Guides on This Charge
Written by our defense team on how these cases run in Arizona courts.
- Unlawful Use of Means of Transportation Lawyer | ARS 13-1803
- Vehicle Theft Lawyer Arizona | A.R.S. 13-1814 Defense
- Is Stealing a Car a Felony in Arizona? (13-1814)
- Day 122: The Legal Implications of Carjacking in Arizona
Related Statutes in Chapter 18 — Theft
- A.R.S. § 13-1813 — Gift card theft
- A.R.S. § 13-1816 — Unlawful use, possession or removal of theft detection shielding devices
- A.R.S. § 13-1817 — Unlawful possession, use or alteration of a retail sales receipt or universal product code label
- A.R.S. § 13-1818 — Misappropriation of charter school monies
- A.R.S. § 13-1819 — Organized retail theft
- A.R.S. § 13-1820 — Theft of trade secrets
- A.R.S. § 13-1807 — Issuing a bad check
- A.R.S. § 13-1806 — Unlawful failure to return rented or leased property
How Tamou Law Group Defends § 13-1814 Cases
A § 13-1814 case is decided by the paragraph the State charged, not by the statute as a whole. We start with the charging document and the disclosure, identify which subsection the prosecutor has to prove, and test whether the evidence actually reaches every element of it. Where the class turns on a fact such as value, an alleged injury, a prior conviction or the identity of the person involved, that fact is frequently the difference between a class 3 felony and something far less serious, and it is where these cases are won.
We handle theft of means of transportation cases across Maricopa County and statewide, from our Scottsdale and Phoenix offices. Call 623-321-4699 any time, or read the statute in full above before you speak to anyone about the case.
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Why Tamou Law Group for Theft and Property Crime Charges
Theft, burglary, trespass and criminal damage cases turn on intent and permission, and both are usually proved with inferences rather than facts. We supply the facts: the lending history, the messages, the store video and the timeline.
Diversion where most firms plead
Our published results include diversion on an unlawful use of means of transportation case, a second-degree burglary case and a shoplifting case, burglary-tools and stolen-property charges reduced to misdemeanors, and a criminal damage case dismissed.
Former prosecutors on intent
Attorneys on our team have charged theft and property cases for the State. They know how a charging prosecutor evaluates intent and value, and what a defense submission has to contain to change the charge before it is filed.
Felony to misdemeanor
Most theft and property charges have a misdemeanor or an undesignated class 6 version. We build the case toward that outcome from the first appearance, because the designation, not the sentence, is what follows you.
Published results in this area
| Case | Charges | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| State v. T.J. | Unlawful use of means of transportation and theft (A.R.S. 13-1803, 13-1802) | Diversion |
| State v. J.H. | Second-degree burglary, criminal damage and theft (13-1507, 13-1602, 13-1802) | Diversion |
| State v. S.Q. | Shoplifting and criminal trespass (13-1805, 13-1502) | Diversion |
| State v. H.S. | Third-degree burglary and possession of burglary tools (13-1506, 13-1505) | Reduced to a misdemeanor |
| State v. V.D. | Trafficking in stolen property, theft and forgery (13-2307, 13-1802, 13-2002) | Reduced to a misdemeanor |
| State v. C.T. | Criminal damage and disorderly conduct (13-1602, 13-2904) | Case dismissed |
| State v. A.B. | Criminal trespass and disorderly conduct (13-1502, 13-2904) | Deferred prosecution |
Anonymized outcomes from our case results page. Every case is different; past results do not guarantee a future outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A.R.S. § 13-1814?
A.R.S. § 13-1814 makes it a class 3 felony to knowingly take another person’s vehicle without lawful authority intending to permanently deprive them of it, to keep an entrusted vehicle beyond the authorized use, to obtain one by misrepresentation, to keep a lost or misdelivered vehicle, or to control a vehicle you know or have reason to know is stolen. There is no dollar threshold; the class is fixed.
Is a violation of § 13-1814 a felony in Arizona?
Yes. Under the statute a violation is a class 3 felony, so the exposure reaches up to 8.75 years in prison. The paragraph charged and the facts decide which class applies.
What is the sentence for a class 3 felony in Arizona?
For a first felony conviction that is not dangerous or repetitive, A.R.S. 13-702(D) sets a class 3 felony at 2 years to 8.75 years, with a presumptive term of 3.5 years. Dangerous, repetitive and dangerous-crimes-against-children sentencing under 13-703, 13-704 and 13-705 runs longer.
Where can I read the official text of § 13-1814?
The Arizona Legislature publishes it at azleg.gov, in the revision dated 09/19/25. The complete text is reproduced on this page, and every Arizona criminal statute is searchable on our Arizona Criminal Code index.
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Case Results Disclaimer: The results described on this page are based on specific facts and circumstances and do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Every case is different. Past results do not guarantee future results. No attorney-client relationship is formed by viewing this page or submitting a contact form until a written fee agreement has been signed. Tamou Law Group, PLLC is licensed to practice law in the State of Arizona. This website is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.