Home / Code Sections / § 18.2-96 — Petit Larceny

§ 18.2-96 — Petit Larceny

Court outcome data from 19,218 cases across 125 jurisdictions · 2025

Source. Virginia District + Circuit Court Information Systems, 2025 Methodology Report a correction Last refreshed July 8, 2026

Of 19,218 cases filed in 2025 under § 18.2-96, 15,284 reached an outcome — 55.9% were dismissed or dropped and 42.5% resulted in conviction, across 125 Virginia jurisdictions.

This page provides statistics from public court records for informational purposes only. This is not legal advice. For guidance on your specific situation, consult a licensed Virginia attorney.

Penalties Under § 18.2-96

Section 18.2-96 addresses petit larceny in Virginia, which involves theft of goods valued under $1,000. Petit larceny is a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Of 19,218 § 18.2-96 cases filed in 2025 across 125 Virginia jurisdictions, 15,284 reached an outcome — an average dismissal rate of 55.9% and an average conviction rate of 42.5%.

Court Outcomes Across Virginia

Across 125 Virginia jurisdictions (2025):

19,218
Total Cases
55.9%
Avg Dismissal Rate
42.5%
Avg Conviction Rate

Top Jurisdictions

Courts with the most cases related to this statute.

Jurisdiction Cases Dismissal Rate Conviction Rate Median Duration
Fairfax County 4,198 67.5% 32.5% 3.3 months
Henrico County 2,109 44.5% 55.5% 3.8 months
Chesterfield County 1,498 53.2% 46.8% 4.0 months
Prince William County 1,112 60.2% 39.8% 3.9 months
Virginia Beach 860 40.1% 59.9% 3.3 months
Norfolk 763 70.1% 29.9% 2.9 months
Arlington County 622 62.5% 37.5% 2.9 months
Chesapeake 398 51.6% 48.4% 2.8 months
Colonial Heights 395 53.5% 46.5% 5.7 months
Richmond City 389 68.3% 31.7% 2.6 months
Loudoun County 376 65.0% 35.0% 4.2 months
Roanoke City 320 57.2% 42.8% 1.4 months
Newport News 293 71.9% 28.1% 3.7 months
Alexandria 273 64.8% 35.2% 3.3 months
Lynchburg 272 44.8% 55.2% 3.0 months

Source: Virginia public court records, 2025 — VirginiaCourtFile.com

Explore Full Data

Larceny / Theft — All Jurisdictions
15,284 resolved of 19,218 filed · 55.9% dismissed
Larceny / Theft Guide
What the court data shows →

Common Questions

Of 19,218 cases filed in 2025 under § 18.2-96, 15,284 reached an outcome: an average dismissal rate of 55.9% and a conviction rate of 42.5% across 125 Virginia jurisdictions. Outcomes vary by court — view all jurisdictions for detailed data.
19,218 cases under § 18.2-96 were filed across 125 Virginia jurisdictions in 2025. For information about the current text and penalties of this statute, consult the Code of Virginia.

What's Next

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