California vehicle thefts decline for second straight year according to CHP
CHP officers recovered a stolen vehicle during an enforcement stop after suspects used an online marketplace to fraudulently sell it to unsuspecting buyers. (Photo courtesy of CHP Merced)
– California recorded its second consecutive year of declining vehicle thefts in 2025, with statewide thefts falling about 25% from the previous year, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The agency announced the figures during National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month, saying it continues to work with local law enforcement agencies to combat organized vehicle theft through targeted enforcement and public awareness efforts.
According to the California Highway Patrol’s 2025 Vehicle Theft Fact Sheet, 133,372 vehicles were stolen statewide in 2025, down from 176,230 in 2024.
“Vehicle theft is not a victimless crime. It fuels organized criminal activity and creates hardship for families across California. The CHP remains committed to holding offenders accountable, recovering stolen vehicles and working with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer,” California Highway Patrol Commissioner Sean Duryee said.
On average, a vehicle was stolen in California about every four minutes in 2025. Of the 133,372 vehicles stolen last year, 111,661, or 84%, were recovered. More than half of the recovered vehicles were returned to their owners in drivable condition.
The California Highway Patrol said the decline continues a trend that began in 2024, when California recorded its first year-over-year decrease in vehicle thefts since 2019. That year, Gov. Gavin Newsom deployed Highway Patrol officers to work alongside local law enforcement agencies in regional crime suppression operations. The agency said targeted enforcement in Bakersfield, San Bernardino, and Oakland contributed to reductions in vehicle thefts and other crimes in those communities.
The governor expanded the crime suppression operations in August 2025 by deploying additional Highway Patrol teams to high-crime areas across California.
Several counties where the additional teams were deployed also recorded declines in vehicle thefts in 2025. Alameda County reported 12,277 vehicle thefts, down 36.1% from 2024. Kern County reported 4,258 thefts, down 31.4%. San Bernardino County reported 7,759 thefts, down 23.3%. San Diego County reported 8,023 thefts, down 25.7%. Sacramento County reported 5,061 thefts, down 23%.
Although vehicle thefts continue to decline, the California Highway Patrol encouraged motorists to help reduce their risk by parking in well-lit areas, removing valuables or keeping them out of sight, locking their vehicles every time they leave them, using an alarm system or other anti-theft device, never leaving a vehicle unattended with the engine running, and reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement.
