What is the maximum penalty for larceny (stealing) in NSW?
Maximum penalty. 5 years imprisonment on indictment. In the Local Court the penalty is capped by property value: value over $5,000: 2 years imprisonment and/or 100 penalty units; value not exceeding $5,000: 2 years and/or 50 penalty units; value not exceeding $2,000: 2 years and/or 20 penalty units.
A maximum is the ceiling the law sets for the worst category of case. It is not what a court is likely to impose, and it is not a prediction about any particular matter.
What the charge covers
Larceny is the standard stealing charge in NSW. It applies where a person takes and carries away property belonging to someone else, without consent, intending to permanently deprive the owner of it. It covers everything from shoplifting to stealing valuable goods, with the applicable court limits depending on the value of what was taken.
How it is dealt with
Indictable; Table offence (Table 1 where value exceeds $5,000, Table 2 otherwise), usually dealt with summarily in the Local Court
Where these figures come from
Every figure on this page was taken from the legislation or the Judicial Commission of New South Wales, not from secondary summaries:
Legislation changes. Figures are general as at publication; confirm the current position with a lawyer.
This page is general information about NSW law, not legal advice about your matter. Whether a charge can be defended, and what a court is likely to do, depends on the evidence and the circumstances.
Related charges
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