Answering 24/7/365| Georgia caps the premium at 15%
Forsyth County · Cumming · Johns Creek, GA
Forsyth County · Cumming · Johns Creek, GA
Georgia changed the rules on theft in 2024. A second or subsequent theft by taking is now bail restricted, which means no signature bond and no walking out on a promise. The value of what was taken decides almost everything else.
The dollar value on the police report is the hinge the whole case turns on. Theft of property valued under $1,500 is a misdemeanor. Between $1,500 and $5,000 it becomes a felony. Above $5,000 and again above $25,000 the exposure climbs further. Shoplifting follows a similar ladder, with a $500 threshold and an escalating scale for repeat offences.
Retail cases from the shopping centres along GA-400 and Market Place Boulevard make up a large share of what we see in Cumming, and they are frequently charged on a loss-prevention report rather than a police observation. The stated value is not always right, and a defence lawyer can challenge it — but that fight happens later. Tonight, the number on the sheet is the number the bond is set from.
Senate Bill 63, effective in 2024, expanded Georgia’s bail-restricted list. Among the additions was a second or any subsequent violation of theft by taking. In practice that means someone with a prior theft conviction cannot be released on a signature or unsecured bond — a judge must set a secured bond and somebody has to post cash, property or a surety.
It also means the difference between a first and a second offence is no longer just a sentencing question. It changes whether that person sleeps at home tonight.
| Charge | Typical bond range | Premium at 15% |
|---|---|---|
| Shoplifting, under $500 | $500 – $2,000 | $75 – $300 |
| Theft by taking, misdemeanor | $1,000 – $3,000 | $150 – $450 |
| Theft by taking, felony | $5,000 – $20,000 | $750 – $3,000 |
| Theft by receiving / auto theft | $5,000 – $25,000 | $750 – $3,750 |
Georgia caps a surety premium at 15% of the bond, with a $50 minimum per bonded charge. On a low-dollar shoplifting bond the minimum is often what applies.
First-time misdemeanor theft cases in Forsyth County are often resolved through a pretrial diversion or conditional discharge programme. That is a conversation for a defence lawyer, and it is worth having early — those programmes usually have to be requested, not offered.
Common questions
A first shoplifting offence generally is not, but a second or subsequent theft by taking was added to the bail-restricted list under SB 63 in 2024, which requires a secured bond.
Value is the main driver. Theft of property worth $1,500 or more is generally a felony, with higher grades above $5,000 and $25,000. Certain property types, such as vehicles, are treated separately.
That is a civil claim, separate from the criminal charge, and paying it does not resolve the criminal case. Ask a defence lawyer before responding to one.
Often there is a path — pretrial diversion or conditional discharge — but it usually has to be requested early through a defence lawyer. A bondsman cannot arrange it.
Keep reading
Which court sets the bond, and why the timeline changes.
Read more →SB 63, bail-restricted offences and what changed in 2024.
Read more →The 15% cap, the minimum, and what is refundable.
Read more →County seat, GA-400 exits 13 to 18.
Read more →One call to 24-7 Best Bonding starts the paperwork. We answer around the clock, every day of the year, and we drive to the Forsyth County Jail so your family does not have to.