Porch piracy is the theft of a package after a carrier has delivered it to your home, and it is a crime in every U.S. state. Prosecutors typically charge it as theft under state law, with the severity tied to the value of what was stolen. When the U.S. Postal Service made the delivery, it can also be charged as a federal felony carrying up to five years in prison. Researchers estimate package theft caused more than $15 billion in losses nationally in 2024, and roughly one in four online shoppers say they have had a delivery stolen.
How Common Package Theft Has Become
Consumer surveys put the share of U.S. shoppers who have had a package stolen somewhere between 17% and 41%, depending on the survey and the timeframe.1United States Postal Inspection Service OIG. Package Theft in the United States (RISC-WP-25-002) The holiday months of November and December are the worst stretch, because more packages sit unattended on more porches.
Arrests are rare. Between May 2023 and December 2024, a federal task force produced about 2,053 arrests for mail theft nationally, a small fraction of the incidents reported during the same window.1United States Postal Inspection Service OIG. Package Theft in the United States (RISC-WP-25-002) Most cases go unsolved. There is usually little evidence beyond a missing box, and local departments with limited resources rarely treat low-value property crimes as a priority.
State Theft Penalties
Porch piracy is not a separate offense in most states. It falls under general theft law, and two factors drive the charge: what the package was worth and who delivered it.
Every state draws a line between misdemeanor and felony theft based on the dollar value of what was stolen. Below the threshold, the charge is a misdemeanor, with possible jail time, fines, or both. Above it, the charge becomes a felony with significantly harsher penalties, including prison. The threshold itself varies widely, from as low as $200 in some states to as high as $2,500 in others. A thief who grabs a $50 phone case faces a very different situation from one who takes a $1,200 laptop.
Other charges can stack on top. Walking onto a fenced property, entering an apartment lobby without authorization, or opening a mailbox can bring separate trespassing or tampering charges on top of the theft itself.
Federal Penalties When USPS Delivered the Package
Federal law raises the stakes considerably when the stolen package came through the Postal Service. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1708, stealing mail or packages from a mailbox, mail carrier, post office, or other authorized mail depository is a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1708 – Theft or Receipt of Stolen Mail Matter Generally That penalty applies regardless of what was in the package. A five-dollar item stolen from a mailbox carries the same maximum federal sentence as a five-thousand-dollar item.
The statute also reaches people who knowingly buy or possess stolen mail, so reselling pirated packages exposes the reseller to the same five-year penalty.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 1708 – Theft or Receipt of Stolen Mail Matter Generally
One important boundary: this federal protection applies only to USPS deliveries. Packages brought by UPS, FedEx, Amazon, and other private carriers are not currently covered by § 1708. Legislation introduced in the 119th Congress would extend federal criminal penalties to private-carrier deliveries, but it has not become law.3United States Congress. H.R. 6924 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) – Porch Pirates Act
States That Treat Package Theft as a Felony
A growing number of states have passed laws that specifically target package theft with enhanced penalties, making it a felony even when the stolen item’s value would otherwise fall under misdemeanor thresholds. At least eight states enacted such laws between roughly 2019 and 2022, and several more have introduced similar bills since. Supporters argue that the intrusion onto someone’s private property matters more than the dollar value inside the box.
What to Do if Your Package Was Stolen
Before assuming theft, rule out simpler explanations. Walk the property, including side doors, garages, and spots behind bushes where a driver may have hidden the box. Ask neighbors whether the carrier left it at the wrong address. Check the tracking to confirm the package was actually marked delivered.
Once you are confident it is gone, move quickly. Timing affects refund eligibility and the chance that any security footage still exists.
File a Police Report
Call your local non-emergency line or, in many jurisdictions, file online. Police are unlikely to investigate a single stolen package, but the report serves two purposes. It creates the official record you will need for an insurance claim or credit card chargeback, and repeated reports from the same neighborhood can prompt patrol changes or targeted enforcement.
When filing, include the tracking number, a description of the contents and their approximate value, the delivery timestamp, and any security camera footage you have.
Report USPS Thefts to the Postal Inspection Service
If USPS delivered the package, file a separate complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the federal agency that investigates mail crimes. You can file online at mailtheft.uspis.gov or call 1-877-876-2455.4United States Postal Inspection Service. Report Those reports feed federal databases that help investigators identify patterns and serial offenders, so filing matters even if your individual case does not lead to an arrest.
Contact the Retailer
This is where you are most likely to see a tangible result. Most major online retailers will refund or reship orders reported as stolen, especially for first-time claims. Amazon lets customers report delivery problems and may issue a refund under its A-to-Z Guarantee. Other retailers have similar policies with their own specifics. Contact the retailer first, then the shipping carrier if the retailer directs you to.
Act fast. Many retailers set deadlines for reporting delivery issues, often 30 to 90 days from the expected delivery date.
Getting Your Money Back
Beyond retailer refunds, you have a few other financial backstops. None is guaranteed, but each is worth knowing.
Credit Card Purchase Protection
Many credit cards include purchase protection that covers items stolen within a window after purchase, typically 90 to 120 days. Coverage limits generally run from $500 to $10,000 per incident, depending on the card and network. This benefit is secondary to any other insurance you have, meaning you would need to exhaust other coverage first. A police report is almost always required. Check your card’s benefits guide or call the number on the back of the card to confirm what is covered.
Homeowners or Renters Insurance
Standard homeowners and renters policies cover theft, including packages taken from your porch. The deductible is the catch. Most policies carry a $500 or $1,000 deductible, so a $300 loss is not worth filing. For a high-value delivery the math changes, but keep in mind that small claims can affect your premiums at renewal.
Small Claims Court
If you can identify the thief, through security footage or a police investigation, small claims court lets you sue for the value of the stolen property without hiring a lawyer. Filing fees vary by jurisdiction and typically fall between about $30 and $75 for lower-value claims. The practical problem is obvious: in most cases, you will not know who took the package.
How to Prevent It From Happening Again
Prevention is where effort pays off most. Catching and prosecuting porch pirates is hard. Making your deliveries a less appealing target is not.
- Track deliveries actively. Most carriers offer real-time alerts, so you can retrieve the package quickly or ask someone else to grab it.
- Require a signature. Signature confirmation keeps the carrier from leaving the package unattended, at the cost of needing someone home.
- Use an alternate delivery location. Ship to your workplace, a trusted neighbor, or a parcel locker. Amazon Locker, UPS Access Point, and FedEx Hold at Location are free and remove the porch from the equation entirely.
- Install a visible video doorbell or security camera. Cameras deter some thieves and produce evidence for the ones they do not deter.
- Use in-garage or smart lock delivery. Services like Amazon Key let a driver place packages inside your garage with one-time access and a video notification.
- Coordinate delivery timing. If your carrier lets you pick a delivery window, schedule packages for when you are home, and redirect or hold the package if your plans change.
No single step eliminates the risk. Two or three used together make your doorstep a much harder target, and opportunists will move on to the next house with a box in plain view and no camera in sight.