Car thefts across California down 25% CHP reports
Twenty stolen cars and car parts recovered in Oakland on Oct. 17.
OAKLAND, Calif. - Car thefts across California are down for the second year in a row, the California Highway Patrol reported on Tuesday.
As reported in CHP’s 2025 Vehicle Theft Fact Sheet, thieves stole over 133,000 vehicles across California in 2025, and while that number may seem high, it represents a 25% decline from the 176,230 cars stolen in 2024.
What they're saying:
The statewide rate of theft in 2025 equates to roughly one car every four minutes.
"Vehicle theft is not a victimless crime. It fuels organized criminal activity and creates hardship for families across California," CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said in a press release. The CHP remains committed to holding offenders accountable, recovering stolen vehicles and working with our law enforcement partners to make our communities safer."
Of the 133,372 cars stolen across California last year, 84% were recovered — 111,661. More than half of those were returned to their owners in drivable condition.
Car thefts first started to decline in 2024, which marked the first year-over-year decrease since 2019.
Dig deeper:
Governor Gavin Newsom that year deployed CHP officers to work alongside local law enforcement agencies to focus on crimes occurring in specific regions: Bakersfield, San Bernardino and Oakland, which helped reduce car thefts and other crimes in those communities.
Newsom in August 2025 expanded that program by deploying additional CHP teams to high-crime areas across the state.
By the numbers:
Several of the counties that were targeted saw marked reductions in vehicle thefts between 2024 and 2025.
- Alameda County: 12,277 thefts, down 36.1%
- Kern County: 4,258 thefts, down 31.4%
- San Bernardino: 7,759 thefts, down 23.3%
- San Diego: 8,023 thefts, down 25.7%
- Sacramento: 5,061 thefts, down 23%
Even with rates declining, law enforcement encourages drivers to take precautions that will help prevent auto thefts, including parking in well-lit areas, removing or hiding valuables, locking all doors, using an alarm or anti-theft device, reporting suspicious activity, and not leaving a car unattended while the engine is running.
The Source: California Highway Patrol