The reported number of vehicle thefts in the U.S. swelled between 2019 and 2023, according to the FBI.
"Both the total number of reported incidents per year and the rate of incidents per 100,000 people steadily increased," the agency reports.
Cars were the most common type of vehicle stolen over the study period at 78.1% of reported incidents, followed by trucks at 12.2% and “other vehicles” at 8%.
The Malloy Law Firm, which has multiple offices in and around Washington, D.C., further crunched the numbers to determine the top 10 states for vehicle theft between 2019 and 2023, based on FBI data. Those states are:
No. 10: Oklahoma
No. 9: Tennessee
No. 8: California
No. 7: Hawaii
No. 6: Missouri
No. 5: Oregon
No. 4 New Mexico
No. 3: Nevada
No. 2: Washington (state)
No. 1: Colorado
“We strongly recommend parking in well-lit, secure locations [where] thieves are less likely to target vehicles,” Attorney Seann Malloy said in a press release.
“Drivers should also invest in a few anti-theft devices,” Malloy added. “Steering wheel locks, for instance, are affordable and visible deterrents, making your car a less attractive target. GPS trackers are also highly effective, helping authorities recover stolen vehicles faster, and many insurers even offer discounts for having these devices installed.”
The slideshow above illustrates five factors that make vehicle more prone to theft in a given location, according to the Malloy Law Firm.
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