Charges and sentences
Felony and misdemeanor classes by state
Every state grades crimes, but they don't use the same names. Texas and Florida use degrees, Illinois and Virginia use classes, and Indiana uses levels. Others, like California and Michigan, set most penalties crime by crime. Pick a state for the prison and jail range of each class, the dollar line for felony theft, and when a DUI becomes a felony.
From each state's own statutes, checked by a second reader. Last checked October 29, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
How each state grades felonies
- Classes (A, B, C or 1, 2, 3)27
- Degrees (first, second, third)7
- Levels2
- Mostly set crime by crime15
- Alabama4 felony classes, 3 misdemeanor
- Alaska3 felony classes, 2 misdemeanor
- Arizona6 felony classes, 3 misdemeanor
- Arkansas6 felony classes, 4 misdemeanor
- CaliforniaPenalties set crime by crime
- Colorado10 felony classes, 4 misdemeanor
- Connecticut6 felony classes, 5 misdemeanor
- Delaware7 felony classes, 3 misdemeanor
- District of ColumbiaPenalties set crime by crime
- Florida5 felony degrees, 2 misdemeanor
- GeorgiaPenalties set crime by crime
- Hawaii4 felony classes, 2 misdemeanor
- IdahoPenalties set crime by crime
- Illinois6 felony classes, 3 misdemeanor
- Indiana7 felony levels, 3 misdemeanor
- Iowa4 felony classes, 3 misdemeanor
- Kansas12 felony levels, 3 misdemeanor
- Kentucky5 felony classes, 2 misdemeanor
- LouisianaPenalties set crime by crime
- Maine6 crime classes
- MarylandPenalties set crime by crime
- MassachusettsPenalties set crime by crime
- MichiganPenalties set crime by crime
- MinnesotaPenalties set crime by crime
- MississippiPenalties set crime by crime
- Missouri5 felony classes, 4 misdemeanor
- MontanaPenalties set crime by crime
- Nebraska10 felony classes, 7 misdemeanor
- Nevada5 felony classes, 2 misdemeanor
- New Hampshire2 felony classes, 2 misdemeanor
- New Jersey4 felony degrees, 2 misdemeanor
- New Mexico5 felony degrees, 2 misdemeanor
- New York6 felony classes, 3 misdemeanor
- North Carolina10 felony classes, 4 misdemeanor
- North Dakota4 felony classes, 2 misdemeanor
- Ohio5 felony degrees, 4 misdemeanor
- Oklahoma15 felony classes, 1 misdemeanor
- Oregon4 felony classes, 4 misdemeanor
- Pennsylvania3 felony degrees, 3 misdemeanor
- Rhode IslandPenalties set crime by crime
- South Carolina6 felony classes, 3 misdemeanor
- South Dakota9 felony classes, 2 misdemeanor
- Tennessee5 felony classes, 3 misdemeanor
- Texas5 felony degrees, 3 misdemeanor
- Utah4 felony degrees, 3 misdemeanor
- VermontPenalties set crime by crime
- Virginia6 felony classes, 4 misdemeanor
- Washington3 felony classes, 2 misdemeanor
- West VirginiaPenalties set crime by crime
- Wisconsin9 felony classes, 3 misdemeanor
- WyomingPenalties set crime by crime
Same name, different sentence
A "Class C felony" or a "third-degree felony" doesn't mean the same thing everywhere. Each of these names is used by more than one state; follow one to compare the sentences side by side.
- Capital felony4 states
- Class 1 felony5 states
- Class 2 felony5 states
- Class 3 felony5 states
- Class 4 felony5 states
- Class 5 felony4 states
- Class 6 felony4 states
- Class A felony18 states
- Class B felony18 states
- Class B1 felony2 states
- Class B2 felony2 states
- Class C felony18 states
- Class D felony12 states
- Class E felony8 states
- Class F felony4 states
- Class G felony3 states
- Class H felony2 states
- Class I felony3 states
- Class Y felony2 states
- First-degree felony6 states
- Fourth-degree felony2 states
- Second-degree felony6 states
- Third-degree felony6 states
- Unclassified felony3 states
- Class 1 misdemeanor5 states
- Class 2 misdemeanor5 states
- Class 3 misdemeanor3 states
- Class A misdemeanor19 states
- Class B misdemeanor19 states
- Class C misdemeanor13 states
- Class D misdemeanor2 states
- First-degree misdemeanor3 states
- Gross misdemeanor3 states
- Petty misdemeanor3 states
- Second-degree misdemeanor3 states
- Third-degree misdemeanor2 states
- Unclassified misdemeanor5 states
Every state at a glance
| State | Felony grades | Felony theft from | Felony DUI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D | More than $500 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Alaska | Class A, Class B, Class C | $750 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Arizona | Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, Class 4, Class 5, Class 6 | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Arkansas | Class Y, Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, Unclassified | More than $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| California | Set crime by crime | More than $950 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Colorado | Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, Class 4, Class 5, Class 6, Level 1 drug (DF1), Level 2 drug (DF2), Level 3 drug (DF3), Level 4 drug (DF4) | $2,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Connecticut | Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E, Unclassified | More than $2,000 | See the state's rule |
| Delaware | Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E, Class F, Class G | More than $1,500 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| District of Columbia | Set crime by crime | $1,000 | No repeat-offense felony |
| Florida | Capital, Life, First-degree, Second-degree, Third-degree | $750 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Georgia | Set crime by crime | More than $1,500 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Hawaii | Murder (first and second degree), Class A, Class B, Class C | More than $750 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Idaho | Set crime by crime | More than $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Illinois | First degree murder, Class X, Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, Class 4 | More than $500 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Indiana | Murder, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5, Level 6 | $750 | Can be a felony from the 2nd offense |
| Iowa | Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D | More than $1,500 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Kansas | Off-grid, Severity level 1 (nondrug), Severity level 2 (nondrug), Severity level 3 (nondrug), Severity level 4 (nondrug), Severity level 5 (nondrug), Severity level 6 (nondrug), Severity level 7 (nondrug), Severity level 8 (nondrug), Severity level 9 (nondrug), Severity level 10 (nondrug), Drug (drug grid, severity levels 1 to 5) | $1,500 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Kentucky | Capital offense, Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Louisiana | Set crime by crime | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Maine | Class A crime, Class B crime, Class C crime, Class D crime, Class E crime, Murder | More than $1,000 | See the state's rule |
| Maryland | Set crime by crime | $1,500 | No repeat-offense felony |
| Massachusetts | Set crime by crime | More than $1,200 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Michigan | Set crime by crime | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Minnesota | Set crime by crime | More than $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Mississippi | Set crime by crime | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Missouri | Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E | $750 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Montana | Set crime by crime | More than $1,500 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Nebraska | Class I, Class IA, Class IB, Class IC, Class ID, Class II, Class IIA, Class III, Class IIIA, Class IV | $1,500 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Nevada | Category A, Category B, Category C, Category D, Category E | $1,200 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| New Hampshire | Class A, Class B | More than $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| New Jersey | First-degree crime, Second-degree crime, Third-degree crime, Fourth-degree crime | $200 | No repeat-offense felony |
| New Mexico | Capital, First-degree, Second-degree, Third-degree, Fourth-degree | More than $500 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| New York | Class A-I, Class A-II, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E | More than $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 2nd offense |
| North Carolina | Class A, Class B1, Class B2, Class C, Class D, Class E, Class F, Class G, Class H, Class I | More than $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| North Dakota | Class AA, Class A, Class B, Class C | More than $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Ohio | of the first degree (F1), of the second degree (F2), of the third degree (F3), of the fourth degree (F4), of the fifth degree (F5) | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Oklahoma | Class Y, Class A1, Class A2, Class A3, Class B1, Class B2, Class B3, Class B4, Class B5, Class B6, Class C1, Class C2, Class D1, Class D2, Class D3 | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 2nd offense |
| Oregon | Class A, Class B, Class C, Unclassified | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Pennsylvania | of the first degree (F1), of the second degree (F2), of the third degree (F3) | More than $2,000 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Rhode Island | Set crime by crime | More than $1,500 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| South Carolina | Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E, Class F | More than $2,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| South Dakota | Class A, Class B, Class C, Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, Class 4, Class 5, Class 6 | More than $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Tennessee | Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E | More than $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Texas | Capital, First-degree, Second-degree, Third-degree, State jail | $2,500 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Utah | Capital, First degree, Second degree, Third degree | $1,500 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Vermont | Set crime by crime | More than $900 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Virginia | Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, Class 4, Class 5, Class 6 | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Washington | Class A, Class B, Class C | More than $750 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| West Virginia | Set crime by crime | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 3rd offense |
| Wisconsin | Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, Class E, Class F, Class G, Class H, Class I | More than $2,500 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
| Wyoming | Set crime by crime | $1,000 | Can be a felony from the 4th offense |
These are the general ranges in each state's sentencing laws. A specific crime can set its own minimum or maximum, and past convictions can raise the range. This isn't legal advice.