BURGLARY OF VEHICLESTexas Penal Code (PC) § 30.04(d)
Burglary of Vehicles is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas Penal Code (PC) § 30.04(d). It is punishable by up to 1 year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “BURGLARY OF VEHICLES” mean?
Burglary of Vehicles is a Class A misdemeanor under Texas PC § 30.04(d).
Under Texas Penal Code § 30.04, a person commits burglary of a vehicle by breaking into or entering a vehicle, or any part of a vehicle, without the effective consent of the owner and with intent to commit any felony or theft. 'Enter' means to intrude any part of the body, or any physical object connected with the body, into the vehicle, so reaching through an open window can qualify and no forcible break-in is required. The State does not have to prove that anything was actually taken; the offense is complete at the moment of entry with the required intent. This is the baseline form of the offense, graded a Class A misdemeanor under § 30.04(d)(1), meaning the charge does not allege prior burglary-of-vehicle convictions or entry of a rail car, the circumstances that elevate the offense.
What usually happens to a BURGLARY OF VEHICLES charge?
41% ended without a conviction, 10% in deferred adjudication and 49% in a conviction.
How 4,696 resolved BURGLARY OF VEHICLES charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 15 counties (Bastrop, Bell, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Denton, FortBend, Galveston, Harris, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson):
| County | Resolved | Not convicted | Deferred | Convicted | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | 1,897 | 52% | 7% | 41% | 284 |
| Collin | 674 | 22% | 15% | 63% | 190 |
| Hays | 380 | 45% | 7% | 48% | 316 |
| Denton | 350 | 17% | 16% | 67% | 224 |
| Brazoria | 333 | 32% | 17% | 52% | 175 |
| Dallas | 274 | 52% | 10% | 38% | 154 |
| FortBend | 253 | 44% | 12% | 44% | 478 |
| Williamson | 203 | 46% | 9% | 45% | 287 |
| Galveston | 189 | 39% | 7% | 52% | 204 |
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (12) covers waived counts, bond forfeitures, transfers and unrecorded outcomes. Bexar County records disposition dates but not outcomes, so it counts toward time-to-disposition only. Tarrant County criminal records are not in this dataset.
How long does a BURGLARY OF VEHICLES case take to resolve?
Typically about 8 months: half of resolved cases closed within 254 days of filing.
Across 4,695 resolved BURGLARY OF VEHICLES charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 254 days. The middle half took between 117 and 478 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real BURGLARY OF VEHICLES cases end?
Individual cases from the public court record, with the disposition and sentence text exactly as the clerk entered it. Every case is decided on its own facts.
Ended without a conviction
Deferred adjudication
Ended in a conviction
What is the punishment for Burglary of Vehicles in Texas?
Up to 1 year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | Up to 1 year in county jail | Fine up to $4,000 | Penal Code § 12.21 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
How much is bail for BURGLARY OF VEHICLES in Texas?
The median bail is $4,000, and 6% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 32,851 Texas bail settings for this charge (86 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $4,000 (middle half: $2,000 – $7,005). 6% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 843 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (5,122 records), the median was $2,500 and 14% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 3,893 | $2,000 | $1,000 – $3,500 | 3% | 2% |
| El Paso | 2,806 | $5,000 | $2,500 – $7,500 | 8% | 3% |
| Travis | 2,251 | $5,000 | $3,000 – $8,000 | 13% | 2% |
| Bexar | 1,991 | $5,000 | $3,000 – $7,500 | 5% | 4% |
| Dallas | 1,674 | $2,000 | $1,500 – $3,500 | 1% | 3% |
Showing the 5 counties with the most records; use the selector for any county with at least 30. Per-charge bond settings on original magistrations, from Texas OCA bail reporting under SB 6. Bail is set case by case — these are statistics, not a prediction.
Charged with BURGLARY OF VEHICLES?
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Find a Defense AttorneyBail data: Texas Office of Court Administration magistration reports (SB 6), Apr 2022 – Jun 2025. Court outcomes: county district and county clerk records. Statistics describe past cases and are not legal advice; every case is decided on its own facts.