CHAPTER 720, ILCS 5/ - CRIMINAL CODE DIVISION I
Also Known As: Criminal Damage to Property, Vandalism, Property Destruction, Keying Car, Broken Window

720 ILCS 5/21-1

Sec. 21-1. Criminal damage to property.

Illinois Compiled Statute
720 ILCS 5/21-1
Offense Description
Criminal damage to property – over specified value – felony
Offense Classification
Class 4 Felony, Class A Misdemeanor
Statutory Penalties & Sentencing Scope
1 to 3 years IDOC (Probation eligible) · Fine up to $25,000
Supreme Court Rule 551 Mandatory Court Appearance
Under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 551, personal court appearance before a judge is mandatory. The defendant cannot satisfy this charge by mail, electronic payment, or pre-set bail forfeiture.
SAFE-T Act Pretrial Detention Eligibility (725 ILCS 5/110-6.1)
Presumptive Pretrial Release: This offense is non-detainable under 725 ILCS 5/110-6.1. The defendant is entitled to release on personal recognizance with non-monetary conditions unless charged with a subsequent detainable violation.
Secretary of State Driver's License Action
Standard Administrative Protocol: No automatic driver's license suspension or mandatory revocation is triggered by this offense code alone upon citation.
EXECUTIVE SYNOPSIS · ILLINOIS LEGAL STANDARDS Governing Authority: ILGA & Supreme Court Rules

Under Illinois law, 720 ILCS 5/21-1 (Criminal damage to property – over specified value – felony) is classified as a Class 4 Felony, Class A Misdemeanor. Statutory sentencing scope: 1 to 3 years IDOC (Probation eligible) · Fine up to $25,000. Court appearance is mandatory under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 551, and pretrial release is presumptively release-eligible under the SAFE-T Act.

Offense Class & Sentencing Scope Class 4 Felony, Class A Misdemeanor

1 to 3 years IDOC (Probation eligible) · Fine up to $25,000

Court Appearance Mandate Rule 551 Mandatory Court

Under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 551, personal court appearance before a judge is mandatory. The defendant cannot satisfy this charge by mail, electronic payment, or pre-set bail forfeiture.

Pretrial Fairness Act (SAFE-T Act) Presumptive Pretrial Release

Presumptive Pretrial Release: This offense is non-detainable under 725 ILCS 5/110-6.1. The defendant is entitled to release on personal recognizance with non-monetary conditions unless charged with a subsequent detainable violation.

Secretary of State License Sanction Standard Administrative Protocol

No automatic driver's license suspension or mandatory revocation is triggered by this offense code alone upon citation.

Classification Class 4 Felony, Class A Misdemeanor
Court Appearance Mandatory Court Appearance (Rule 551)
SAFE-T Act Detention Release Eligible (Conditions Apply)
SOS Reporting Code None Assigned

Associated Offense Codes & Classifications (2)

Offense Description Class Court Mandate SAFE-T Act Reporting Code Official ILGA
Criminal damage to property – over specified value – felony Official ILGA · 720 ILCS 5/21-1 -> Class 4 Felony Rule 551 Mandate Release Eligible — ILGA.gov ->
Criminal damage to property – $300 or less Official ILGA · 720 ILCS 5/21-1 -> Class A Misdemeanor Release on Notice Release Eligible — ILGA.gov ->

Illinois General Assembly Statutory Text (Verbatim)

Source: ilga.gov ->

Sec. 21-1. Criminal damage to property.

(a)

(a) A person commits criminal damage to property when he or she:

(1)

(1) knowingly damages any property of another;

(2)

(2) recklessly by means of fire or explosive damages property of another; (3) knowingly starts a fire on the land of another;

(4)

(4) knowingly injures a domestic animal of another without his or her consent; (5) knowingly deposits on the land or in the building of another any stink bomb or any offensive smelling compound and thereby intends to interfere with the use by another of the land or building; (6) knowingly damages any property, other than as described in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Section 20-1, with intent to defraud an insurer; (7) knowingly shoots a firearm at any portion of a railroad train; (8) knowingly, without proper authorization, cuts, injures, damages, defaces, destroys, or tampers with any fire hydrant or any public or private fire fighting equipment, or any apparatus appertaining to fire fighting equipment; or (9) intentionally, without proper authorization, opens any fire hydrant. (b) When the charge of criminal damage to property exceeding a specified value is brought, the extent of the damage is an element of the offense to be resolved by the trier of fact as either exceeding or not exceeding the specified value.

(c)

(c) It is an affirmative defense to a violation of paragraph (1), (3), or (5) of subsection (a) of this Section that the owner of the property or land damaged consented to the damage.

(d)

(d) Sentence.

(1)

(1) A violation of subsection (a) shall have the following penalties: (A) A violation of paragraph (8) or (9) is a Class B misdemeanor. (B) A violation of paragraph (1), (2), (3), (5), or (6) is a Class A misdemeanor when the damage to property does not exceed $500. (C) A violation of paragraph (1), (2), (3), (5), or (6) is a Class 4 felony when the damage to property does not exceed $500 and the damage occurs to property of a school or place of worship or to farm equipment or immovable items of agricultural production, including but not limited to grain elevators, grain bins, and barns or property which memorializes or honors an individual or group of police officers, fire fighters, members of the United States Armed Forces, National Guard, or veterans. (D) A violation of paragraph (4) is a Class 4 felony when the damage to property does not exceed $10,000. (E) A violation of paragraph (7) is a Class 4 felony. (F) A violation of paragraph (1), (2), (3), (5) or (6) is a Class 4 felony when the damage to property exceeds $500 but does not exceed $10,000. (G) A violation of paragraphs (1) through (6) is a Class 3 felony when the damage to property exceeds $500 but does not exceed $10,000 and the damage occurs to property of a school or place of worship or to farm equipment or immovable items of agricultural production, including but not limited to grain elevators, grain bins, and barns or property which memorializes or honors an individual or group of police officers, fire fighters, members of the United States Armed Forces, National Guard, or veterans. (H) A violation of paragraphs (1) through (6) is a Class 3 felony when the damage to property exceeds $10,000 but does not exceed $100,000. (I) A violation of paragraphs (1) through (6) is a Class 2 felony when the damage to property exceeds $10,000 but does not exceed $100,000 and the damage occurs to property of a school or place of worship or to farm equipment or immovable items of agricultural production, including but not limited to grain elevators, grain bins, and barns or property which memorializes or honors an individual or group of police officers, fire fighters, members of the United States Armed Forces, National Guard, or veterans. (J) A violation of paragraphs (1) through (6) is a Class 2 felony when the damage to property exceeds $100,000. A violation of paragraphs (1) through (6) is a Class 1 felony when the damage to property exceeds $100,000 and the damage occurs to property of a school or place of worship or to farm equipment or immovable items of agricultural production, including but not limited to grain elevators, grain bins, and barns or property which memorializes or honors an individual or group of police officers, fire fighters, members of the United States Armed Forces, National Guard, or veterans. (2) When the damage to property exceeds $10,000, the court shall impose upon the offender a fine equal to the value of the damages to the property. (3) In addition to any other sentence that may be imposed, a court shall order any person convicted of criminal damage to property to perform community service for not less than 30 and not more than 120 hours, if community service is available in the jurisdiction and is funded and approved by the county board of the county where the offense was committed. In addition, whenever any person is placed on supervision for an alleged offense under this Section, the supervision shall be conditioned upon the performance of the community service. The community service requirement does not apply when the court imposes a sentence of incarceration. (4) In addition to any criminal penalties imposed for a violation of this Section, if a person is convicted of or placed on supervision for knowingly damaging or destroying crops of another, including crops intended for personal, commercial, research, or developmental purposes, the person is liable in a civil action to the owner of any crops damaged or destroyed for money damages up to twice the market value of the crops damaged or destroyed. (5) For the purposes of this subsection (d), "farm equipment" means machinery or other equipment used in farming. (Source: P.A. 98-315, eff. 1-1-14; 99-631, eff. 1-1-17.)

Frequently Asked Questions & Legal Analysis

Authoritative Statutory Guidance
What is the statutory penalty and sentencing range for 720 ILCS 5/21-1 in Illinois?

Under Illinois law, 720 ILCS 5/21-1 (Criminal damage to property – over specified value – felony) is classified as a Class 4 Felony, Class A Misdemeanor.

Sentencing Scope: 1 to 3 years IDOC (Probation eligible) · Fine up to $25,000

Is a court appearance mandatory for 720 ILCS 5/21-1 under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 551?

Mandatory Personal Appearance Required: Under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 551, personal court appearance before a judge is mandatory. The defendant cannot satisfy this charge by mail, electronic payment, or pre-set bail forfeiture.

Is an individual accused of 720 ILCS 5/21-1 detainable before trial under the SAFE-T Act?

Presumptive Pretrial Release: Presumptive Pretrial Release: This offense is non-detainable under 725 ILCS 5/110-6.1. The defendant is entitled to release on personal recognizance with non-monetary conditions unless charged with a subsequent detainable violation.

What Secretary of State driver's license sanctions apply to 720 ILCS 5/21-1?

Standard Administrative Protocol: No automatic driver's license suspension or mandatory revocation is triggered by this offense code alone upon citation.

Official Legal Citation Formats

Legal & Academic Reference

Standardized legal citations for briefs, court pleadings, law enforcement documentation, and academic research.

Illinois Supreme Court Citation 720 ILCS 5/21-1 (West 2026)
The Bluebook Style (21st ed.) 720 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/21-1 (2026)
Canonical Web Reference https://ilcsindex.com/statutes/720-ilcs-5-21-1
Cross-Referenced ILCS Codes