San Francisco street signs warning of $950 retail theft limit were not posted by city government

Viral social media posts claimed a 2014 law has made retail theft in California so bad that San Francisco city officials posted street signs reminding thieves how much they can shoplift without being charged with a felony.

A June 30 Instagram post showed four photos of street signs, including one outside a shop operated by high-end fashion retailer Louis Vuitton. The signs said "Notice: Stolen goods must remain under $950."

The Instagram post’s caption said, "In 2014 Voters approved Prop. 47 to downgrade drug possession and thefts worth less than $950 to misdemeanors. Today they’re putting up signs to defend it. California under (Democratic Gov. Gavin) Newsom. Theft is now fully legalized."

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We found numerous social media posts sharing one or more images of the signs across social media platforms. One X post with 2.5 million views as of July 2 said, "Welcome to Nancy Pelosi’s district in San Francisco…!"

Other posts called the signs "performance art," or shared the photos, then followed up with replies saying the photos were satire.

The signs did appear on San Francisco streets, but they were not posted by the city. 

Aaron Peskin, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ president, represents District 3, which includes Union Square, where at least three signs in the social media posts were photographed.

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Peskin, in an email to PolitiFact, said the signs "were not put up by the city and were removed."

"They were real. They appear to have been put up yesterday in three locations and removed yesterday and today," Peskin said July 1.

(Instagram screenshot)

California voters in 2014 approved Proposition 47, a ballot measure that downgraded some nonviolent crimes to misdemeanors. Those crimes include shoplifting, for which suspects are charged with a misdemeanor and not a felony if the value of the stolen goods doesn’t exceed $950.

Retail crime remains a problem in California, and social media posts sharing photos of the signs claim San Francisco officials put them outside high-end retailers to warn thieves of the $950 limit.

It’s unclear who posted the signs. Critics have targeted the law and the $950 threshold, blaming them for increased crime. The law has been the target of misinformation from people who say shoplifters face no legal consequences for their actions. 

Theft is not "fully legalized," as the Instagram post claimed. There are consequences for shoplifting under Prop 47. People convicted of that crime face penalties of up to six months in prison and/or a fine of up to $1,000.

Voters might see competing ballot measures cracking down on crime — with one rolling back Prop 47 and the other tweaking the $950 threshold — on the state’s November ballot. 

We rate the claim that the city of San Francisco posted street signs warning thieves that "stolen goods must remain under $950" False.