Petty theft is the illegal taking of another person’s item or items with a monetary value of less than a proscribed, legal limit (between $400 and $500 in most states). Theft of more than the stated amount becomes grand theft and carries a higher penalty. Petty theft is a misdemeanor and the limits for petty are determined by each state. The penalties for petty theft generally include a fine and/or six months in jail, although diversion programs are becoming popular options in some states. In these programs, the charges may be dropped if the offender completes all designated programs and does not commit another crime during his probation period.