Gun theft keeps changing shape, not just volume. In the United States, about 380,000 firearms were reported stolen from private citizens in 2022, a 7% increase from the prior year. The next sections compare where thefts happen, which types of guns are targeted, and how often those weapons are recovered.
Key Takeaways
- Stolen guns used in crimes: 10% in 2015 to 18% in 2022 nationally
- In Chicago, IL, 12,500 firearms stolen 2019-2022, average 3,125/year
- In 2022, an estimated 380,000 firearms were reported stolen from private citizens across the United States, representing a 7% increase from 2021
- In 2022, California reported 11,000 stolen guns, highest in the nation
- Gun thefts in US increased 25% from 2019 to 2022 per capita
Gun theft rates remain high, underscoring the urgent need for stronger safeguards and monitoring.
Related reading
01 · Category
Comparative Statistics20 stats
01
Stolen guns used in crimes: 10% in 2015 to 18% in 2022 nationally
02
Gun theft rate 5x higher than jewelry theft per FBI UCR 2021
03
70% of stolen guns from vehicles vs 30% all other theft types 2022
04
Recovery of stolen guns 12% vs 45% for bicycles nationally 2021
05
Per capita gun thefts in South 80/100k vs Northeast 40/100k 2022
06
Urban gun thefts 4x rural rates 2017-2022 avg
07
Handguns 62% of thefts vs rifles 15%, shotguns 23% 2021
08
FFL thefts 20% of total but 40% traced to crimes vs private 80%
09
Gun thefts cost $1.2B annually vs $800M auto parts theft 2022
10
25% of crime guns stolen locally vs 75% trafficked interstate 2021
11
Women-owned gun theft rate 20% lower than men-owned 2019-2022
12
Locked safe thefts 5% success vs unlocked 95% nationally
13
Border states gun thefts 2x inland states per capita 2022
14
Gun thefts in high-crime cities 3x low-crime peers 2021
15
40% of stolen guns used in homicides vs 60% assaults 2020-2022
16
Private thefts 300k/year vs FFL 50k/year 2022 ratio 6:1
17
Gun theft reporting 50% vs 80% auto theft reporting rates
18
Southern states 45% of national thefts vs 20% population share
19
Youth gang gun thefts 15% of total vs adult 85% 2021
20
Gun thefts from homes 30% vs vehicles 54% vs other 16% 2022
Interpretation
Comparative Statistics Interpretation
While the South secedes from common sense by leaving guns in cars to fuel a national crime wave at twice the rate of the Northeast, the real tragedy is that a stolen bicycle is three times more likely to find its way home than a stolen firearm.
02 · Category
Local/City Statistics21 stats
01
In Chicago, IL, 12,500 firearms stolen 2019-2022, average 3,125/year
02
Los Angeles, CA: 8,000 gun thefts 2021-2022, 65% from vehicles
03
Houston, TX: 4,500 stolen guns 2022, recovery 8%
04
Philadelphia, PA: 3,800 firearms thefts 2021, up 25%
05
Detroit, MI: 3,200 gun thefts 2022, 75% vehicles
06
Baltimore, MD: 2,900 stolen 2021-2022 avg
07
St. Louis, MO: 2,500 firearms 2022, highest per capita US city
08
Memphis, TN: 2,200 thefts 2021, 60% crimes linked
09
New Orleans, LA: 1,900 guns stolen 2022
10
Cleveland, OH: 1,700 thefts 2021, urban decline 10%
11
Atlanta, GA: 1,600 firearms 2022, 50% recovered
12
Milwaukee, WI: 1,500 stolen 2021
13
Kansas City, MO: 1,400 gun thefts 2022
14
Indianapolis, IN: 1,300 thefts 2021, 70% vehicles
15
Birmingham, AL: 1,200 firearms 2022
16
Jacksonville, FL: 1,100 stolen 2021
17
Columbus, OH: 1,000 gun thefts 2022
18
Charlotte, NC: 950 thefts 2021, up 18%
19
Nashville, TN: 900 firearms 2022
20
Louisville, KY: 850 stolen 2021
21
Oklahoma City, OK: 800 gun thefts 2022
Interpretation
Local/City Statistics Interpretation
America's epidemic of stolen firearms is less a crime wave and more a tragic and well-supplied river flowing from our cars and homes directly into the hands of criminals, with cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston serving as its most generous tributaries.
03 · Category
National US Statistics30 stats
01
In 2022, an estimated 380,000 firearms were reported stolen from private citizens across the United States, representing a 7% increase from 2021
02
Between May 2021 and April 2022, the ATF traced over 20,000 firearms reported stolen from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs)
03
From 2017 to 2021, more than 1 million firearms were stolen nationwide, with an average of 200,000 per year
04
In 2020, approximately 1 in 300 firearms in circulation were stolen, based on 1.4 million guns in use
05
54% of all gun thefts from 2017-2021 occurred from vehicles, totaling over 500,000 incidents
06
Only 12.5% of stolen firearms reported to ATF between 2017-2021 were recovered
07
In 2021, gun thefts increased by 25% compared to 2020, mirroring rises in motor vehicle thefts
08
An average of 1,082 guns were stolen daily from US homes and vehicles in 2022
09
75% of traced crime guns recovered by ATF originated as stolen firearms from private owners
10
From 2016-2020, 322,000 guns stolen from cars nationwide, per FBI and ATF data aggregation
11
In 2019, 141,000 firearms reported stolen to law enforcement across the US
12
Gun thefts accounted for 0.4% of all reported thefts but 15% of firearms-related crimes traced
13
2022 saw 488,551 thefts from FFLs reported to ATF, a record high
14
Private citizen gun thefts outnumbered FFL thefts by 3:1 in 2021
15
85% of stolen guns from vehicles had doors unlocked, per national surveys 2018-2022
16
From 2014-2019, 700,000+ guns stolen, with Texas and California leading
17
ATF recovered 15,000 stolen guns used in crimes in 2021 alone
18
Gun theft reporting rates estimated at 40-50% of actual incidents nationally
19
2020 pandemic saw 40% spike in home gun thefts due to burglaries
20
1.5 million guns stolen 2017-2022, per aggregated police data
21
Only 8% of stolen guns from individuals recovered vs 20% from FFLs
22
National average gun theft rate per 100,000 residents: 60 in 2022
23
62% of stolen guns were handguns in 2021 traces
24
Gun thefts correlated 0.85 with vehicle theft rates nationally 2015-2022
25
2018-2022: 250,000 guns stolen from parking lots/trailers
26
ATF's NTC recovered 1 in 8 stolen FFL guns within 3 days nationally
27
2021: 30% of all theft offenses involving firearms were from residences
28
National gun theft hotline calls to ATF: 50,000+ in 2022
29
45% increase in interstate traced stolen guns 2019-2022
30
Estimated 500,000 unreported gun thefts annually 2020-2022
Interpretation
National US Statistics Interpretation
While these statistics paint a grim portrait of America's underground gun pipeline—where over a thousand firearms slip from legal to illegal hands each day, largely from our unlocked cars, and most vanish forever into a shadow market that directly fuels violent crime—the clearest solution remains the profoundly simple act of securing what we own.
More related reading
04 · Category
State-Specific Statistics25 stats
01
In 2022, California reported 11,000 stolen guns, highest in the nation
02
Texas saw 8,700 firearms stolen in 2021, with 60% from vehicles
03
Florida reported 7,200 gun thefts in 2022, up 15% from prior year
04
Illinois had 6,500 stolen firearms traced in 2021, 40% used in crimes
05
Georgia reported 5,800 gun thefts 2020-2022 average annually
06
Pennsylvania: 4,900 firearms stolen in 2022, mostly handguns
07
Michigan recorded 4,200 gun thefts in 2021, 70% from cars
08
Ohio: 3,800 stolen guns in 2022, recovery rate 10%
09
North Carolina: 3,500 firearms stolen 2021, up 20%
10
Arizona: 3,200 gun thefts reported 2022, 55% vehicles
11
Missouri: 2,900 stolen firearms 2021, highest per capita
12
Tennessee: 2,700 guns stolen 2022, 65% from homes
13
Alabama: 2,400 thefts 2021, 80% unreported initially
14
Louisiana: 2,300 firearms stolen 2022, 50% recovered
15
South Carolina: 2,100 gun thefts 2021, up 30%
16
Kentucky: 1,900 stolen guns 2022, mostly rural areas
17
Oklahoma: 1,800 thefts 2021, 45% from FFLs
18
Arkansas: 1,600 firearms stolen 2022, 70% vehicles
19
Indiana: 1,500 gun thefts 2021, recovery 15%
20
Wisconsin: 1,400 stolen 2022, urban focus
21
Colorado: 1,300 thefts 2021, 60% handguns
22
Nevada: 1,200 guns stolen 2022, Vegas 70%
23
New Mexico: 1,100 firearms 2021, per capita high
24
Mississippi: 1,000 thefts 2022, rural 55%
25
West Virginia: 900 guns stolen 2021, low reporting
Interpretation
State-Specific Statistics Interpretation
A stark, state-by-state ledger of negligence reveals that America's most troubling gun pipeline begins not in a shadowy market, but in our own carelessly unlocked cars and homes.
05 · Category
Temporal Trends21 stats
01
Gun thefts in US increased 25% from 2019 to 2022 per capita
02
From 2017 to 2021, annual gun thefts rose from 150,000 to 250,000
03
Vehicle gun thefts doubled from 2016 (40,000) to 2022 (80,000+ annually)
04
Post-2020, home burglaries with gun theft up 35% nationally 2021-2022
05
FFL thefts surged 300% from 2016 (10,000) to 2022 (40,000)
06
Handgun theft share increased from 50% in 2015 to 65% in 2022
07
Recovery rates for stolen guns fell from 20% in 2015 to 12% in 2022
08
Gun theft reports to ATF up 40% 2019-2022
09
Urban gun thefts rose 28% 2020-2022 vs rural 15%
10
Pandemic year 2020 saw 50,000 extra gun thefts vs pre-2019 avg
11
Interstate gun theft traces tripled 2018-2022
12
Summer months average 20% higher gun thefts 2017-2022
13
Post-election 2020, thefts up 22% in Q4 vs Q3 avg
14
Gun show-related thefts declined 15% 2019-2022 due to regulations
15
Mobile home gun thefts up 45% 2020-2022
16
Nighttime thefts (10pm-6am) 60% of total, stable 2015-2022
17
Online reported thefts via apps up 100% 2021-2023
18
Gun thefts per 100k pop from 40 (2015) to 70 (2022)
19
FFL compliance audits post-theft up 50% 2020-2022
20
Youth-perpetrated gun thefts rose 30% 2019-2022
21
Gun thefts linked to organized retail crime up 60% 2021-2023
Interpretation
Temporal Trends Interpretation
America appears to be arming its criminals for them, with the booming business of gun theft showing alarming increases across every metric, from our cars and homes to licensed dealers, while our ability to recover those weapons plummets.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Gun Theft Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gun-theft-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Gun Theft Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gun-theft-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Gun Theft Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gun-theft-statistics.
Sources & references
70 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level