New Jersey Section 2C:20-20 – Civil actions

New Jersey Civil Law on Shoplifting

New Jersey has a civil law called 2C:20-20 that allows stores to recover money from shoplifters. This law lets the store sue the shoplifter for the cost of the stolen goods, plus extra damages.

What the Law Says

If someone shoplifts from a store in New Jersey, the store can sue them in civil court to recover:

• The cost of the stolen goods
• $150 or the cost of the goods, whichever is greater
• Lawyer fees and court costs

So if someone steals a $10 item, the store can sue them for at least $150 plus lawyer fees. The goal is to deter shoplifting and compensate stores.

Considerations

There are some things to think about with civil shoplifting laws:

• Is it fair to penalize low-income shoplifters with big fines they can’t pay?
• Do stores abuse these laws to get money from petty thieves?
• Should there be exceptions for stealing food out of hunger/poverty?

Reasonable people can debate the pros and cons. But New Jersey passed this law to help stores crack down on shoplifting problems.