HOUSTON – Mail theft is a problem that impacts people living in communities all over the Houston area.
KPRC 2 Investigative reporter Amy Davis exposed thieves selling stolen checks and mailbox keys online, with repeat mailbox thefts caught on camera.
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Senate Bill 1281, a new bill aimed at cracking down on mail theft, would expand protections by including checks, money orders and other financial papers in the definition of mail theft.
The bill also creates a new crime for stealing or copying mailbox keys and locks.
Penalties would increase for organized crime and large-scale thefts, including mail stolen during delivery by postal or carrier workers.
The bill sets punishment levels based on the number of checks or financial documents stolen:
- Up to five stolen checks: state jail felony
- Six to nine checks: third-degree felony
- 10 to 49 checks: second-degree felony
- 50 or more checks: first-degree felony
It also penalizes unauthorized possession or manufacture of postal mailbox keys or locks.
The bill makes mail theft from 10 or more addresses an automatic state felony.
If the theft involves 30 or more addresses, it qualifies as a third-degree felony.
Additional protections are provided for elderly and disabled people.
The bill closes loopholes that allow postal and delivery workers to escape prosecution for mail theft in transit.
Supporters say the bill will give law enforcement more tools to fight mail theft.
The bill takes effect Sept. 1, 2025.
MORE: ‘It’s a disaster’: USPS audit reveals mail theft costs customers thousands of dollars
