Short answer: Usually yes on paper, but rarely in practice. Most Texas homeowners and renters policies cover theft of your personal property, and a package stolen from your porch is your personal property once it is delivered. The catch is the deductible. If your deductible is $1,000, or 1% of your dwelling coverage, a stolen package worth about $150 will not clear it. For most porch thefts, the retailer, the shipping carrier or your credit card is the faster and cheaper fix. A claim makes sense when the loss is large. Coverage depends on your policy.
Holiday shipping season is here, and Texas is a prime target. The SafeWise 2025 Package Theft Report ranks Texas third among states for total value lost to package theft, at about $1.19 billion, and puts San Antonio eighth among metro areas, up from sixteenth the year before. If you live in Seguin, New Braunfels or anywhere along I-10 and I-35, here is how to think about a stolen package before you call anyone.
The Texas Department of Insurance's home insurance guide lists theft among the risks most policies cover, with the reminder that coverages vary by company. Personal property coverage usually equals a percentage of your dwelling limit. TDI's example is 20% of a $100,000 dwelling limit, or $20,000.
Texas policies come in a few shapes. According to TDI's overview of Texas homeowners policies:
Renters insurance works the same way for your belongings. TDI notes that renters insurance covers your clothes, furniture and other personal property. Whether you own or rent, also check how your policy values the loss. Replacement cost pays to buy a new item. Actual cash value subtracts depreciation.
This is where most package claims end. A deductible can be a flat dollar amount or a percentage. The Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel explains that a percentage deductible is calculated on the amount of insurance on your home, not on the amount of your claim. A 1% deductible on a $250,000 home is $2,500.
Now compare that to what actually gets stolen. SafeWise put the average stolen package at $143. The Security.org 2026 report put it at $161. Even with a $500 flat deductible, a typical porch theft pays nothing.
| Deductible | Stolen package worth $161 | Stolen laptop worth $1,800 |
|---|---|---|
| $500 flat | $0 | Up to $1,300 |
| $1,000 flat | $0 | Up to $800 |
| 1% of $250,000 ($2,500) | $0 | $0 |
Even when a claim clears the deductible, think about the long run. TDI says most companies use the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) to review your claims history, and a company can charge you more or refuse to sell you a policy based on that report. Companies can report to CLUE only if you filed a claim.
Texas has specific rules here. Per TDI, a company can raise your rates if you file two or more nonweather-related claims, and it may decline to renew after three or more nonweather-related claims in three years, after warning you at the second. Theft is a nonweather claim. TDI's shopping guide also lists discounts for having no claims for three years in a row. A $300 payout is not worth losing that.
Many retailers will replace or refund a package that shows delivered but never made it inside. Amazon's A-to-z Guarantee applies to items sold and fulfilled by third-party sellers. You generally become eligible three days after the latest estimated delivery date, or once tracking shows delivered, after contacting the seller at least 48 hours earlier. For items sold by Amazon itself, contact Amazon customer service directly. Start with whoever sold you the item.
Carrier protection is narrower than most people think. FedEx includes a standard $100 limit of liability and states plainly that "declared value is not shipping insurance." UPS limits its liability for a domestic package to $100 unless a higher value is declared. USPS says Priority Mail includes up to $100 of insurance for most shipments. These protections are usually the shipper's to claim, which is another reason to start with the seller.
Many cards include purchase protection. Chase, for example, covers theft of new retail purchases within 120 days of purchase on eligible cards, with per-item maximums that vary by card. Check your card's guide to benefits for the time limit, the cap and whether a police report is required.
File a police report. Retailers, card issuers and insurers often ask for one. For mail delivered by USPS, USPS says you can report theft to the Postal Inspection Service at mailtheft.uspis.gov or 1-877-876-2455. For Amazon, FedEx or UPS packages with no USPS tracking, contact that carrier or your local police.
Texas created a specific mail theft offense in 2019 with House Bill 37, now Penal Code Section 31.20. "Mail" includes packages delivered by a common carrier or delivery service, so it is not limited to USPS. Under the base offense, penalties scale by the number of addressees: fewer than 10 is a Class A misdemeanor, 10 to 29 is a state jail felony, and 30 or more is a third-degree felony. Penalties climb higher when the thief targets identifying information.
The Legislature widened the law in 2025. Senate Bill 1281, effective September 1, 2025, extended "mail" to items in transit or delivered but not yet received, removed the requirement that the theft happen from a mailbox or premises, and created a rebuttable presumption that someone holding mail from five or more addressees stole it. None of that pays you back, but it helps police build a case, which is one more reason to report.
A package theft can make sense as a claim when:
If you are not sure, call your agent before you file. A conversation is not a claim.
Renters insurance typically covers theft of your personal property, including delivered packages, subject to your deductible and policy terms. As with homeowners insurance, the deductible often exceeds the value of a single package.
If tracking never shows delivery, the item was likely lost in transit, and that is generally the seller's or carrier's responsibility, not your home policy's. Contact the retailer first.
It can be. Under Penal Code Section 31.20, taking mail from fewer than 10 addressees is a Class A misdemeanor, from 10 to 29 is a state jail felony, and from 30 or more is a third-degree felony, with higher penalties when identifying information is involved.
It can. TDI says a company can raise your rates if you file two or more nonweather-related claims, and theft is a nonweather claim. The claim will also appear on your CLUE report.
It depends on what you can comfortably pay out of pocket and what saves you premium. Many Texas homeowners use their policy for larger losses and handle small ones themselves. TDI's recent rate update encourages shopping around, noting nearly 160 companies sell home and auto insurance in Texas.
The best time to learn your deductible and your theft coverage is before something goes missing. Donegan has served Central Texas families from Seguin since 1911, and as an independent agency we can compare policies across multiple carriers. If you also own rental property, our article on who pays when a tenant's belongings are damaged is worth a read. Visit donegan.com or call 830-303-8300 for a free review of your home or renters policy, or to get a quote.
This article is general information, not legal advice or a statement of coverage. Coverage depends on the specific terms, conditions and exclusions of your policy.