The punishment for egging a car depends almost entirely on how much damage the eggs cause. Prosecutors charge the act as vandalism or criminal mischief in every state, and where the dollar amount of repairs lands decides whether you face a misdemeanor with fines and possible jail time or a felony carrying state prison. On top of the criminal case, you can expect a restitution order for the repair bill, a possible civil lawsuit from the vehicle owner, and a conviction that follows you onto background checks for years.
Why the Repair Bill Drives the Charge
Eggs contain sulfur and acidic compounds that start etching a car’s clear coat on contact, and heat speeds the reaction up. An egg wiped off within an hour might leave staining that buffs out for a couple hundred dollars. An egg left overnight in warm weather can eat through the clear coat and into the base paint, forcing a repaint of one or more panels and pushing the bill from $500 into the thousands.
That number matters because every state’s vandalism statute uses damage value as the dividing line between misdemeanor and felony. Some states set the felony threshold as low as $250. Others don’t cross it until damage exceeds $2,500 or $5,000. Most sit somewhere in the middle. Because egg damage escalates fast, a single incident can cross a felony line more easily than most people expect.
Misdemeanor Penalties
Misdemeanor vandalism for egging a car typically carries fines up to $1,000, community service, probation, and a jail ceiling of up to one year in county jail. A first-time offender with minor damage usually lands near the low end. But the one-year ceiling is real, and judges do reach for it with repeat offenders or particularly brazen conduct.
Felony Penalties
When repair costs cross the state’s felony threshold, the exposure changes. Depending on the jurisdiction and the damage amount, a felony vandalism conviction can carry state prison time reaching three to five years, and fines that climb to $10,000 or more. A prior criminal record makes the harsher end of that range much more likely, because sentencing guidelines in most states treat repeat offenders more severely.
When Charges Get Enhanced
Context can raise the charge independently of the dollar amount. If prosecutors can show the egging was part of an ongoing pattern of harassment, was meant to intimidate the victim, or targeted the victim because of race, religion, or another protected characteristic, they can seek enhancements. A hate crime enhancement can bump a misdemeanor to a felony in many jurisdictions and carries significantly harsher penalties regardless of what the paint job costs.
If the Person Charged Is a Minor
Egging is overwhelmingly a young person’s offense, and juveniles are handled differently. Most first-time juvenile vandalism cases go into diversion rather than formal prosecution. Diversion usually combines community service, counseling, educational classes, and restitution. Complete the program, and the charges get dismissed or reduced. Fail it, and the case moves back into formal court.
If a case reaches juvenile court, judges can order probation with conditions like ongoing counseling, community service, or educational programming. Restitution to the vehicle owner is almost always part of the outcome no matter which track the case takes.
Parents Pay Too
Nearly every state has a parental liability statute making parents financially responsible for a minor child’s intentional property damage. Caps vary widely, from a few hundred dollars in some states to $25,000 or more in others, and a handful of states impose no cap at all for certain damage. This liability is separate from the criminal case, so a vehicle owner can pursue the parents for repair costs even if the child’s charges are resolved through diversion.
Homeowners and renters insurance almost never helps. Standard policies contain an intentional acts exclusion, and because egging is deliberate, insurers deny these claims. Parents end up paying out of pocket for whatever the court or a civil settlement requires.
Restitution to the Vehicle Owner
A conviction almost always comes with a restitution order. Restitution is not a fine paid to the government. It goes directly to the vehicle owner and is meant to make them whole, typically covering paint repair or repainting and related costs such as a rental car while the vehicle is in the shop. The amount is usually based on professional repair estimates.
Courts take this obligation seriously. Paying restitution is written in as a condition of probation or supervised release, so falling behind can trigger a probation violation and additional penalties. If restitution goes unpaid, courts can garnish wages, intercept tax refunds, or place liens on the offender’s property. Even prison wages can be partially directed toward an outstanding balance.
Civil Lawsuit on Top of the Criminal Case
The criminal penalty and restitution order are not the end of the financial exposure. The vehicle owner can file a separate civil lawsuit, and can do so whether or not criminal charges were filed, and whether or not those charges produced a conviction.
Civil cases run on a lower standard of proof. The owner only has to show it is more likely than not that you did it, rather than proving it beyond a reasonable doubt. Security camera footage, witness testimony, or even circumstantial evidence can be enough. A successful claim can recover repair costs, diminished vehicle value, and incidental expenses like alternative transportation. Courts can also add punitive damages when the conduct was willful or malicious, which pushes the total well beyond the actual repair bill.
Most states give property damage victims two to three years to sue, though the deadline varies by jurisdiction. Miss it and the right to sue is gone regardless of how strong the evidence is.
Insurance Won’t Cover You
If you are the one who did the egging, do not count on insurance. Homeowners and renters policies exclude intentional acts. Since egging is deliberate, insurers decline to cover restitution orders or civil judgments arising from it. The full cost lands on the offender, or the offender’s parents if the offender is a minor.
Long-Term Effect on Your Record
A vandalism conviction stays on your criminal record and shows up on background checks. Employers run these checks routinely, and a property damage conviction raises concerns about judgment and reliability, especially for jobs involving access to company property, customer homes, or financial assets. Housing applications often ask about criminal history as well, and landlords can view a vandalism conviction unfavorably.
Professional licensing is another pressure point. Some licenses require a clean record or at least disclosure of any convictions, so a charge that seemed minor at the time can create problems later in fields like education, healthcare, or finance.
Many states allow misdemeanor vandalism convictions to be expunged or sealed after a waiting period, provided the person stays out of further trouble and meets other eligibility requirements. Expungement removes the conviction from public background checks, though law enforcement may still see it. Felony vandalism convictions are much harder to expunge, and some states do not allow it at all. Even where expungement is eventually available, it takes time, legal fees, and an unbroken record after the fact.