Following the Great Droid Revolution of 4015 BBY, the Galactic Republic established specific punitive actions against owners whose droids broke the law; these were known as the Droid Statutes. Later, COMPNOR formally codified them within the Imperial Penal References. Infractions were categorized into five classes, ranging from Class Five (least severe) to Class One (most severe).
The droid's owner was generally deemed responsible for the infraction and faced the corresponding punishment. If the owner was found guilty, the droid typically underwent a memory-wipe before being sold at auction to cover trial expenses. In the most serious instances, the droid was seized and destroyed.
The least severe misdemeanor crimes were Class Five infractions. The owner faced a minor fine between 100 and 1,000 credits, while the droid's memory was wiped. Local law enforcement often disregarded these infractions. Examples of Class Five infractions included:
- Theft of sums up to 5,000 credits [2]
- Verbally assaulting an organic being [2]
- Operating without a restraining bolt or similar "leashing" device [2]
Class Four infractions typically involved the most violent droid-related offenses. The owner was penalized with a fine ranging from 500 to 3,000 credits, and the droid's memory was wiped. Examples of Class Four infractions included:
- Theft of sums between 5,000 and 10,000 credits [2]
- Possessing or installing unauthorized restricted programming [2]
- Causing property damage, including damage to other droids [2]
- Unlawfully entering droid-restricted areas [2]
Imperial authorities typically ignored Class Three infractions, delegating them to local jurisdictions. The owner faced a fine between 1,000 and 5,000 credits, and the droid underwent a mandatory memory wipe and reset. In some cases, the owner was held criminally responsible, and the droid was impounded for public sale. Examples of Class Three infractions included:
- Theft exceeding 10,000 credits [2]
- Possessing or installing a weapon without proper authorization [2]
- Committing physical assault that did not result in death [2]
Class Two infractions were uncommon and usually received significant publicity. The droid was confiscated, and the owner was imprisoned for five to thirty standard year in a high-security facility like Kessel. While some confiscated droids were destroyed in extreme cases, most were simply memory-wiped and sold at public auction. Examples of Class Two infractions included:
- Committing involuntary manslaughter [2]
- Possessing or installing an illegal weapon within the droid's chassis [2]
- Engaging in illegal programming activities [2]
- Executing unauthorized espionage programming [2]
Considered capital offenses, Class One infractions were illegal acts often concealed by authorities to prevent public panic. The owner faced imprisonment ranging from five years to life, and the droid was destroyed. Examples of Class One infractions included:
- Conspiring to overthrow the Galactic Empire [2]
- Committing voluntary manslaughter [2]
- Programming or acting with the intent to harm Imperial personnel [2]
- Programming a droid to conduct espionage against the Empire or its citizens [2]
The implementation of the Droid Statutes varied considerably. Technologically advanced planets such as Coruscant and Derilyn reduced penalties for minor infractions to avoid overburdening local law enforcement, while remote worlds like Tatooine and Gamorr experienced months-long judicial backlogs due to droid-related crimes. Some planetary militias established specialized droid enforcement agencies to focus on investigating and prosecuting violations of the Droid Statutes.