Catalytic converter theft targeted in House bill

By Jackson Cooper, Missouri Independent
JEFFERSON CITY — The sale of catalytic converters in Missouri could face tighter regulations under a bill heard by a House committee Wednesday.
House Bill 2206 is intended to minimize theft and illegal trade of catalytic converters. Both crimes skyrocketed nationwide between 2019 and 2022, sparked by increases in the market prices of the raw elements found inside converters.
Though thefts have declined in recent years amid fluctuation in the price of component parts, the bill sponsor, Rep. Don Mayhew, R-Crocker, said it was important to have additional measures in place before thefts could rise again.
“A Google search will tell you that it is still happening, including right here in Missouri,” Mayhew said.
He added that insurance coverage on catalytic converter replacement is unreliable, and repair costs often fall on the victim; he referenced an older woman whose mobility was affected by a stolen converter.
“She had a catalytic converter stolen, had to move off the farm, move into town,” Mayhew said. “She would be more than willing to come here and testify, but she says she can’t because she can’t afford to get a catalytic converter put back on her car.”
Replacement converters cost between $1,000 and $4,000 on average, according to AAA Automotive.
HB 2206 places more of catalytic converter trade under government control by designating new crimes and holding scrap and auto dealers to higher standards.
The bill tightens record-keeping requirements for scrap dealers when purchasing catalytic converters. Dealers would now be required to track the make, model, year and vehicle identification number of the source vehicle to provide a clearer accounting of where converters are
obtained. Catalytic converters are attached to a vehicle’s exhaust pipe and are intended to reduce pollution. Federal regulations mandate their use in any gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle manufactured after 1975.
Converters work by using precious metals, like platinum, rhodium and palladium, to change toxic compounds in car exhaust into less harmful water vapor, carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas.
However, these components are also what make catalytic converters so appealing to thieves. Stolen converters can sell for up to $1,000 on the black market, according to Kelley Blue Book. They are typically sold fast and disassembled for scrap, where the precious metals can be leveraged for greatest value.
The bill also expands Missouri’s existing salvage-dealer licensure requirements to those trading detached catalytic converters, placing them under the regulatory supervision of the Department of Revenue.
The clause mandates additional paperwork to be filed to the DOR. Witnesses testifying against the bill opposed the clause.
Shannon Cooper, a lobbyist advocating on behalf of scrap metal buyer Advantage Metals Recycling, said the legislation gives more work to law-abiding salvage operations without targeting those violating current law.
“What frustrates us is the number of operations out there that operate illegally every day,” Cooper said. “Nobody wants to do a single thing to them, except come over here and ask for more record-keeping burdens on those of us who do things the right way.”
Cooper said the law requires extensive documentation of sales with photographic records, including pictures of sellers, products and source vehicles.
The bill also criminalizes possession with intent to sell a catalytic converter known to be stolen. It would be designated a Class E felony.
Mayhew said this is the sixth legislative session in which he has presented the bill. It passed the House with bipartisan support last spring before dying in the Senate. It now awaits a vote from the Judiciary committee.