With catalytic converter thefts on the rise, Gov. Gavin Newsom is signing two new laws into effect to try and put a stop to the stealing. According to the Los Angeles times, the laws -- Senate Bill 1087, by state Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), and Assembly Bill 1740, by Assembly member Al Muratsuchi (D-Rolling Hills Estates) -- will make it illegal to buy the anti-pollution devices without proof it has been purchased from the legal owner or a licensed dealer.
Since the start of the pandemic when the value of metals such as rhodium, platinum, and palladium -- all found in catalytic converters -- increased, more and more states have put new policies in place in an attempt to deter theft of the devices. In a report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, it states that catalytic converter thefts have risen from 1,298 in 2018 to 14,433 in 2020, and in 2021, California alone reported 18,026 thefts.
In addition to an increase in penalties for those buying the stolen converts, the new laws will also require a tracable method of payment as well as more detailed record keeping of the purchases, meaning information on the vehicles that the converters were removed from and the businesses who are selling them.
