Gov. Roy Cooper signed a bill last week aimed at cracking down on catalytic converter thefts.
Senate Bill 99 clarifies that theft of a catalytic converter is a Class I felony unless the offense is covered under another provision of law providing greater punishment. Prior to the bill, state law stated that theft of a motor vehicle part is a Class I felony if the cost of repairing the automobile is $1,000. The updated legislation specifically places catalytic converter thefts in that class regardless of the cost of repairs.
The bill states that anyone in possession of a catalytic converter that has been removed from a vehicle is presumed to have obtained the part by unlawful means unless the person is acting in their official duties for an automobile dealer, repair shop, secondary metals recycler or salvage yard that is licensed, permitted or registered pursuant to state law.
The bill contains a provision that protects anyone who has documentation showing that the catalytic converter in their possession stems from repairs on an automobile registered in their name.
“Unless you have a good reason to have a catalytic converter, it’s presumed that you obtained it unlawfully,” Cherokee County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Joe Wood said. “[This bill] will give us a lot more power to arrest individuals that are posting on Facebook seeking people to bring them catalytic converters in volume.”
The bill further makes it unlawful for any person who is not a secondary metals recycler to purchase a used catalytic converter not attached to a vehicle unless the part “has been tested, certified, and labeled, or otherwise approved for reuse, and being bought or sold for purposes of reuse, in accordance with the federal Clean Air Act.”
Secondary metals recyclers can only purchase catalytic converters from certain people approved by state law, and they must maintain an electronic record of each transaction. In addition to jail time, anyone who violates the law may be fined $1,000 for each violation.