Florida · Walk-in purchase
Florida Catalytic Converter Purchase Rules
Who you can buy from, what you must record, hold periods, and the penalty if you get it wrong when walk-in purchase catalytic converters in Florida. Sourced from the ReMA / ISRI State Metals Theft Law Database.
Florida · Bottom line
HOLD 10 DAYS
Sourced fromReMA / ISRI State Metals Theft Law Database·Verified
Florida · At a glance
10-business-day automatic hold • $0 cash for cats (check or e-payment only) • report to law enforcement by 10 AM next business day
Seller must qualify
Seller must show proof of ownership of the source vehicle
Full rule + accepted documents
Florida § 860.142 (Catalytic Converter Antitheft Act): only a registered secondary metals recycler may knowingly purchase a detached catalytic converter, and § 860.142 makes it unlawful to knowingly possess, purchase, sell, or install a stolen converter, a converter taken from a stolen vehicle, one with an altered/removed identification number, or a detached converter without proof of ownership (limited exceptions for a registered secondary metals recycler, a salvage motor vehicle dealer, or a person/entity in § 538.22). To buy lawfully, the recycler should require the walk-in Seller to produce title, registration, or equivalent documentation evidencing ownership of the source vehicle. Possession of two or more detached converters supports a statutory inference the holder knew or should have known they may have been stolen.
Accepted documents
- Vehicle title for the source vehicle
- Vehicle registration
- Bill of sale showing prior ownership
- Other documentation showing reasonable proof of ownership
Counter checklist
License
Verify FL Dept of Revenue registration
Confirm the Recycler is registered with the Florida Department of Revenue and conspicuously displays registration at each recycling location. Annual renewal at $6 per location. Natural-person applicants must have completed law-enforcement-certified fingerprints for background check.
Statute
Fla. Stat. § 538.25
Statute: Fla. Stat. § 538.25
Seller ID
Verify Seller proof of ownership
Require the Seller to produce reasonable proof of ownership of the source vehicle — title, registration, signed bill of sale, or equivalent. Without this proof, the transaction is illegal under § 860.142 unless the Seller is themselves a registered secondary metals recycler or salvage motor vehicle dealer.
Statute
Fla. Stat. § 860.142
Statute: Fla. Stat. § 860.142
Recordkeeping
Photo converter + Seller; record source-vehicle VIN
Photograph the catalytic converter and the Seller. Record the VIN from the Seller's title or registration. The converter itself is not VIN-stamped.
Payment
No cash for cats — check or electronic only, within 3 days
No cash for Restricted Regulated Metals Property. A detached catalytic converter is classified as restricted regulated metals property (§ 538.26(5)(b)). The method-of-payment rule itself is in § 538.235: payment must be by check issued and payable to the Seller, or by electronic payment to an account for which the Seller is listed as an account holder, and must be mailed or transmitted within 3 days after the purchase transaction. A check may not be mailed to a post office box.
Statute
Fla. Stat. § 538.235
Statute: Fla. Stat. § 538.235
Hold
Tag and hold 10 business days automatic
Automatic 10-business-day hold on a purchased detached catalytic converter before processing or removing it from the place of business (§ 538.26(6)). Hold does not apply to a purchase from another secondary metals recycler, a salvage motor vehicle dealer as defined in s. 320.27(1)(c)5., or a person or entity specified in s. 538.22. Law enforcement may issue a written hold (initial period up to 15 days, extendable to 45 days) under § 538.21.
Statute
Fla. Stat. § 538.26
Statute: Fla. Stat. § 538.26
Reporting
E-report to law enforcement by 10 AM next business day
Transmit the electronic transaction record to the appropriate law enforcement agency by 10 AM of the business day following the transaction. Price paid is NOT included in the law-enforcement report. Recyclers transmitting electronically are not required to also deliver paper copies; the official may request paper records.
Statute
Fla. Stat. § 538.19
Statute: Fla. Stat. § 538.19
Statute citations
- Fla. Stat. Title XXXIII, Ch. 538, Part II § 538.18 – § 538.28 (Secondary Metals Recyclers)
- Fla. Stat. § 860.142 (Catalytic Converter Antitheft Act)
- Fla. Stat. § 812.145 (Theft of copper or other nonferrous metals); § 812.146 (Civil liability of owner of metal property)
Recent amendments
- 2023 CS/CS/SB 306: Created § 860.142 (Catalytic Converter Antitheft Act): a person may not knowingly purchase a detached catalytic converter unless a registered secondary metals recycler; possession of two or more detached converters supports an inference of knowledge; also amended § 538.26 to add the 10-business-day hold on purchased detached converters. Effective July 1, 2023.
Source detail
Compliance data sourced from the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA / ISRI) State Metals Theft Law Database →
Last verified . ReMA updates the database periodically. Confirm against current statute before relying on this in compliance decisions.
Common questions
- Can you buy a loose catalytic converter from a walk-in seller in Florida?
- Yes — Florida permits this if you follow the state's recordkeeping, payment, and hold requirements. 10-business-day automatic hold • $0 cash for cats (check or e-payment only) • report to law enforcement by 10 AM next business day (Quick reference, not legal advice — verify against current statute and your state recycler association before relying on this.)
- What's the penalty for buying a catalytic converter illegally in Florida?
- Selling or purchasing a detached catalytic converter in violation of § 860.142 is a third-degree felony. Recycler may also lose registration with the Department of Revenue. (Quick reference, not legal advice — verify against current statute and your state recycler association before relying on this.)
- What records do you need to buy a catalytic converter in Florida?
- Required at the counter: Verify FL Dept of Revenue registration; Verify Seller proof of ownership; Photo converter + Seller; record source-vehicle VIN; No cash for cats — check or electronic only, within 3 days; Tag and hold 10 business days automatic; E-report to law enforcement by 10 AM next business day. (Quick reference, not legal advice — verify against current statute and your state recycler association before relying on this.)
SafeYard · yardstack.org. Catalytic converter compliance reference for Florida (Buying a loose catalytic converter from a walk-in seller). Last verified 2026-05-25. Sourced from ReMA / ISRI. Not legal advice; verify against current statute.