NJ

New Jersey · Walk-in purchase

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New Jersey 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 New Jersey. Sourced from the ReMA / ISRI State Metals Theft Law Database.

New Jersey · Bottom line

GET VIN+TITLE

Sourced fromReMA / ISRI State Metals Theft Law Database·Verified

New Jersey · At a glance

Only a scrap metal business may buy a detached cat • for a walk-in seller you MUST get the source-vehicle VIN AND a copy of title/registration/repair receipt/bill of sale • photo-ID verified + 5-year records

Seller must qualify

You must be a scrap metal business (a commercial establishment that purchases scrap metal for resale or processing); if the walk-in seller is not a registered cat/parts business, you must capture the source-vehicle VIN + an ownership document

Full rule + accepted documents

N.J.S.A. 45:28-6 limits the purchase of a detached used catalytic converter to a scrap metal business, unless the seller is itself a registered business that in the regular course of business collects, stores, or sells catalytic converters or other motor vehicle parts. A walk-in individual is not that exempt seller class, so the scrap metal business may buy from the walk-in ONLY if it additionally obtains, under N.J.S.A. 45:28-2: (1) the Vehicle Identification Number of the motor vehicle from which the converter was taken, and (2) a copy of the certificate of title or registration, a receipt from a transaction of repair, or a bill of sale for that motor vehicle. Standard seller photo-ID verification and recordkeeping under 45:28-2 also apply.

Accepted documents

  • Copy of the certificate of title for the source vehicle
  • Copy of the registration for the source vehicle
  • Receipt from a transaction of repair on the source vehicle
  • Bill of sale for the source vehicle
  • Seller's photograph-bearing State or federal driver's license or other government photo ID

Counter checklist

  1. License

    Confirm you are a scrap metal business

    N.J.S.A. 45:28-6 limits the purchase of a detached used catalytic converter to a scrap metal business — defined in N.J.S.A. 45:28-1 as a commercial establishment that, as one of its principal business purposes, purchases scrap metal for purposes of resale or processing. (Note: the Act does not, by its own text, create a separate state registration for scrap metal businesses; the word 'registered' in 45:28-6 modifies the exempt cat/parts seller class — confirm any licensing/registration obligations with counsel.) Confirm your operation qualifies before buying any loose converter.

    Statute

    N.J.S.A. 45:28-6

  2. Seller ID

    Walk-in individual is NOT the exempt cat/parts business

    The only seller you may buy a detached cat from WITHOUT the extra VIN+ownership documentation is a registered business that, in the regular course of business, collects, stores, or sells catalytic converters or other motor vehicle parts. A walk-in individual does not qualify, so the source-vehicle documentation steps below are mandatory.

    Statute

    N.J.S.A. 45:28-6

  3. Seller ID

    Verify + copy seller photo ID before purchase

    Before receiving or purchasing any scrap metal, verify the seller's identity by examining a photograph-bearing valid State or federal driver's license or other government-issued photo ID, and make and keep a clear copy of, and record, the ID number as prescribed by the Attorney General.

    Statute

    N.J.S.A. 45:28-2

  4. Vehicle

    Record source-vehicle VIN for the converter

    Obtain and record the Vehicle Identification Number of the motor vehicle from which the catalytic converter was taken. Required whenever the seller is not a registered cat/parts business.

    Statute

    N.J.S.A. 45:28-2

  5. Recordkeeping

    Get copy of title/registration/repair receipt/bill of sale

    Obtain and keep a copy of ONE of: the certificate of title or registration, a receipt from a transaction of repair, or a bill of sale, for the motor vehicle from which the converter was taken. This is mandatory for a detached cat bought from a walk-in (non-exempt) seller.

    Statute

    N.J.S.A. 45:28-2

  6. Recordkeeping

    Keep the full transaction record for 5 years

    Maintain, for at least five years, the record of the receipt or purchase: date, the name and address of the seller, the type and number of identification presented, a description of the scrap metal, the seller's signature, plus the cat-specific VIN and ownership document. Records must be available for inspection.

    Statute

    N.J.S.A. 45:28-2

Statute citations

  • N.J. Rev. Stat. Title 45, Subtitle 2, Ch. 28; N.J.S.A. 45:28-1 to 45:28-6 (Scrap Metal Business Act, P.L. 2009 c.8)
  • N.J.S.A. 45:28-6 (detached catalytic converter purchase limited to scrap metal business); N.J.S.A. 45:28-2 (cat VIN + ownership-document recordkeeping); definition at N.J.S.A. 45:28-1
  • N.J.S.A. 45:28-5 (penalties); P.L. 2023 c.56 (S249, 1R) amendments

Recent amendments

  • 2009 P.L. 2009 c.8: Original Scrap Metal Business Act — N.J.S.A. 45:28-1 et seq.: defined scrap metal business, seller photo-ID verification, 5-year recordkeeping, penalties
  • 2023 S249 (P.L. 2023 c.56): Added detached used catalytic converter to the definition of scrap metal; limited purchase of a detached cat to scrap metal businesses (exception for registered cat/parts businesses); required source-vehicle VIN + copy of title/registration/repair receipt/bill of sale for cats bought from non-exempt sellers (signed May 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 New Jersey?
Yes — New Jersey permits this if you follow the state's recordkeeping, payment, and hold requirements. Only a scrap metal business may buy a detached cat • for a walk-in seller you MUST get the source-vehicle VIN AND a copy of title/registration/repair receipt/bill of sale • photo-ID verified + 5-year records (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 New Jersey?
Violations of the Scrap Metal Business Act (N.J.S.A. 45:28-1 et seq.), including buying a detached catalytic converter without the required VIN + ownership document or from an ineligible seller, are disorderly persons offenses for a first or second offense and crimes of the fourth degree for third and subsequent offenses (N.J.S.A. 45:28-5). (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 New Jersey?
Required at the counter: Confirm you are a scrap metal business; Walk-in individual is NOT the exempt cat/parts business; Verify + copy seller photo ID before purchase; Record source-vehicle VIN for the converter; Get copy of title/registration/repair receipt/bill of sale; Keep the full transaction record for 5 years. (Quick reference, not legal advice — verify against current statute and your state recycler association before relying on this.)