NJ

New Jersey · Pull from yard

Verified

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 pull from yard catalytic converters in New Jersey. Sourced from the ReMA / ISRI State Metals Theft Law Database.

New Jersey · Bottom line

TIE TO VIN

Sourced fromReMA / ISRI State Metals Theft Law Database·Verified

New Jersey · At a glance

Not a regulated purchase — you own the vehicle • tie the cat to the source VIN in your records • the 45:28-6 walk-in purchase limit does not apply, but onward sale of the detached cat is regulated at the buyer's end

Counter checklist

  1. Recordkeeping

    Tie cat to source-vehicle VIN in your records

    Record the source vehicle's VIN, year, make, model, and date of removal when the converter is detached. Your records are the link between the detached cat and its lawful origin and mirror the VIN documentation N.J.S.A. 45:28-2 requires when a cat is later transacted.

    Statute

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

  2. Recordkeeping· optional

    Photograph cat against source vehicle at removal

    Photograph the converter at removal alongside the source vehicle (VIN visible if possible) and attach it to the vehicle's dismantling record. Best-practice chain-of-custody; supports the recordkeeping the Act expects.

    Statute

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

  3. Reporting

    Onward sale: buyer needs your VIN + ownership proof

    When you sell the detached converter to a downstream scrap metal business, the 45:28-6 purchase limit and 45:28-2 documentation apply at the BUYER's end. Provide your source-vehicle VIN and ownership/dismantling documentation so the buyer's purchase is compliant.

    Statute

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

Statute citations

  • N.J.S.A. 45:28-1 to 45:28-6 (Scrap Metal Business Act, P.L. 2009 c.8; cat provisions added by P.L. 2023 c.56)
  • N.J.S.A. 45:28-6 (purchase limitation — applies to BUYING a detached cat, not to removing one from your own vehicle); N.J.S.A. 45:28-2 (recordkeeping)
  • N.J.S.A. 45:28-5 (penalties); 49 U.S.C. § 30502 (NMVTIS) for source-vehicle reporting

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 pull from yard in New Jersey?
Yes — New Jersey permits this if you follow the state's recordkeeping, payment, and hold requirements. Not a regulated purchase — you own the vehicle • tie the cat to the source VIN in your records • the 45:28-6 walk-in purchase limit does not apply, but onward sale of the detached cat is regulated at the buyer's end (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?
Removing a converter from a vehicle you own is not the regulated purchase event under N.J.S.A. 45:28-6. Failure to keep the underlying scrap metal records, or buying/selling a detached cat in violation of the Act, is a disorderly persons offense (1st/2nd) escalating to a crime of the fourth degree (3rd+) under 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: Tie cat to source-vehicle VIN in your records; Onward sale: buyer needs your VIN + ownership proof. (Quick reference, not legal advice — verify against current statute and your state recycler association before relying on this.)