OH

Ohio · Walk-in purchase

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

Ohio · Bottom line

MAX 1/DAY

Sourced fromReMA / ISRI State Metals Theft Law Database·Verified

Ohio · At a glance

Ohio allows walk-in cat purchases — but NO MORE THAN ONE catalytic converter per day from the same person (except from a licensed motor vehicle dealer) • copy seller ID + photograph seller + record plate • register with ODPS + file the daily electronic report

Seller must qualify

Any walk-in seller is permitted, but you may take only one converter per person per day; ODPS registration is required to operate

Full rule + accepted documents

Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.04(F)(5) provides that no scrap metal dealer shall purchase or receive more than one catalytic converter per day from the same person, except from a motor vehicle dealer as defined in § 4517.01. Unlike California or New York, Ohio does NOT require a walk-in seller to prove ownership of a source vehicle to sell a single detached converter — but the dealer must be registered with the Ohio Director of Public Safety (ODPS), must copy the seller's personal identification card, photograph the seller, and record the seller's vehicle license plate. NOTE: Ohio's under-eighteen purchase ban in Sec. 4737.04(F)(3) applies only to 'special purchase articles' and bulk merchandise containers; catalytic converters are NOT 'special purchase articles' under Sec. 4737.04(A)(2), so there is no converter-specific minimum-age requirement (verifying age remains good practice).

Accepted documents

  • Seller's government-issued personal identification card (copy required and retained)
  • Seller's motor vehicle license plate number + issuing state (if the seller arrives by vehicle)

Counter checklist

  1. License

    Register with ODPS; renew annually ($200 init / $150 renew)

    No person may engage in business as a scrap metal dealer without first registering with the Ohio Director of Public Safety (ODPS). Registration is valid for one year; the initial fee is $200 and the renewal fee is $150. Confirm your registration is current before buying any converter.

    Statute

    Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.045

  2. Other

    MAX 1 catalytic converter per person per day

    Do not purchase or receive more than ONE catalytic converter per day from the same person. The only exception is a purchase from a licensed motor vehicle dealer as defined in § 4517.01. Buying a second converter from the same walk-in seller in the same day is a violation regardless of recordkeeping.

    Statute

    Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.04(F)(5)

    Note
    The motor-vehicle-dealer exception lets you buy multiple converters from a licensed dealer; it does NOT apply to ordinary walk-in members of the public.

  3. Seller ID

    Copy seller's ID; no ID / no photo = no buy

    Obtain and keep a copy of the seller's personal identification card, and record the seller's name and residence. You may NOT purchase from a person who refuses to show identification or refuses to allow you to take the required photograph. Note: Ohio's under-eighteen purchase ban (§ 4737.04(F)(3)) applies only to 'special purchase articles' and bulk merchandise containers — catalytic converters are NOT 'special purchase articles' under § 4737.04(A)(2), so there is no converter-specific minimum-age statute. Confirming age is still prudent practice, not a § 4737.04 mandate for converters.

    Statute

    Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.04(C)(1), (F)(1)

  4. Recordkeeping

    Photograph the seller (ODPS rules)

    Take a photograph of each person who sells a converter (or any article requiring a § 4737.04(C) record), in accordance with rules adopted by the Director. Retain the photograph with the transaction record.

    Statute

    Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.04(I)

  5. Recordkeeping

    Log name/residence, date/time, weight, plate + state

    Keep an accurate, consecutively numbered record entry containing: the seller's name and residence, a copy of the ID and the seller photograph; the date and time of the transaction and the weight on a licensed commercial scale; and, if the seller arrived by vehicle, the license plate number and issuing state. Use the 'Catalytic converters' category code when recording recyclable materials. Maintain entries in numerical order for inspection.

    Statute

    Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.04(C)(1)–(3), (C)(5)

  6. Reporting

    File daily ODPS electronic report by noon EST next day

    Prepare a daily electronic report of the preceding day's transactions in the content and format set by ODPS rules, and electronically transmit it to the state registry by 12:00 noon Eastern time the following day.

    Statute

    Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.04(E)(1)(b)

    Note
    Catalytic converters are NOT 'special purchase articles' under § 4737.04(A)(2), so the § 4737.041 special-purchase-article check-payment and payment-hold rules do NOT apply to converters; § 4737.04 itself does not mandate a particular payment method for converters. Confirm current ODPS registry mechanics before relying on a specific upload vendor.

Statute citations

  • Ohio Rev. Code Title 47, Ch. 4737, § 4737.01 – § 4737.99 (Secondhand Dealers; Junk Yards / Scrap Metal Dealers); Ohio Admin. Code Ch. 4501:5-3
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.04(F)(5) — one-catalytic-converter-per-day-per-person limit (motor vehicle dealer exception under § 4517.01)
  • Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.04(C), (I) (recordkeeping + seller photograph); § 4737.045 (ODPS registration); § 4737.99 (penalties); Railroad scrap: Ohio Rev. Code Title 49, Ch. 4973, § 4973.13 – § 4973.16

Recent amendments

  • 2013 HB 51: Scrap metal dealer / theft-prevention provisions in Ch. 4737 (see linked statute for amendment details)
  • 2014 HB 483: Budget-bill amendments to scrap metal dealer provisions in Ch. 4737 (130th General Assembly; see linked statute for amendment details)

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 Ohio?
Yes — Ohio permits this if you follow the state's recordkeeping, payment, and hold requirements. Ohio allows walk-in cat purchases — but NO MORE THAN ONE catalytic converter per day from the same person (except from a licensed motor vehicle dealer) • copy seller ID + photograph seller + record plate • register with ODPS + file the daily electronic report (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 Ohio?
A violation of the catalytic-converter limit or the recordkeeping/photograph requirements (Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.04(C), (F), or (I)) is a misdemeanor of the first degree for a first offense. With one prior violation it is a felony of the fifth degree; with two or more prior violations it is a felony of the fourth degree, and the court may suspend the dealer's registration for ninety days (Ohio Rev. Code § 4737.99). Operating without ODPS registration under § 4737.045 is separately punishable. (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 Ohio?
Required at the counter: Register with ODPS; renew annually ($200 init / $150 renew); MAX 1 catalytic converter per person per day; Copy seller's ID; no ID / no photo = no buy; Photograph the seller (ODPS rules); Log name/residence, date/time, weight, plate + state; File daily ODPS electronic report by noon EST next day. (Quick reference, not legal advice — verify against current statute and your state recycler association before relying on this.)