TX

Texas · Pull from yard

Verified

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

Texas · Bottom line

TIE TO VIN

Sourced fromReMA / ISRI State Metals Theft Law Database·Verified

Texas · At a glance

Not a purchase — chain-of-custody recordkeeping only • no hold • onward sale to refiner triggers its own LeadsOnline upload

Counter checklist

  1. Recordkeeping

    Tie cat to source-vehicle VIN in dismantling log

    Record the source vehicle's VIN, year, make, model, and date of acquisition in your dismantling log when the converter is removed. The converter itself is not VIN-stamped — your records are the only link between the cat and its lawful origin.

  2. Recordkeeping

    Photograph cat against source vehicle at removal

    Take a photo of the converter at the moment of removal showing the source vehicle (VIN visible if possible). Attach to the vehicle's dismantling record.

  3. Reporting

    Onward sale to refiner: apply normal Ch. 1956 sale rules

    When you sell the converter to a refiner or downstream processor, that sale is its own transaction subject to Ch. 1956 reporting + LeadsOnline upload. No hold applies to your own-stock material, but the buyer's hold rules may apply at their end.

Statute citations

  • Texas Occupations Code Title 12, Ch. 1956 § 1956.001 – § 1956.204 (Recycler recordkeeping)
  • Texas Occupations Code Ch. 2309 (used automotive parts recyclers); Texas Transportation Code Ch. 683 (demolishers / abandoned vehicles); 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 Texas?
Yes — Texas permits this if you follow the state's recordkeeping, payment, and hold requirements. Not a purchase — chain-of-custody recordkeeping only • no hold • onward sale to refiner triggers its own LeadsOnline upload (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 Texas?
Pulling a converter from your own yard vehicle is not a regulated purchase. The compliance exposure is recordkeeping: failure to maintain chain-of-custody records linking the converter to the source vehicle can undermine your defense and may compromise NMVTIS reporting on the source vehicle. The Ch. 1956 reporting and hold duties attach when you later sell the converter. (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 Texas?
Required at the counter: Tie cat to source-vehicle VIN in dismantling log; Photograph cat against source vehicle at removal; Onward sale to refiner: apply normal Ch. 1956 sale rules. (Quick reference, not legal advice — verify against current statute and your state recycler association before relying on this.)