New California Law Makes Possessing 9 or More Catalytic Converters Illegal

“Catalytic converter theft costs ... money that could have gone to pay the bills, and loopholes must be closed to stop these rampant thefts,” the lawmaker said.

Deputy Jaime Moran from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department engraves the catalytic converter of a vehicle with a traceable number in City of Industry, California, on July 14, 2021. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

California lawmakers continue to address the growing catalytic converter theft problem in the state with recent legislation approved by the governor limiting the number of converters one can possess.

Assembly Bill 641, authored by Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield), and going into effect Jan. 1, will require anyone in possession of nine or more catalytic converters to be a licensed automobile dismantler, which under state law is a person in the business of buying, selling, or dealing automobiles and their parts, according to the lawmakers who drafted the bill.