What to Record for Every Converter

Every detached cat in your yard came off a specific car on a specific day. If you can show that, you are in a good spot with buyers, with police and with your own books. If you cannot, even a clean unit can raise questions. This guide lists what legitimate recyclers record for each converter, and shows how catalytic converter record rules for scrap yards in Canada differ by province.

This is general information, not legal advice. Scrap metal and converter rules differ by province and state, and they change. We checked the examples below against the official text in October 2026. Before you rely on any of them, read the current official version or talk to a lawyer who knows your jurisdiction.

Why source records matter

Cat theft is the reason many of these rules exist. Jeffrey Zwirsky, who founded SMASH, said it directly in a Q&A with Recycling Product News:

"Converter theft has made clear source records more important for legitimate recyclers."

Good source records show where each unit came from, give a buyer what it needs to make an offer, and let you answer quickly when police or an inspector asks.

What to capture for each unit

Treat every detached converter as its own record, not a line on a weight ticket. For each unit, capture:

• Photos of the whole unit and any code, stamp or marking on the shell.
• Donor VIN of the car it came off.
• Year, make and model of the donor vehicle.
• Removal date. The day it came off the car.
• Source. Who you got the car or the cat from, backed by the bill of sale, invoice or title paperwork.
• Who logged it, by staff name.
• Date and time the record was made.
• Package ID of the pallet, box or drum it went into, so you can trace it after packing.
• Any marking applied. If you engrave or paint a number on the shell, record it and how it links back to the VIN.

Rules vary: some examples

As Zwirsky put it, "The legal requirements vary by location." All three provinces below name catalytic converters in their rules. Most duties fall on the buyer, but sellers supply information too.

British Columbia

The Metal Dealers and Recyclers Act and the Metal Dealers and Recyclers Regulation cover businesses that buy regulated metal. A March 2022 amendment to the regulation added "a catalytic converter that is not attached to an exhaust system" to the list. A dealer must be registered with the province and see the seller's photo ID. The dealer records a description of the metal with its weight and marks, the date and time, the value, the staff member who handled it, and where the seller says the metal came from. Each purchase is reported to local police before the end of the day. Records are kept for at least one year, and cash is not allowed for regulated metal worth more than $50. The regulation also has a separate record path for ongoing accounts with GST registered businesses paid by cheque.

Alberta

Under the Scrap Metal Dealers and Recyclers Identification Act and the Scrap Metal Dealers and Recyclers Regulation, catalytic converters are scrap metal and also count as restricted metal. A dealer must see valid government photo ID and confirm the seller is at least 18. The dealer records the seller's details, the date and time, a description, the weight, the price per pound and the value. For a converter, the regulation adds "any identifying information or proof of ownership of the catalytic converter." Restricted metal purchases must be reported within 24 hours through a database kept for the province. Records are kept for at least two years, and payment must be traceable, which rules out cash.

Manitoba

The Scrap Metal Act lists a catalytic converter as a restricted item, "whether whole, disassembled or shredded." A dealer buying one must get a copy of the seller's government ID, a photo of the seller and "a photograph that provides sufficient detail to identify the item." Other records include the weight, how the seller got the metal, the date and time, the value and the staff member. Records are kept for at least two years. Cash is not allowed when a sale includes a restricted item, and under the Scrap Metal Regulation those records go to local law enforcement within seven days. The Act takes sales by some sellers out of the ID, record and cash rules, including corporations authorized to carry on business in Manitoba and recyclers under The Drivers and Vehicles Act, so check where your yard fits.

One US example: Minnesota

Some places get much more specific. Under Minnesota Statutes section 325E.21, it is unlawful to possess a used catalytic converter that is not attached to a vehicle unless it is marked with its removal date and the VIN of the vehicle it came from. Converters certified by the EPA for reuse as replacement parts are the exception. Another number or code can stand in for the VIN, but it must be "under a numbering system that can be immediately linked to the vehicle identification number by law enforcement." The marking can be made "in any permanent manner," such as engraving or permanent ink.

The same statute lets a bona fide dismantling, recycling or repair business sell detached cats to a dealer without each vehicle's title or registration. To do that, the business provides its identity and signature, an itemized list of each converter with its donor VIN or linked number, and each removal date. In other words, a record for every unit. It is here only as an example of how detailed the rules can get.

Who does what

Software can capture records. It cannot mark the metal or take over your legal duties. Here is how the work splits when a yard uses SMASH.

• SMASH helps capture. Each converter gets its own entry with photos. Staff can record the VIN from the car, a tag or an invoice, and SMASH decodes it. Every entry is stamped with the worker, date and time. Every pallet or box gets its own package ID and a printable label.
• The yard marks and keeps records. If your jurisdiction requires a marking on the shell, your team applies it. You keep the records your rules require and handle any reporting.

Records that help you sell

Clean records also make a load easier to sell. A buyer who can see each unit, its donor vehicle and its package has less to guess at. SMASH is a marketplace, not a buyer. You list the load, vetted businesses in Canada and the US make offers, and you pick one. Listing a sale at auction is free, and SMASH charges the seller a commission on completed auction sales. See how it works on our page for auto recyclers. If you sell on assay, our guide to converter assay terms explains what happens after the load ships.