OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state lawmakers passed new legislation Tuesday to further combat catalytic converter thefts in the state.
House Bill 2153 passed the House unanimously Tuesday following amendments in the Senate. The bill now heads to Gov. Inslee's desk for signature.
The bill requires catalytic converters to be marked so they are traceable. It also requires purchasers to be licensed, regulated, and inspected. An amendment allows dealers to use permanent markers to mark the catalytic converters instead of them being etched. The marking must be the last eight digits of the vehicle identification number.
“Catalytic converter thefts disproportionally impact lower income folks — people who may have older cars with more valuable catalytic converters, and who may not always have insurance to cover the loss,” said Senior Deputy King County Prosecuting Attorney Gary Ernsdorff. “Once a catalytic converter is detached from a vehicle, they are impossible to trace. And right now, we have a wild west marketplace that conducts the lion’s share of illegal transactions. It’s time for that to change.”
The state has been cracking down on catalytic converter thefts in the state after it saw a dramatic increase. In 2022 a law went into effect that requires businesses to show a record of their transactions and pay for catalytic converters through a traceable source, like checks, and not cash.
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