Washington state is cracking down on catalytic converter thefts

With Gov. Jay Inslee's approval , Washington will get new protections for catalytic converters next year — and new penalties for stealing them.

Why it matters: Catalytic converters contain valuable metal and aren't easy to trace, which makes them easy to steal. That's led to a rise in thefts throughout Washington and nationally , with little recourse for car owners.

• The thefts disproportionately impact the "people who can least afford it," King County senior prosecutor Gary Ernsdorff said during a committee hearing on the bill in February.

By the numbers: According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau , catalytic converter thefts spiked in 2021 to 2,079. There were just 21 thefts in 2019.

• The problem is so common that at least 31 states have already passed laws targeting it, the report also notes .

Zoom in: Per the new law, catalytic converters in Washington will be marked to enable tracing.

• Catalytic converter sales will also be regulated, with documentation and licensing requirements for buyers and sellers.

How it works: When a car is sold, dealers will be required to offer buyers the service of etching the last eight digits of its vehicle identification number permanently onto the catalytic converter.

• If the catalytic converter is stolen, law enforcement will then be able to easily trace it back to the original vehicle, the law's proponents argue.

What's next: The law goes into effect in April 2025.

Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect that catalytic converter thefts in Washington spiked in 2021, not 2020 as a state report said, based on data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau .

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