British Columbians are invited to provide feedback about how the Province can put the brakes on catalytic converter thefts from vehicles.

This includes metal dealers and recyclers, partners from the automotive industry and law enforcement agencies, and interested members of the public.

Catalytic converters are an emission-control device that reduces pollutants in motor vehicle exhaust. They are targeted by thieves because they contain valuable elements such as palladium, rhodium and platinum, and can be removed in minutes.

Officials from B.C. recently participated in the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft alongside officials and stakeholders from other provinces and territories. Although car-theft rates have decreased in British Columbia, there has been a notable uptick in catalytic converters thefts. This surge is largely due to the increased value of the metals they contain and presents a significant challenge affecting communities across Canada, while taking a financial toll on people in British Columbia.

The Province is launching an online public survey to seek input from industry, interested parties and the public about five possible actions to address catalytic converter thefts, including:

• enhancing the reporting of seller information to the police;
• establishing a centralized electronic-reporting system so police can access information across jurisdictions;
• eliminating the exemption for commercial entities purchasing large volumes and instead requiring them to report individual purchases;
• adding an etching process to carve identification numbers onto catalytic converters; and
• removing the mobile metal dealer exemption to place the same reporting requirement on mobile dealers that are in place for established metal dealers and recyclers.

Participants can also submit their own ideas about how to curb the thefts. The consultation will be open for one month, launching on Feb. 14, 2024, and closing on March 14, 2024.

In March 2022, the Province amended the Metal Dealers and Recyclers Regulation to include catalytic converters as regulated metal and require metal dealers to report the purchase of catalytic converters to police as one way to address the thefts.

Recognizing that catalytic converters are sold outside of the framework of registered metal dealers, the Province continues to work with partner organizations and other jurisdictions to identify solutions. This could include new initiatives and further legislative amendments. 

Quick Facts:

• According to ICBC, reported claims involving catalytic converters in the first seven months of 2023 totalled approximately $8.2 million in British Columbia.
• ICBC data also shows there were 6,143 catalytic converter thefts across B.C. in 2022 and 2,931 in the first seven months of 2023.  

Learn More:

To participate in the engagement, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/engagement/catalytic-converter-theft/

To learn more about 2022 amendment to the Metal Dealers and Recyclers Regulation, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022PSSG0016-000309