UTICA — A new law designed to crack down on catalytic converter thefts by making scrappers more accountable and giving more tools to dealerships will go into effect at the start of the new year, according to Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, who sponsored the bill.

The law was signed by New York State Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday.

Catalytic converters have become a prime target for thieves over the past several years because of the precious metals inside. Part of a vehicle’s exhaust system, catalytic converters break down pollutants, like smog, that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, officials said. It can cost upwards of $2,000 to $3,000 to repair the damage if a thief cuts off a converter.

The thieves then sell the stolen converters to scrap yards for hundreds of dollars.

“This law, approved by the Assembly, State Senate and signed by Governor Hochul, will give law enforcement more resources and tools to protect our community. It will also ensure necessary record-keeping and documentation for catalytic converters to help prevent thieves from reselling the materials,” said Buttenschon, D-119, Marcy, in a release.

“Over the past year, the theft of catalytic converters has increased dramatically and is a nationwide issue. The equipment contains three precious metals; platinum, palladium and rhodium. A stolen converter can be sold for hundreds of dollars and cost the consumer thousands to replace. I am proud to see the bill I sponsored become law in New York State.”

The new law adds catalytic converters to the list of major component vehicle parts, which will require scrappers and vehicle dismantlers to maintain records of every converter that comes to them. Every 60 days, those scrappers and businesses must report the number of catalytic converters received during that period, with the threat of fines and other monetary penalties if they don’t properly maintain such records.

The new law will also require motor vehicle dealerships and other qualified dealers to stock etching kits, which put a unique serial number on the converters to better track them if stolen, officials said. There will be no additional cost for the etching kits, other than the kits themselves, officials stated.

“The franchised new car dealers throughout New York would like to express their appreciation to Governor Hochul and the bill sponsors for putting this bill forward in an effort to address the growing problem with catalytic converter thefts,” said Brian McAreavy, president of the Rochester Automobile Dealers Association.

“Disrupting the flow of stolen catalytic converters into the secondary market, and offering consumers an opportunity to serialize their converter, is a step in the right direction.”

The bill was sponsored in the New York State Senate by Senator Diane J. Savino, D-23, Brooklyn.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which tracks crimes reported to insurance companies, the number of reported catalytic converter thefts increased from roughly 1,300 in 2018 to more than 52,000 in 2021 across the country.