Commonly Requested ISRI State Metal Theft Law Reports

Statute Reference Report

Provides the statute references and any recent amendments along with links to the state laws online.

Exemption Provisions

A quick way to check which materials, transaction types, and entities are exempt in your state.

Materials Covered

Each state law has its own unique definitions of what metals are subject to the metals theft statutes. Use this report to check what the terms mean!

Statement or Proof of Ownership Requirements

Many states require a seller to sign a statement that they own or have the right to sell metal before a recycler can purchase it; additionally, some states require some form of documentation or proof of ownership for certain transactions.

Fingerprint Requirements

Does your state require recyclers to record the seller's fingerprints before completing a transaction? Use this report to find out!

Seller Notice Requirements

Some states require recyclers to post a sign or include a notice with the transaction containing specific information on the law for the seller. This report includes the notice text and any statutory requirements for the display.

Inspection Requirements

Many states include specific provisions in their statutes for when law enforcement agencies (and other entities, if allowed) may inspect a recycler's transaction records and/or purchased material covered by the state's metal theft law. These states often allow for inspections without a warrant.

Reporting Requirements

It is important to carefully review statutes with reporting language because reporting requirements are not universal and state reporting requirements vary greatly in both the specifics information to be reported as well as the timing and method of reporting.

Automatic Hold and Hold by Request Requirements

Provides the conditions triggering hold requirements on certain materials, the time period for the hold, and information on whether the recycler must tag the materials.

Maximum Cash Thresholds and Payment Requirements

While some states allow cash for any metals transaction, others place restrictions ranging from no cash for any metals to specific requirements for certain materials or sellers.

Licensing, Registration and Permitting Requirements

Do recyclers in your state need a license to operate, or do they need to register with a state agency or sign up for ScrapTheftAlert.com? Check here to find out!

States With Preemption

Provides information on which states have included full or partial preemption over local ordinances in their laws.