# Virginia — Catalytic converter sale and possession laws by US state — who can legally buy a used converter, and what a seller must prove

For Virginia, who may buy a detached converter is Any person who sells, offers for sale, or purchases a detached catalytic converter commits a felony except when the sale, offer for sale, or purchase is made to or by a scrap metal purchaser that has adhered to the compliance provisions of subdivisions B 1 or 2 of Code section 59.1-136.3; the sale, offer for sale, or purchase of a new catalytic converter that has never been installed on a motor vehicle is not prohibited; criminal penalty is Class 6 felony; statutory citation is 18.2-146.1, verified against its source on 2026-08-18.

- **State:** Virginia _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Who may buy a detached converter:** Any person who sells, offers for sale, or purchases a detached catalytic converter commits a felony except when the sale, offer for sale, or purchase is made to or by a scrap metal purchaser that has adhered to the compliance provisions of subdivisions B 1 or 2 of Code section 59.1-136.3; the sale, offer for sale, or purchase of a new catalytic converter that has never been installed on a motor vehicle is not prohibited _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Criminal penalty:** Class 6 felony _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Statutory citation:** 18.2-146.1 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> Any person who sells, offers for sale, or purchases a catalytic converter from a motor vehicle exhaust system that has been detached from a motor vehicle, except when such sale, offer for sale, or purchase is made to or by a scrap metal purchaser that has adhered to the compliance provisions of subdivisions B 1 or 2 of § <https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/59.1-136.3/> 59.1-136.3 , is guilty of a Class 6 felony. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the sale, offer for sale, or purchase of a new catalytic converter that has never been installed on a motor vehicle.

## Source

- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title18.2/chapter5/section18.2-146.1/

Last verified: 2026-08-18. Review by: 2027-08-18.
Part of [Catalytic converter sale and possession laws by US state — who can legally buy a used converter, and what a seller must prove](https://referencesource.org/catalytic-converter-theft-laws-by-state/).