What Is Regulated Metal Property?
Georgia defines regulated metal property as materials primarily composed of ferrous or nonferrous metals.
Examples include:
- Copper
- Brass
- Aluminum
- Stainless steel
- Bronze
- Lead
- Catalytic converters
- Beer kegs
Certain materials, including some batteries and beverage containers, may be exempt from regulation.
The statutory definition in O.C.G.A. § 10-1-350 is broad by design: any item composed primarily of ferrous or nonferrous metals, expressly including aluminum property, copper property, and catalytic converters, but excluding aluminum beverage containers, used beverage containers, and similar beverage containers. The article also carves out specific sub-categories — aluminum property, burial objects, used utility wire, used communications copper — each of which carries its own restrictions.
Registration Comes Before the First Purchase
Georgia requires secondary metals recyclers to register, and registration runs through the sheriff's office rather than a state licensing board (O.C.G.A. § 10-1-359.1). Each registration names a registered agent — a named individual who signs and executes the form and is subject to a criminal background check.
Registration is not a formality you can defer. It is unlawful for any person to purchase, or to solicit or advertise for the purchase of, a used detached catalytic converter or any nonferrous part of one unless that person is a registered secondary metals recycler in full compliance with the article. Registration can also be revoked — for a registered agent convicted of a felony offense under the article, or where information on the form proves false.
Documentation Requirements
Georgia requires recyclers to maintain records for regulated transactions.
Maintaining complete records helps:
- Prevent theft
- Support law enforcement investigations
- Protect recyclers from liability
- Simplify audits
The record § 10-1-353 requires
The statute asks for a legible record of all purchase transactions, containing:
- The name and address of the secondary metals recycler
- The date of the transaction
- Weight, quantity, or volume plus a description of the type of material — including a general physical description such as wire, tubing, extrusions, or castings
- A digital photograph or video image of the material, showing it in a reasonably clear manner
- The consideration given, plus a copy of the check or voucher or documentation evidencing the cash or electronic funds transfer
- A signed statement from the seller that they are the rightful owner or authorized to sell
- A signed statement from the seller acknowledging the statutory registration notice
- A scanned or photocopied valid personal identification card of the seller — and of the deliverer, where different
- The type of, and distinctive number from, that identification card
Records must be maintained for not less than two years from the date of the purchase transaction, and a law enforcement officer who has identified themselves has the right to inspect both the records and any regulated metal property in your possession (§ 10-1-354).
Payment Limits Since January 2024
O.C.G.A. § 10-1-355 sets out how payment may be made: check, electronic funds transfer, cash, or voucher — payable only to the person recorded as the seller. Within that, the cash rules are strict:
- No more than $100 in cash for any transaction
- No more than two transactions per seller, per day, per registered location
- No cash at all for used detached catalytic converters or coils
- No cash at all for used utility wire, used communications copper, or copper wire
- No cash at all for a battery
Vouchers carry their own mechanics: a voucher handed to the seller in person cannot be redeemed for three days from the purchase date, it has to state the redemption and expiration dates, and it expires if unredeemed within six months. Recyclers are also prohibited from cashing or redeeming the checks they issue to sellers.
The "two transactions per seller, per day, per registered location" limit is the one that quietly requires software. Enforcing it means knowing, at the scale, what this seller has already done today at this site — and being able to prove it later.
Catalytic Converter Requirements
Catalytic converters receive additional scrutiny because of ongoing theft concerns.
Before purchasing catalytic converters, recyclers should verify ownership and ensure all required documentation is complete.
Georgia narrows this to a closed list. A recycler may not purchase a catalytic converter unless it is attached to a vehicle, or purchased from a licensed used motor vehicle or used parts dealer, a new motor vehicle dealer, a motor vehicle repairer, a manufacturer or distributor of converters, or a seller holding verifiable documentation — a receipt or work order — showing the converter came out of a replacement job. Each of those routes requires you to scan or hold a copy of the relevant license or documentation.
The same pattern applies to coils and to copper wire that appears to have been burned or charred to strip insulation: lawful only from a defined set of sellers, each with paperwork you must capture.
The GBI Database Obligation
Georgia is one of the states where recordkeeping is not only retrospective. Secondary metals recyclers submit information about their daily transactions to a database maintained by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and are expected to make reasonable efforts to ensure the data they upload is complete and accurate. The database is required by law to be accessible and searchable by law enforcement agencies statewide.
A daily upload obligation changes the shape of the problem. Records that are merely retrievable are not enough — they have to be complete, correctly typed, and exportable on a daily cadence, which is difficult to sustain from handwritten tickets keyed in after the fact.
What Investigators Actually Ask For
When a detective walks into a yard with a theft report, the question is almost never "do you keep records?" It is far more specific than that, and it is always a search:
- Every purchase of one material class between two dates
- Every transaction tied to one seller, one ID, or one vehicle
- The ID scan and the photograph attached to a specific ticket
- What was paid, and by what method
- Whether the material is still on the ground or already shipped
Each of those is a query. If the answer lives in a drawer of carbon copies, it takes a day to assemble and still cannot be proven complete. If it lives in a system, it takes a minute and prints.
Penalties Escalate Quickly
Under § 10-1-359.2, a person who buys or sells regulated metal property in violation of the article is guilty of a misdemeanor for a first offense, a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature for a second, and a felony punishable by one to ten years for a third or subsequent offense — or where the material was unlawfully obtained and property damage exceeds $1,500 in the aggregate. Violating the registration provisions is itself a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature.
Georgia Scrap Metal Law FAQ
Who do I register with in Georgia?
Registration runs through the county sheriff's office under § 10-1-359.1, naming a registered agent who is subject to a background check.
How much cash can I pay?
Up to $100 per transaction, no more than two transactions per seller per day per registered location — and never any cash for converters, coils, utility wire, communications copper, copper wire, or batteries.
How long must Georgia records be kept?
Not less than two years from the date of the purchase transaction (§ 10-1-353(b)).
Do I have to report transactions to the state?
Yes. Daily transaction information goes to the GBI secondary metals recycler database, which law enforcement can search.
How ReSpark Helps
ReSpark allows recyclers to store transaction records digitally, generate reports instantly, and maintain a searchable audit trail across every yard location.
For a Georgia operation the per-location, per-seller, per-day structure of the law maps directly onto how the platform models sites, customers, and tickets — so a limit that is nearly impossible to police by hand becomes a check that runs before the ticket closes.
If you want to see what that looks like against your own volumes, book a demo or estimate your return first.
Where to read the law: O.C.G.A. Title 10, Chapter 1, Article 14 (§§ 10-1-350 to 10-1-359.5), as amended by SB 60 (2023) and SB 40 (effective July 1, 2025), plus the GBI Secondary Metals Recycling program page.
This article is general information for recyclers, not legal advice. Statutes are amended every session and local ordinances may add obligations on top of state law — confirm the current text with Georgia regulators or your own counsel before changing a procedure.
