Pricing and Offers
How the Catalytic Converter Affects a Junk Car Offer
Sooner or later a junk car buyer asks, “Is the converter still on it?” You may wonder why that part gets its own question, and whether you would come out ahead by removing it and selling it yourself.
Please read this before you go looking for a saw. Washington has strict rules about detached converters, and pulling one rarely helps your offer in the way people expect.
Short answer
Buyers ask because a converter is one of the parts on a car with its own value, so its absence affects condition and parts demand. Leave it on and sell the car whole. Washington limits how detached converters can be sold, requires marking in many cases and treats unmarked ones seriously. If yours was stolen, tell the buyer and report it.
Why buyers ask about it
A catalytic converter is an emissions part in the exhaust. It contains small amounts of precious metals, which is why it attracts attention, and thieves. To a buyer, it is one of the parts that make a car complete.
We do not put a price on converters here. How much any one is worth depends on the vehicle, and we do not publish figures for it. What matters for your offer is simple: we look at year and model, condition, demand for parts, weight and size, and towing distance. A missing converter is a missing part, and can lower the offer the same way other missing parts can.
Why not to cut it off yourself
Here is what people tend to skip when they consider it:
| The idea | The problem |
|---|---|
| “I’ll cut it off and sell it for cash.” | Licensed scrap processors may not pay in cash or at the time of sale. See below. |
| “I’ll do it quick in the driveway.” | Cutting exhaust under a car with no lift, stands or experience can hurt you. |
| “It’s my car, so it does not matter.” | Marking rules can still apply to a detached converter, and licensed buyers must keep records of it. |
| “I’ll sell the rest of the car anyway.” | You will now have a car with a missing part, with an offer that may reflect that. See what can lower an offer. |
What Washington law says about detached converters
As we read them, these rules speak to a converter on its own, as a separate item. Selling a whole car with the converter still attached is a car sale, with your usual paperwork. If you are unsure how they apply to you, ask the Department of Licensing.
| Rule | Source |
|---|---|
| Scrap processors may not pay for a catalytic converter at the time of sale, earlier than three business days later, or in cash. They need a street address and photo ID, and they pay by nontransferable check mailed no earlier than three days later. | RCW 46.79.150 |
| Wreckers have a matching payment rule. | RCW 46.80.210 |
| Records are kept three years and include items such as the VIN, a declaration and a photo with VIN marking. | RCW 46.79.150 |
| A converter removed other than for maintenance, repair or demolition, or any unmarked detached converter a person knowingly possesses, must be permanently marked with the last eight VIN digits within 24 hours of removal and before off-site transport. Unmarked ones may be seized. | RCW 9A.82.180 |
| For anyone who is not a licensed scrap processor or wrecker, knowingly possessing, selling or offering unmarked detached converters is a gross misdemeanor at six or fewer, and a class C felony at seven or more. | RCW 9A.82.180 |
| Only a licensed scrap processor may be in the business of disassembling or de-canning converters, with a 30-day waiting period unless it is also the registered owner of the originating vehicle. | RCW 46.79.140 |
This is general information, not legal advice. If you already have a loose converter or are in a dispute over one, talk to an attorney.
What to do in your situation
Converter still on the car
Leave it there. Tell the buyer it is on, and sell the car whole.
Converter stolen
Take photos, report it to the police and call your insurer before you sell or repair. Then read our stolen converter guide.
Converter replaced with an aftermarket one
Say so. If you have the receipt, keep it with the car’s papers.
Converter removed and sitting in your garage
Don’t try to sell it on the side until you have read the rules above. The marking rule can apply to a loose converter you already have. Tell any buyer of the car that it is off, and ask what they would do.
A car with a cut exhaust may not be something to drive. Washington ended emissions checks, but tampering rules remain, and RCW 46.37.390 still applies. Have it towed.
How this works when you sell to us
We pick up whole vehicles. If the converter is on, tell us. If it is gone, tell us that too, and tell us what else is missing. Vehicles that are incomplete (a shell) may carry a pickup fee or may be declined, so listing it up front gets you a straight answer. As a hulk hauler, we may not operate as a wrecker or remove parts from vehicles beyond a narrow exception, so the car goes on to a licensed wrecker or scrap processor in substantially the same form we got it.
Call (206) 941-0612 or send details on our form. See selling a car with missing parts and our scrap car page for more.
Common questions
Official sources
- RCW 46.79.150: catalytic converter purchases by scrap processors
- RCW 46.80.210: catalytic converter purchases by wreckers
- RCW 9A.82.180: detached catalytic converters
- RCW 46.79.140: catalytic converter disassembly
- Washington Ecology: Emissions check ends
- RCW 46.37.390: mufflers and emissions equipment
- WAC 308-65-080: hulk hauler records and restrictions
This post summarizes official Washington guidance as of November 2, 2026. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees can change, so check the sources above for your situation.
Keep reading
- Washington Junk Car Seller’s GuideEvery guide, sorted by where you are in the decision
- Washington Junk Car Paperwork GuideThe documents you need before pickup
- How Much Is My Junk Car Worth in the Seattle Area?
- Why Junk Car Offers Differ From One Buyer to the Next
- How Vehicle Weight Affects a Junk Car Offer
- What Can Raise a Junk Car Offer
- What Can Lower a Junk Car Offer
- What Photos to Send for a Junk Car Offer
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