Minnesota Statutes
Chapter 325E — Trade Practices
Section 325E.21 — Dealers In Scrap Metal; Records, Reports, And Registration.

Subdivision 1. Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this subdivision have the meanings given.
(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of commerce.
(c) "Law enforcement agency" or "agency" means a duly authorized municipal, county, state, or federal law enforcement agency.
(d) "Person" means an individual, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation, or other entity.
(e) "Scrap metal" means:
(1) wire and cable commonly and customarily used by communication and electric utilities; and
(2) copper, aluminum, or any other metal purchased primarily for its reuse or recycling value as raw metal, including metal that is combined with other materials at the time of purchase, but does not include a scrap vehicle as defined in section 168A.1501, subdivision 1.
(f) "Scrap metal dealer" or "dealer" means a person engaged in the business of buying or selling scrap metal, or both.
The terms do not include a person engaged exclusively in the business of buying or selling new or used motor vehicles, paper or wood products, rags or furniture, or secondhand machinery.
(g) "Seller" means any seller, prospective seller, or agent of the seller.
(h) "Proof of identification" means a driver's license, Minnesota identification card number, or other identification document issued for identification purposes by any state, federal, or foreign government if the document includes the person's photograph, full name, birth date, and signature.
Subd. 1a. [Expired, 2013 c 126 s 9; 2014 c 190 s 3]
Subd. 1b. Purchase or acquisition record required. (a) Any person who purchases or receives a catalytic converter must comply with this section.
(b) Every scrap metal dealer, including an agent, employee, or representative of the dealer, shall create a permanent record written in English, using an electronic record program at the time of each purchase or acquisition of scrap metal. The record must include:
(1) a complete and accurate account or description, including the weight if customarily purchased by weight, of the scrap metal purchased or acquired;
(2) the date, time, and place of the receipt of the scrap metal purchased or acquired and a unique transaction identifier;
(3) a photocopy or electronic scan of the seller's proof of identification including the identification number;
(4) the amount paid and the number of the check or electronic transfer used to purchase the scrap metal;
(5) the license plate number and description of the vehicle used by the person when delivering the scrap metal, including the vehicle make and model, and any identifying marks on the vehicle, such as a business name, decals, or markings, if applicable;
(6) a statement signed by the seller, under penalty of perjury as provided in section 609.48, attesting that the scrap metal is not stolen and is free of any liens or encumbrances and the seller has the right to sell it;
(7) a copy of the receipt, which must include at least the following information: the name and address of the dealer, the date and time the scrap metal was received by the dealer, an accurate description of the scrap metal, and the amount paid for the scrap metal;
(8) in order to purchase a detached catalytic converter, any numbers, bar codes, stickers, or other unique markings that result from the pilot project created under subdivision 2b; and
(9) the name of the person who removed the catalytic converter.
(c) The record, as well as the scrap metal purchased or received, shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of any properly identified law enforcement officer.
(d) No record is required for property purchased from merchants, manufacturers, salvage pools, insurance companies, rental car companies, financial institutions, charities, dealers licensed under section 168.27, or wholesale dealers, having an established place of business, or of any goods purchased at open sale from any bankrupt stock, but a receipt as required under paragraph (b), clause (7), shall be obtained and kept by the person, which must be shown upon demand to any properly identified law enforcement officer.
(e) The dealer must provide a copy of the receipt required under paragraph (b), clause (7), to the seller in every transaction.
(f) Law enforcement agencies in the jurisdiction where a dealer is located may conduct regular and routine inspections to ensure compliance, refer violations to the city or county attorney for criminal prosecution, and notify the registrar of motor vehicles.
(g) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a scrap metal dealer or the dealer's agent, employee, or representative may not disclose personal information concerning a customer without the customer's consent unless the disclosure is required by law or made in response to a request from a law enforcement agency. A scrap metal dealer must implement reasonable safeguards to protect the security of the personal information and prevent unauthorized access to or disclosure of the information. For purposes of this paragraph, "personal information" is any individually identifiable information gathered in connection with a record under paragraph (a).
Subd. 1c. [Repealed, 2015 c 65 art 3 s 38]
Subd. 1d. [Repealed, 2015 c 65 art 3 s 38]
Subd. 2. Retention required. Records required to be maintained by subdivision 1a or 1b shall be retained by the scrap metal dealer for a period of three years.
Subd. 2a. Purchase or receipt of beer kegs. A scrap metal dealer, or the dealer's agent, employer, or representative, shall not purchase or receive a refillable metal beer keg from anyone except the manufacturer of the beer keg, the brewer of the beer that was sold or provided in the keg, or an authorized representative of the manufacturer or brewer.
Subd. 2b. Catalytic converter theft prevention pilot project. (a) The catalytic converter theft prevention pilot project is created to deter the theft of catalytic converters by marking them with vehicle identification numbers or other unique identifiers.
(b) The commissioner shall establish a procedure to mark the catalytic converters of vehicles most likely to be targeted for theft with unique identification numbers using labels, engraving, theft deterrence paint, or other methods that permanently mark the catalytic converter without damaging its function.
(c) The commissioner shall work with law enforcement agencies, insurance companies, and scrap metal dealers to identify vehicles that are most frequently targeted for catalytic converter theft and to establish the most effective methods for marking catalytic converters.
(d) Materials purchased under this program may be distributed to dealers, as defined in section 168.002, subdivision 6, automobile repair shops and service centers, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations to arrange for the marking of the catalytic converters of vehicles most likely to be targeted for theft at no cost to the vehicle owners.
(e) The commissioner may prioritize distribution of materials to areas experiencing the highest rates of catalytic converter theft.
(f) The commissioner must make educational information resulting from the pilot program available to law enforcement agencies and scrap metal dealers and is encouraged to publicize the program to the general public.
(g) The commissioner shall include a report on the pilot project in the report required under section 65B.84, subdivision 2. The report must describe the progress, results, and any findings of the pilot project including the total number of catalytic converters marked under the program, and, to the extent known, whether any catalytic converters marked under the pilot project were stolen and the outcome of any criminal investigation into the thefts.
Subd. 3. Payment by check or electronic transfer required. A scrap metal dealer or the dealer's agent, employee, or representative shall pay for all scrap metal purchases only by check or electronic transfer.
Subd. 4. Registration required. (a) Every scrap metal dealer shall register annually with the commissioner of public safety.
(b) The scrap metal dealer shall pay to the commissioner of public safety a $50 annual fee.
Subd. 5. Training. Each scrap metal dealer shall review the educational materials provided by the superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension under section 299C.25 and ensure that all employees do so as well.
Subd. 6. Criminal penalty. A scrap metal dealer, or the agent, employee, or representative of the dealer, who intentionally violates a provision of this section, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Subd. 7. Exemption. A scrap metal dealer may purchase aluminum cans without complying with this section.
Subd. 8. Investigative holds; confiscation of property. (a) Whenever a law enforcement official from any agency has probable cause to believe that property in the possession of a scrap metal dealer is stolen or is evidence of a crime and notifies the dealer not to sell the item, the scrap metal dealer shall not (1) process or sell the item, or (2) remove or allow its removal from the premises. This investigative hold must be confirmed in writing by the originating agency within 72 hours and will remain in effect for 30 days from the date of initial notification, or until the investigative hold is canceled or renewed, or until a law enforcement notification to confiscate or directive to release is issued, whichever comes first.
(b) If an item is identified as stolen or evidence in a criminal case, a law enforcement official may:
(1) physically confiscate and remove it from the scrap metal dealer, pursuant to a written notification;
(2) place the item on hold or extend the hold under paragraph (a) and leave it in the licensed premise; or
(3) direct its release to a registered owner or owner's agent.
When an item is confiscated, the person doing so shall provide identification upon request of the scrap metal dealer, and shall provide the name and telephone number of the confiscating agency and investigator, and the case number related to the confiscation.
(c) A dealer may request seized property be returned in accordance with section 626.04.
(d) When an investigative hold or notification to confiscate is no longer necessary, the law enforcement official or designee shall so notify the licensee.
(e) A scrap metal dealer may process or otherwise dispose of the scrap metal if:
(1) a notification to confiscate is not issued during the investigative hold; or
(2) a law enforcement official does not physically remove the motor vehicle from the premises within 15 calendar days from issuance of a notification to confiscate.
(f) If a scrap metal dealer is required to hold the metal at the direction of law enforcement for purposes of investigation or prosecution or it is seized by law enforcement, the scrap metal dealer, and any other victim, shall be entitled to seek restitution against the person who delivered the metal to the scrap metal dealer in any criminal case that may arise from the investigation, including any out-of-pocket expenses for storage and lost profit.
Subd. 9. Video security cameras required. (a) Each scrap metal dealer shall install and maintain at each location video surveillance cameras, still digital cameras, or similar devices positioned to record or photograph a frontal view showing a readily identifiable image of the face of each seller of scrap metal who enters the location. The scrap metal dealer shall also photograph the seller's vehicle, including license plate, either by video camera or still digital camera, so that an accurate and complete description of it may be obtained from the recordings made by the cameras. Photographs and recordings must be clearly and accurately associated with their respective records.
(b) The video camera or still digital camera must be kept in operating condition and must be shown upon request to a properly identified law enforcement officer for inspection. The camera must record and display the accurate date and time. The video camera must be turned on at all times when the location is open for business and at any other time when scrap metal is purchased.
(c) Recordings and images required by paragraph (a) shall be retained by the scrap metal dealer for a minimum period of 60 days and shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of any properly identified law enforcement officer.
(d) If the scrap metal dealer does not purchase some or any scrap metal at a specific business location, the dealer need not comply with this subdivision with respect to those purchases.
Subd. 10. Preemption of local ordinances. This section preempts and supersedes any local ordinance or rule concerning the same subject matter.
(10225) 1907 c 228 s 1; 1957 c 960 s 1; 1973 c 123 art 5 s 7; 1986 c 444; 2005 c 10 art 2 s 4; 2007 c 54 art 7 s 21; 2008 c 259 s 1; 2013 c 126 s 8-15; 2014 c 190 s 3-6,10,11; 2015 c 65 art 3 s 12-14; 1Sp2021 c 4 art 6 s 20-22; 2022 c 93 art 2 s 42

Structure Minnesota Statutes