(a) It is an offense for a person to engage in the business of buying scrap metal without registering as a scrap metal dealer with the department or falsely registering with the department as a dealer.

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class E felony1 to 6 yearsup to $3,000
class A misdemeanorup to 11 monthsup to $2,500
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 62-9-109

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Department: means the department of commerce and insurance. See Tennessee Code 62-9-101
  • Person: means an individual, association, partnership, corporation, or any other legally cognizable organization or entity. See Tennessee Code 62-9-101
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Scrap metal: means any ferrous or nonferrous metal that is no longer used for its original purpose and is capable of being processed for reuse by a metal recycling facility, including, but not limited to, iron, brass, wire, cable, copper, bronze, aluminum, platinum, lead, solder, steel, stainless steel, catalytic converters or other similar obsolete ferrous or nonferrous metals, but shall not include recyclable aluminum cans. See Tennessee Code 62-9-101
  • Scrap metal dealer: means a person who buys, exchanges or deals in scrap metal or an employee or agent of that dealer who has the express or implied authority to buy, exchange or deal in scrap metal on behalf of the dealer. See Tennessee Code 62-9-101
(b) A person engaged in the business of buying scrap metal, as a registered scrap metal dealer or otherwise, commits an offense who knowingly:

(1) Purchases scrap metal:

(A) That was not property of the seller and the seller did not have the authorization to sell the metal; or
(B) That was unlawfully obtained by the seller; or
(2) Commits any other act in violation of this chapter.
(c) A violation of subsection (a) or (b) is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable only by fine, unless the value of the metal, in its original and undamaged condition, in addition to any costs which are, or would be, incurred in repairing or in the attempt to recover any property damaged in the theft or removal of such metal, is in an aggregate amount which exceeds five hundred dollars ($500). In such instance, such scrap metal dealer shall be guilty of a Class E felony and, upon conviction, shall be punished only by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
(d)

(1) It is an offense for a person to sell or attempt to sell scrap metal knowing that the metal is stolen, whether by the person selling or by some other person.
(2) A violation of subdivision (d)(1) shall be punished as theft and graded according to the value of the metal sold or attempted to be sold as provided in § 39-14-105.
(3) In determining the value of the metal sold or attempted to be sold for purposes of grading in subdivision (d)(2), the metal shall be valued in its original and undamaged condition, in addition to any costs which are, or would be, incurred in repairing or in the attempt to recover any property damaged in the theft or removal of such metal and not the amount by which the defendant sold or attempted to sell the metal.
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