Resident asks Orange County to follow San Bernardino and tighten law on catalytic‑converter possession

A Moreno Valley resident asked the Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to put a local ordinance addressing catalytic converter theft on the county agenda and to align with San Bernardino County’s earlier action.

“I'm here to ask you to join San Bernardino County ... to close a legal loophole in the state catalytic converter theft law,” Daryl Terrell said. Terrell told the board that he wants Orange County to adopt an ordinance that would make unlawful possession of a catalytic converter a crime and hold people accountable even if they are caught with a single converter.

Terrell criticized the state law, AB 641 (2024), saying it allows a thief to possess up to eight catalytic converters without meaningful accountability and that penalties only kick in at nine. He described San Bernardino County’s ordinance, adopted Sept. 12, 2023, as a local model that holds people accountable even for a single converter.

Why it matters: Catalytic converter theft has been a prominent property‑crime issue across Southern California, and local criminal statutes can affect enforcement and penalties. Terrell urged Orange County to consider a local ordinance to close what he described as a gap left by state law.

What the board did: The request was made during public comment. No formal county vote or staff direction was recorded during the public comment period.

Authorities cited: Terrell referenced AB 641 and San Bernardino County’s ordinance as background for his request to Orange County supervisors to consider similar local legislation.