What To Bring
A quick rundown so your first visit goes smoothly. Arizona scrap yards follow these same state rules, so expect the same steps wherever you sell.
Before You Arrive
Four Things To Have Ready
A valid government photo ID
Driver's license, state ID, tribal ID, or military ID. Arizona law (A.R.S. §44-1642) requires it for every transaction. We photocopy it and record your description.
The vehicle you're delivering in
We record the license plate and state of the vehicle used to deliver scrap metal for every transaction.
Your metal, sorted if possible
Separating copper, brass, aluminum, and steel ahead of time helps with the weigh-in, though we'll sort mixed loads too.
Patience for the paperwork
By law we keep a written record of every transaction: date, time, a photo of the material and of you, your fingerprint, your ID details, and your vehicle plate. It adds a few steps to your visit, and state law requires it of every Arizona scrap yard.
Payment Rules
How You Get Paid
Arizona law (A.R.S. §44-1642) sets specific rules for how scrap metal transactions are paid. We follow them on every sale:
- Cash on site is available for most walk-in transactions under $300.
- Transactions of $300 or more are paid by check or money order, mailed to the address on your ID, not handed over at the scale.
- This also applies to all industrial accounts, copper or aluminum wire 3/8" or thicker in diameter, and any transaction involving air conditioner cooling coils, regardless of dollar amount.
- You're limited to one cash transaction per person per day. Splitting a single load into multiple smaller sales to get around this is not allowed under state law.
- You must be at least 16 years old to sell scrap metal in Arizona.
- Catalytic converters are held in their original form for at least 7 days after purchase before processing.
This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. The governing law is Arizona Revised Statutes Title 44, Chapter 12, Article 5.