Clark County bans sale of stolen copper wire, puts guardrails on copper sales
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Clark County is the latest jurisdiction in the Las Vegas Valley to ban the sale of stolen copper wire and mandate further scrutiny of copper sellers, all to stop rampant copper wire thefts across the Las Vegas Valley.
Clark County adopted the ordinance Tuesday. The City of Las Vegas passed their ordinance in September. Local lawmakers hope that thieves will eventually have nowhere in the Las Vegas Valley to sell copper -- and will stop stealing it from public streetlights and utilities.
Clark County’s Public Works Department estimates that nearly 1 million feet of streetlight wiring has been stolen since 2022, with more than $1.5 million replaced during that time.
FOX5 told you about the proposal in October. The ordinance bans scrap and junk dealers from purchasing “7 strand” copper from anyone without proper documentation; “7 strand” copper is typically used by municipalities for public works. Inside streetlights, the copper is covered with insulation and marked with labels. Thieves strip the insulation to disguise its origin, then sell it for cash.
According to the ordinance, 7 strand copper can be bought from permitted government employees and licensed businesses. If a wire is stripped or “burned,” an individual seller must provide proof that they own the copper or have a reason for modification.
The ordinance also bars walk-up sales and requires vehicle transport of scrap metal.
Individual copper wire sellers are also subject to a ten-day hold for review; sellers will also get paid by check.
“A 10-day hold is there for a reason. It’s there for law enforcement to be able to do their due diligence and figure out whether the materials that you have were acquired legally,” said Warren Hardy, who represents Champion Recycling and SA Recycling. He and the businesses worked with Metro Police and local governments to craft the law, all to target thieves and suspicious sellers.
“It’s really going to put a stop to bad actors bringing illegal materials to places like this,” Hardy said. Champion Recycling sits on the border between the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, and the business implemented the law months ago.
Hardy said since the city’s ordinance passed, unscrupulous sellers have turned around and went elsewhere.
Champion Recycling is also part of a regional copper theft task force: workers send Metro police photos and surveillance of large loads of scrap copper, all to help police identify possible thieves.
Hardy, a former Nevada state lawmaker, is working on a statewide solution for the next legislative session: a proposed law to make possession of stolen copper illegal. Lawmakers passed a similar law in 2023 to curb the thefts of catalytic converters.
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