The Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers Act 2004 is the New Zealand law that governs every scrap metal transaction. Under this Act, all scrap metal dealers must hold a licence issued by the Ministry of Justice, and must keep a “dealer’s record” for every acquisition. That record must include the seller’s full name, contact address, phone number, the method used to verify their identity, a description of the material, the quantity, and the name of the staff member who handled the transaction. Records must be retained for three years. Importantly, copper is not classified as “scrap metal” under this Act — it is treated as an “article,” which carries separate and more stringent record-keeping requirements due to copper’s high theft risk. Failure to maintain records is an offence carrying fines of up to $10,000. At endless metals in Auckland, we are fully licensed and compliant — when we ask for your ID at the yard, this is the legal reason why.