Cook sheriff offering free catalytic converter etching in Wheeling

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting a catalytic converter etching event from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 27 at the Wheeling public works facility, 77 W. Hintz Road.

At the event, sheriff’s vehicle service technicians will mark catalytic converters with “CCSO” and etch the vehicle’s VIN on it to deter theft and help return the auto part to its owner if it is stolen and later recovered.

The etching events are free for Cook County residents and complements a new state law that requires metal recyclers to keep records of the VIN number and other details of any catalytic converters they take. The law also requires sellers to provide a copy of the title or registration of the vehicle the catalytic converter is from.

The event is the 21st the sheriff’s office has conducted since the etching program began in August 2022.