LOS ANGELES — It is now unlawful in the city of Los Angeles to be in possession of a catalytic converter without providing proof of ownership.

On Tuesday, the LA City Council voted 8 to 4 to approve an ordinance that requires a bill of sale from the original owner with photographs, documentation from an auto-body shop or a verifiable electronic communication from the previous owner that shows ownership has been relinquished.

“People go months without the vehicles that they rely on for work, to drop off their kids at school, to visit loved ones,” LA City Council member and ordinance author John Lee said in a statement. “It’s an unexpected cost in the thousands of dollars.”

The new ordinance comes amid a 728% increase in catalytic converter thefts in LA within the last five years, according to Los Angeles Police Department data.

Catalytic converters help control emissions from vehicle exhaust systems. Containing the precious metals platinum, palladium and rhodium, catalytic converters can fetch upwards of $1,000 on the black market.

While some are sold to scrappers who extract the rare metals, others are sold to dismantlers and wholesalers who resell them as replacement parts for the very vehicles that have been preyed upon. A stolen catalytic converter yields about $100 to $200, according to the LA County Sheriff’s Department, and is often resold for twice as much.

Under the new ordinance, thieves who steal catalytic converters can face as much as $1,000 in fines and a misdemeanor charge.