If you're bringing metal building materials to a recycling center, or to a scrap metal dealer in exchange for cash, be prepared to show ID - and maybe even your fingerprints.

New laws designed to thwart scrap-metal thieves plaguing utilities, steel building contractors and others went into effect September 1.

According to the Arizona Republic, the first week of the new era proved to be a painful one for recycling-company operators in Arizona.

"Most of the people, they don't like it, to be honest with you," said Rey Hernandez, manager of the Arizona Recycling Corp. "Business (on September 1) dropped by about 60 percent."

In order to combat theft of metal building materials, new laws require recyclers to have a state-issued driver's license or ID, tribal ID or military ID, and some people have taken offense.

Although the rules sound onerous, says Matt Hinson, president of Arizona Environmental Recycling, they could have been worse.

"The original draft of this bill was that no one could get paid cash for recycling. We would have to cut everyone a check and mail it seven days after the fact," said Hinson. "That would have killed business."

Employees at Arizona Environmental Recycling locations have been alerting customers to the change in the laws for the past month.

But many customers who hadn't brought metal building materials by in the past month were caught off guard.

One man called the new law an invasion of privacy and said real criminals, who steal copper wire, would now avoid going there.

"Instead, they'll go to L.A.," he said.

Failure to comply with the law is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Many in the recycling industry also point to construction sites and other copper theft targets that aren't as secure as they could be.

But there are still plenty of potential recyclers who say the law isn't too intrusive, especially if they have nothing to fear.

Many feel that if a new law can help law enforcement curb commercial steel building material and copper thefts, which did an estimated $10 million in damage to Pinal County properties last year, then they are all for it.

"The law really doesn't put much more of a burden on us than it already has," one worker said. "I think it will make our jobs easier."