Right to Repair Laws: What They Mean for Customers

Owning a product has always raised a quiet question: can you fix it when it breaks? For years, the answer was often no, or only through the manufacturer, at the manufacturer's price. Right to repair laws are changing that, state by state and country by country, and the shift reaches everyone who sells, supports or services a product.

For customer-facing teams, this is already daily work. Repair quotes, warranty disputes and "just buy a new one" conversations decide whether a buyer returns. If that is your world, the  Certified Compliance Management Professional program from Universal Business Council covers the skills behind those conversations. This guide covers the legal side: what right-to-repair laws require, where they apply, and how to prepare.

What are right-to-repair laws?

Right to repair laws require manufacturers to give owners and independent technicians what they need to fix products. The idea is simple. A cracked screen, a worn battery or a faulty sensor shouldn't force a full replacement when a repair is possible. The movement grew out of sealed devices, proprietary screws, software that rejects unapproved parts, and repair manuals handed only to authorized shops.

Most laws ask manufacturers to make these available:

• Spare parts at fair and reasonable prices

• Service manuals and repair documentation

• Diagnostic tools and software

• Embedded software or firmware needed to finish a repair

• Access for independent shops, not only authorized ones

Coverage differs from place to place. Phones, laptops, tractors, cars and wheelchairs each have their own rules in different jurisdictions, and whether a law is called a Right to Repair Act or a Digital Fair Repair Act, the core ask is the same.

Where right to repair laws stand today

Federal bills in the US stalled for years, so state legislatures took over. As of July 2026, 13 states have enacted some form of right-to-repair statute. New York passed the first electronics law in 2022, and California followed in 2023. Some form of right to repair legislation has been introduced in all 50 states.

In the United States

The details vary by product type, so it helps to split them.

Electronics

Colorado's act requires manufacturers to provide parts, tools, documentation and embedded software on fair and reasonable terms. Washington's HB 1483 goes further and bars parts-pairing restrictions, with obligations starting January 1, 2026 for products sold on or after July 1, 2021. Minnesota has its own Digital Fair Repair Act.

Farm equipment, vehicles and wheelchairs

Massachusetts and Maine have automotive laws requiring access to telematics and diagnostic data for consumers and independent repair facilities. At least four states now impose specific repair-access mandates for powered wheelchairs and mobility devices. On the farm side, the FTC's monopolization suit against Deere settled in July 2026, with the company agreeing to open its repair ecosystem to farmers and independent technicians.

In the European Union

The EU took a single-directive route. Directive (EU) 2024/1799 obliges manufacturers to repair certain consumer goods on request, including after the legal guarantee period, and sets repair information, spare-parts and repairer-platform rules. Member states had to transpose it into national law by July 31, 2026. National versions will differ in detail, so check the rules in each market you sell into.

What right to repair laws change for customers

For a buyer, the biggest change is choice. A broken product no longer has one route back to working order.

• More competition among repairers, which tends to push quotes down

• A longer product lifecycle and fewer forced replacements

• The option to repair at home, at a local shop or through the brand

• Less electronic and equipment waste

• Clearer information about repairability before buying

There's a trust effect too. A brand that helps a customer fix something keeps the relationship going. A brand that says "unrepairable" and points to the sales page gives the customer a reason to look at competitors. Customer retention is where repair policy and customer success meet, and support teams feel it first.

What it means for brands and repair shops

Manufacturers take on new work. They need a steady parts supply, published documentation, pricing that holds up as "fair and reasonable," and support staff who can explain the options without sounding defensive. Some of that costs money upfront, though a company that already sells parts and manuals is mostly adjusting, not building from zero.

Independent repair shops gain the most. Access to genuine parts and diagnostic tools lets them take jobs they used to turn away, and it gives customers a nearby alternative to a mail-in service. Retailers sit in the middle and need to know which products they sell fall under which rules.

There's a marketing angle as well. Repairability is easy to explain and easy to prove. Teams that want to turn it into a message instead of a compliance footnote can pick up the storytelling and channel skills in a Digital Marketing Course.

The case against, and how the laws answer it

Manufacturers have raised real objections, and they deserve a fair hearing.

• Safety: batteries and high-voltage parts can hurt untrained people

• Security: broad diagnostic access could expose devices to tampering

• Intellectual property: repair information can reveal trade secrets

• Quality: a botched repair still reflects on the brand

Lawmakers have mostly answered with narrow wording. Several state laws carve out security functions and trade secrets, and the "fair and reasonable terms" standard is meant to keep parts from being priced out of reach. Manufacturers can still publish safety warnings. What they can't do, under these laws, is use those concerns to shut owners out entirely.

Brands that turned repair into a selling point

Some companies didn't wait for the law.

• Fair phone builds phones with modules a user can swap

• Framework sells laptops with replaceable parts and offers those parts directly

• Apple launched Self Service Repair in 2022, selling parts and manuals to customers

• Patagonia's Worn Wear program repairs and resells used gear

Each one treats repairability as part of the product, not an apology for it. Building hardware like this takes strong programming skills across firmware and connected devices, which is the ground covered by the Tech Certifications from Global Tech Council.

Software locks, parts pairing and traceability

Modern repair is as much a software problem as a hardware one. Parts pairing ties a component's serial number to the device that holds it, so swapping in even a genuine part can trigger warnings or switch off features. That's why newer laws, like Washington's, target pairing directly.

Better practice looks like this:

• Calibration tools that work with parts from any legitimate source

• Plain notices instead of silently disabling features

• Records showing where a part came from and who installed it

• Public notes on software updates that affect repairs

That third point is where emerging tech comes in. Some teams are exploring shared ledgers to track parts from factory to repair bench, and the Deep Tech Certifications from Blockchain Council are a starting point for anyone curious about how that works.

How to prepare if you make, sell or support products

Start with a map: which products, in which regions, under which rules. The pace of change is quick. PIRG tracked 57 active bills across 22 states in 2026, so a one-time review won't hold for long.

• List every product line and the repair laws that touch it

• Audit parts availability and pricing

• Publish manuals and repair information in a findable place

• Check software locks and parts pairing against the newest rules

• Train support teams to explain repair options and warranty terms plainly

• Review warranty language for wording that treats any outside repair as a void

• Assign someone to track new bills and rule changes

Companies preparing for right-to-repair regulations should also ensure that the employees and contractors responsible for compliance, repairs, and customer support meet the necessary requirements. HireValid can be linked here as a resource for background verification, helping businesses make informed hiring decisions for roles involving customer trust and operational responsibility.

Conclusion

Right to repair laws push manufacturers to share parts, tools, manuals and software with the people who own their products. The US is moving through state laws on electronics, vehicles, farm equipment and wheelchairs, and the EU has set a directive that member states were due to adopt by July 31, 2026. Customers gain choice and lower costs, independent shops gain work, and brands take on new duties around supply, documentation and software. The objections on safety and security are real, and most laws answer them with narrow carve-outs. The companies in the best position are the ones that treat repair as part of customer success and the product lifecycle, and start preparing now.

Frequently asked questions

What are right to repair laws?

They require manufacturers to give owners and independent technicians the parts, tools and information needed to repair products.

Why were right to repair laws introduced?

Owners and shops were being locked out of repairs, which raised costs and pushed people toward replacing working products.

Which products do right to repair laws cover?

It depends on the law. Electronics, cars, farm equipment and wheelchairs are the most common categories.

Is there one federal right to repair law in the US?

No. Federal bills stalled, so states have led the way with their own laws.

How many US states have right to repair laws?

One law firm counted 13 states with some form of statute as of July 2026. The number keeps changing.

Does the EU have a right to repair law?

Yes. Directive (EU) 2024/1799 sets repair duties for manufacturers, and member states had to adopt it nationally by July 31, 2026.

Do these laws force companies to share trade secrets?

Generally no. Several laws include carve-outs for trade secrets and security functions, but the exact wording differs.

Does using an independent shop void my warranty?

Not automatically in many places, but rules vary. Check your warranty terms and local law.

What is parts pairing?

It's when a component is software-linked to one device, so swapping it can trigger errors or disable features.

Are repairs under these laws safe?

Repairs by untrained people carry risk, especially with batteries. Laws don't remove safety warnings, and many people still choose a professional.

Do the laws apply to older products?

Sometimes. Washington's law, for example, covers products sold on or after July 1, 2021.

Will repairs actually get cheaper?

Competition often lowers prices, but no law guarantees a specific cost.

Who benefits most from right to repair laws?

Customers get choice, independent shops get work, and brands that support repair gain loyalty.

What do independent repair shops gain?

Access to genuine parts, tools and documentation, so they can take jobs they previously had to refuse.

How do small sellers deal with these rules?

Start by identifying which products and regions are covered, then ask suppliers for parts and manual access.

What was the Deere settlement about?

The FTC's antitrust suit ended in July 2026 with Deere agreeing to open its repair ecosystem to farmers and independent technicians.

Do right to repair laws cover cars?

Some do. Massachusetts and Maine require vehicle makers to provide telematics and diagnostic data access.

Do they cover wheelchairs?

Yes, in at least four US states, which have set repair-access mandates for powered wheelchairs and mobility devices.

How can a company prepare?

Map covered products, audit parts supply, publish repair information, review software locks and train support teams.

How do these laws affect customer service teams?

Support staff now field repair requests and warranty questions more often, so clear answers on options matter more.