⚡ Key takeaways
- Nine US states have consumer-electronics repair laws, according to Faegre Drinker’s analysis. In Oregon and Kansas, nothing can be enforced before July 1, 2027.
- The common duty is access to the same parts, tools and documentation an authorized repairer gets.
- Penalties vary widely: up to $25,000 per violation in Minnesota, and no repair-specific penalty in Colorado.
- Most of these laws only cover devices sold after a cutoff date, so what you can demand depends on when you bought the device.
Right to repair laws now exist in a patchwork of US states, but which one applies to your phone, laptop or appliance depends on where you live and when you bought it. This guide covers which state laws are in force in 2026, what products they reach, how they are enforced and what you can do with them today.
What right to repair laws require
The state laws share a core: manufacturers must give owners and independent repair shops access to the same parts, tools and documentation that their authorized repairers get. Some laws go further and limit parts pairing, where software ties a component to one specific device so that a swapped part will not work.
Colorado bans parts pairing from January 1, 2026, and Faegre Drinker’s analysis of the state statutes notes that Washington has a prohibition as well.
The economic case is a modelled one. The U.S. PIRG Education Fund’s 2023 report, built on 2021 spending data, estimated that repair could save about $382 per household per year, or $49.6 billion nationally across 129 million households. That is a projection of potential savings, not measured ones.
Which states have electronics repair laws
Faegre Drinker counts nine states with consumer-electronics repair statutes: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington. Counting automotive, wheelchair and other laws, 13 states have some right-to-repair statute.
| State | Law | Which products | In force |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | SB 244 | Electronic and appliance products first manufactured and first sold or used in California on or after Jul 1, 2021; video game consoles and alarm systems excluded | Operative Jul 1, 2024 |
| Colorado | HB24-1121 | Digital electronic equipment made and first sold or used in Colorado on or after Jul 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2026 |
| Connecticut | Public Act 25-44 | Electronic or appliance products | Jul 1, 2026 |
| Kansas | HB 2700 | Digital equipment made available for sale on or after Jul 1, 2027 | Applies from Jul 1, 2027 |
| Minnesota | Digital Fair Repair Act | Equipment sold on or after Jul 1, 2021 | In force |
| New York | Digital Fair Repair Act | Equipment first sold or used in New York on or after Jul 1, 2023 | In force |
| Oregon | SB 1596 | Excludes cell phones made and first sold before Jul 1, 2021, and other equipment before Jul 1, 2015 | Signed Mar 27, 2024; see enforcement below |
| Texas | HB 2963 | Products first sold or used on or after Sep 1, 2026 | Sep 1, 2026 |
| Washington | HB 1483 | Consumer electronics | Act effective Jul 27, 2025; repair obligations Jan 1, 2026 |
Two details matter for older devices. California’s law requires parts, tools and documentation for at least three years after a model was last manufactured for products with a wholesale price of $50–$99.99, and at least seven years for $100 or more. Texas and Kansas only reach products sold on or after their start dates, so a device bought before them is outside both laws.
How enforcement differs
The laws are only as useful as the remedy behind them, and the remedies vary a lot.
- California: civil penalties of $1,000 per day for a first violation, $2,000 for a second and $5,000 for a third and later. Only a city, county or the state can sue; there is no private right of action.
- Minnesota: the attorney general enforces the law as an unlawful practice, with a maximum civil penalty of $25,000 per violation, according to Faegre Drinker.
- Texas and Kansas: the attorney general alone enforces, must give a 30-day cure notice before acting, and there is no private right of action. Texas has no automatic fines.
- Colorado: the statute has no repair-specific civil penalty regime.
Oregon is the unusual case. The enrolled text of SB 1596 applies its enforcement section only to violations on or after July 1, 2027. That covers the whole law, not just one provision, so until then no remedy attaches to any of its duties. From that date the penalty is up to $1,000 per day per violation.
Cars, farm equipment and wheelchairs
Maine’s automotive right-to-repair law took effect on January 5, 2024, and its telematics-platform duty began on January 5, 2025. A 2026 follow-up law, L.D. 2211, creates a Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Commission and largely keeps the original telematics requirements.
In Massachusetts, a federal district court dismissed the challenge to the state’s Data Access Law in February 2025. The First Circuit heard arguments in February 2026.
On farm equipment, the FTC and five states settled with Deere & Company on July 8, 2026. The 10-year order requires Deere to give owners and independent shops dealer-level resources such as fault codes.
Maryland enacted a powered-wheelchair repair law in May 2025, effective October 1, 2025.
What is happening in Congress and New York
The REPAIR Act (H.R. 1566) was introduced on February 25, 2025 by Rep. Neal Dunn and forwarded to the full House Energy and Commerce Committee by voice vote in February 2026. The Fair Repair Act (S. 3821) was introduced by Sen. Ben Ray Luján on February 10, 2026 and referred to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. The Motor Vehicle Modernization Act (H.R. 7389) was introduced on February 5, 2026, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee ordered it reported with amendments on May 21, 2026.
The executive branch has acted on vehicles. The President signed the “Freedom to Fix” memorandum on June 29, 2026, and EPA issued guidance on July 1, 2026, recognizing SEMA as a certifier of aftermarket products. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said, “Americans should not be forced to solely rely on California to certify aftermarket products.“
In New York, the Electronics Repair Scores Act (A3058) passed both chambers in June 2026, with the Senate vote on June 4. It takes effect one year after it becomes law.
What you can do now
- Check the purchase date. Compare when you bought the device with the dates in the table. Keep the receipt or order confirmation.
- Ask for parts, tools and documentation. If the manufacturer refuses, cite your state’s law in writing and keep the reply.
- Use an independent shop if you want to. The FTC has acted against companies that tied warranties to their own parts or service: Harley-Davidson and Westinghouse in June 2022, and Weber on July 7, 2022.
- Know who enforces. In Minnesota, Texas and Kansas the attorney general is the enforcer, so that office is where a complaint goes. In California, a city, county or the state brings the case.
For the bigger picture of what you actually own once you’ve paid, see my piece on digital ownership.
Conclusion
Right to repair in 2026 is a patchwork. Several of the remedies behind these laws are thin. Start by checking your device against the table above, then ask the manufacturer for the parts and documentation your state law requires.
Marco Socio
Liked this? There's more where it came from.
Get our digest — articles worth your time, no spam, unsubscribe in one click.
Subscribe to Factnetize →