Right to repair: what it means and where it applies
"Right to repair" is not one single U.S. law — it is a patchwork of state laws, plus one long-standing federal rule, that together push manufacturers to let owners and independent shops fix products, instead of restricting repair to the brand's own authorized network.
What does a right-to-repair law actually require?
Typically, a right-to-repair law requires a manufacturer to sell the same parts, diagnostic tools, software and repair documentation to independent repair shops and to owners that it already gives its own authorized technicians — on fair and reasonable terms, not necessarily for free.
New York's Digital Fair Repair Act and Minnesota's right-to-repair law were among the first to take effect for electronics; California, Colorado and Oregon have passed similar laws covering different categories of equipment (electronics, agricultural equipment, or both), each with its own scope and effective date.
How does this relate to my warranty?
Separately from any state right-to-repair law, the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act already bars a manufacturer from voiding a warranty just because a device was opened, or repaired with a third-party part, unless it can show that specific repair caused the problem.
Right-to-repair laws go further than that by forcing access to the parts and tools in the first place — Magnuson-Moss does not require a manufacturer to sell you anything, only that it not punish you in the warranty for using an independent option that exists.
Before you rely on this guide
Como ler este número
Coverage varies a lot by state and by product category
De onde vem o dado
State legislation + federal warranty law
Cuidado
A law existing does not mean every part is actually available yet
O que fazer com isso
Check your own state's law
Glossário: os termos desta página
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
A 1975 U.S. federal law that sets minimum disclosure rules for written consumer-product warranties and bars manufacturers from voiding a warranty just because an independent shop, or a non-brand-name part, was used for repair or maintenance.
Fonte: 15 U.S.C. §2301 et seq. — U.S. Code.
Right to repair
A set of laws and rules requiring manufacturers to make parts, tools and repair documentation available to owners and independent repair shops, not only to the brand's own authorized network.
Energy and consumer glossary — todos os 9 termos.
Sources: 15 U.S.C. §2301 et seq. (Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) (U.S. Code).