The State of Right to Repair

Repair Access is improving but more needs to be done to ensure our devices get fixed

New analysis by repair advocates underscores need for enforcement, further state progress to ensure people can fix their stuff 

woman fixing laptop
iFixit | CC-BY-4.0

For the last decade, the Digital Right to Repair Coalition (aka Repair.org) has championed reforms to remove barriers from repair shops and product owners that prevent people from fixing modern electronic products. 

Model legislation, which requires manufacturers to make the parts, tools and information they use to facilitate repairs available, has been filed hundreds of times in nearly every state, and has broken through over the last three years. Meanwhile, action on Right to Repair has spread from the states to Washington, D.C., and many other nations around the globe. 

This report analyzes what has been accomplished around the country and around the world, and what repair professionals view as the most important threats to their ability to repair electronics. We conducted a survey in partnership with iFixit, gathering input from 207 repairers, including 101 American repair shops or professional technicians. This survey assisted us to  identify key indications of progress and concerns moving forward. 

Eight new laws in five states

PIRG and the rest of the Repair.org coalition have worked to pass a number of bills at the state level. The bills generally got stronger as more states moved forward with legislation. Our report details what was included in section I, and explains what gaps remain. 

Spare part access has improved

In 2014, when the first Right to Repair law for electronics was filed in South Dakota, there was not a single Apple original iPhone part an independent repair shop could buy. Today, anyone can buy 23 different spare parts directly from Apple for the iPhone 15. 

Our repair survey bore this out. Sixty-nine of 101 American repair professionals (68%), indicated that spare part access had improved at least a little bit. However, issues remain. Some manufacturers cap the number of parts repair shops can order. Though more manufacturers sell spare parts, the prices are high — 63 of 101 respondents included “OEM parts are not priced competitively” as one of the “main barriers to repairing electronics.”  

Companies adjust as campaign spreads globally

Even before enforcement began on the new Right to Repair laws, many leading manufacturers took voluntary steps to address criticisms of the repair of their products. Leading manufacturers including Google, Apple, Microsoft and others responded to corporate campaigns with pro-reform reforms. In section III, we look at the history of corporate campaigning on Right to Repair and some of the key milestones in those efforts. 

Meanwhile, the European Union, India, Canada and other world governments have all taken up different programs around Right to Repair. Section IV examines progress around the world, and features insights from Right to Repair campaigns from across the globe. 

Gaps that remain

Despite the progress around the country and the world, more work needs to be done to protect repair. In our survey, we found that enterprise computing equipment repair technicians have seen far less improvement than other device types. Of the eight technicians who fix nothing but enterprise IT equipment, six report no improvement on access to parts, information or software for their repair work. Similarly, appliance technicians noted continued issues accessing repair materials. 

Another issue raised by technicians was the lack of access to board schematics. Nearly 70% of U.S. technicians (38 of 55 applicable) said that a lack of access to schematics results in their being unable to help customers either “regularly” (17 of 55) or “every once in a while” (21 of 55). 

The gaps differ by industry. For automotive repair, there is a continuing conflict over the ability to use wireless features used in diagnosis and repair of vehicles. Even though voters in Maine and Massachusetts supported ballot measures to require such access in landslide victories on the ballot, car repair shops report that the situation remains unchanged. There was considerable support for removing barriers to repair medical devices during the pandemic, but those challenges remain for hospitals and independent medical device repair technicians — with no approved legislation to address this equipment. 

Farm equipment is covered in just one state and wheelchair users across the country continue to advocate for more open repair access. 

Expanding Right to Repair across country, closing loopholes is key

Building off of gains from recent years, the coalition behind Right to Repair is committed to: 

  1. Expanding the number of states with active Right to Repair laws; 
  2. Closing loopholes or gaps in existing laws, ensuring that Right to Repair effectively covers the greatest number of repairs; 
  3. Removing restrictions in copyright law that limit repairs and outlaw certain repair tools; 
  4. Working with companies to ensure effective compliance. 

“Right to Repair is already a hot topic in state houses across the country in 2025,” added Gay Gordon-Byrne, the Executive Director of Repair.org. “We know the public is with us, and that what we’re asking for is common sense. We won’t stop until your ability to repair your stuff is fully protected.” 

chart of right to repair laws in states
TPIN Staff | TPIN

Survey responses:

Photo by TPIN Staff | TPIN

Photo by TPIN Staff | TPIN

Photo by TPIN Staff | TPIN

Photo by TPIN Staff | TPIN

Photo by TPIN Staff | TPIN

Photo by TPIN Staff | TPIN

1of 7

Round up of Right to Repair milestones in the states:

Massachusetts passes two ballot measures to protect independent car repair

Massachusetts voters have been at the forefront of Right to Repair. First, in 2012, voters approved a ballot measure, 87.7% to 12.3%, to ensure that independent mechanics and vehicle owners could access the same repair information as dealerships and authorized repair shops, including through a car’s diagnostic port. This measure, also passed by the Legislature, standardized the port in the car for such access, removing barriers for mechanics seeking to read error logs from a car’s computer. Massachusetts’ reforms became a broadly accepted national agreement between the independent car mechanics, led by the Auto Care Association, and major automotive manufacturers, in 2014. 

However, the agreement exempted repair data and repair functions which rely upon a wireless connection, a technology that expanded significantly in subsequent years. To address this gap, the Auto Care Association and other repair advocates ran a second ballot question. In 2020, Massachusetts voters once again voted overwhelmingly to support independent car repair. The ballot question required manufacturers to provide secure access to repair data and repair processes done through a wireless connection, and give the car owner the ability to grant access to that data to a repair shop if desired. However, enforcement has stalled. 

Automakers sued to block the law shortly after it passed, and a trial was held in June 2021. The federal judge presiding over the case, Justice Douglas Woodlock, was expected to issue a ruling in June 2022 – but delayed that ruling several times. In 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told automakers to ignore the law before reversing that advice soon after. Massachusetts car owners are still waiting to gain control over the repair data their cars transmit, though resolution might come in 2025: a new judge has taken over the case and indications are he plans to finally issue a ruling.

New York Legislature is the first to pass a Right to Repair for electronics

In New York, the Digital Fair Repair Act went into effect on December 28, 2023. The law requires original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to provide the requisite parts, tools and documentation required to repair personal electronic devices including cell phones, laptops, tablets and cameras. 

However, industry lobbyists convinced Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration to weaken the bill as it was signed into law. These additional loopholes reduce the scope of covered products, including restricting repair availability only to devices sold directly to consumers — no business-to-business transactions or devices sold under government contracts are included within the law. In addition, the law only applies to electronic devices sold after July 2023. In January 2024, shortly after the original law went into effect, state assembly member Patricia Fahy introduced a new bill to address the loopholes added by the governor, but the bill did not advance. 

Colorado passes three Right to Repair bills in three years

Colorado has passed three different Right to Repair laws. The first law, passed in 2022, allows wheelchair users to access the parts, tools and software required to fix their motorized chairs. Next, in 2023, Gov. Jared Polis signed a law requiring manufacturers of farming equipment to provide the same materials for farmers to fix their own machinery. Most recently, in 2024, a broad Right to Repair covering most digital electronic equipment was enacted, covering personal electronics, printers, appliances, HVAC systems, music and sound equipment, IT devices, e-bikes and more. The law also includes restrictions on “parts pairing,” first championed in Oregon. Exempted devices include medical equipment, motor vehicles, construction equipment, and video game consoles. The newest law goes into effect on January 1, 2026 — when Coloradans will enjoy the broadest repair rights in the nation. 

Minnesota passes the first broad Right to Repair law in 2023

Minnesota’s Digital Fair Repair Act went into effect on July 1, 2024 and applies to products manufactured after July 1, 2021. Most products that require digital electronic elements are covered under the law, including personal electronics, appliances, servers, industrial and commercial equipment, and more. Due to the broadness of the electronics covered under the law, Minnesotans have some of the broader digital electronic repair rights in the nation. Exempted products include offroad and recreational vehicles, video game consoles, medical devices and agricultural equipment. Advocates continue to push to add farm equipment into the covered equipment, in a push led by the Minnesota Farmers Union. 

California: Right to Repair passed on Big Tech’s home turf

California’s consumer device repair law requires manufacturers to provide the parts, tools and documentation necessary to repair consumer devices including personal electronics and household appliances. The law went into effect on July 1, 2024, and OEM requirements are enforced on a scale based on the price of the device. Devices that cost $50 or more and were manufactured, sold or used on or after July 2021 are covered under the law. Manufacturers must provide repair materials for products costing between $50-100 for at least 3 years after the manufacturing date of a product model or type, and provide materials for products costing more than $100 for at least seven years. The law exempts home alarm systems, fire suppression systems, video game consoles and agricultural, mining, construction and lawn and garden equipment.

California lawmakers followed this up in 2024 by passing a Right to Repair for powered wheelchairs. The law requires manufacturers to provide access to the parts, tools and information needed for a list of common wheelchair repairs — meaning that in cases where the repair needs are other than those listed in the law, manufacturers are not required to share repair materials. The law went into effect in January 2025.

Oregon raises the bar, takes on “parts pairing”

In March 2024, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed the nation’s strongest Right to Repair law for consumer electronics. The law took effect on January 1, 2025, and, like other laws, requires OEMs to provide the parts, tools and information needed to fix phones, tablets, laptops, appliances and other consumer products. 

In addition, Oregon’s law is the first in the nation to restrict “parts pairing,” a practice that requires replacement parts to be “paired” to a device using a manufacturer’s proprietary software. Previously, such software would restrict new parts from working fully once installed unless it was ordered directly from the manufacturer, hindering a range of repairs, and costing the consumer more than is necessary to fix their stuff. Oregon’s reforms forbid the manufacturer from restricting a component’s features through parts pairing technology. 

Maine voters choose Right to Repair for cars

In November of 2023, Maine voters overwhelmingly supported a ballot measure to enshrine automotive Right to Repair for all Maine drivers. As in Massachusetts, the measure required that all cars sold in Maine that use a wireless system share access to the repair data with car owners and their designees. The measure also requires manufacturers to standardize the way that data is accessed. In April 2024, a bill passed through one chamber of the Legislature, the Maine House of Representatives, which, if passed, would overrule the ballot measure. However, the state Senate declined to take up the bill before its legislative session ended. A commission was formed to determine next steps. 

Federal milestones:

FTC’s “Nixing the Fix” examines repair restrictions

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been at the forefront of federal efforts on Right to Repair. In 2019, the agency held a workshop, and requested findings and data from manufacturers and repair advocates. In 2021, these findings were released in the FTC’s “Nixing the Fix” report, which was endorsed by all four of the FTC’s commissioners in a unanimous, and bipartisan fashion. The report analyzed manufacturers’ reasons for withholding repair materials, and found they had “scant evidence” to support these actions, while on the other hand, the consumer and environmental harms of limiting repairs was clear and well-supported. The commissioners then voted to prioritize enforcement against repair restrictions and assist state lawmakers in their efforts to protect repair access. 

FTC stepping up warranty enforcements

In July 2022, the FTC announced proposed settlements with three manufacturers who had restricted their customers’ repair rights through their warranty policies. The agency alleged that grill maker Weber-Stephen Products, outdoor power tool manufacturer MWE Investments and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group had all included illegal provisions that stated that product warranties would be voided if customers used third-party parts or an independent repair shop to fix the products they had purchased. Voiding a warranty in this way violates the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which prohibits manufacturers from tying warranty coverage to the use of other products or services based on brand name or corporate identity. As a part of the settlement, all three manufacturers were required to remove all language in their warranties hostile to third-party repair, and replace it with language that clearly states using third-party parts or independent repairers will not automatically void a customer’s warranty.

In addition, the FTC sent warning letters to 6 companies in 2018 and 8 more in 2024, notifying them that their warranty policies should be adjusted to clarify their customers’ right to repair those products, or that “warranty void if removed” stickers are not permitted. 

The FTC is investigating John Deere, DOJ weighs in to support farmers’ lawsuit

After PIRG joined 11 farming repair organizations in filing a complaint to the FTC about John Deere’s anticompetitive repair practices in 2022, court documents, filed in October 2024, revealed the agency had opened an investigation for “unfair, deceptive, anticompetitive, collusive, coercive, predatory, exploitative or exclusionary acts or practices.” This investigation culminated in a lawsuit, filed in January 2025, that alleges Deere makes “the only fully functional software repair tool capable of performing all repairs” and then limited that tool to dealerships. 

In 2022, the Department of Justice supported a class-action lawsuit filed by farmers alleging monopolistic repair practices, pushing back on John Deere’s stance that a). its market share is not large enough to constitute a violation of the Sherman Act, and b). the company has not been proven to meet the “deception or surprise” standard outlined in the Sherman Act. The DOJ statement of interest points to a 1992 Supreme Court case as the relevant precedent. In that case, Eastman Kodak Co. vs. Image Technical Services, Inc., the court ruled that competition at the point of purchase is not the same as aftermarket competition. In short, companies that monopolize or restrict the availability of third-party parts or repair still engage in monopolistic practices, placing a “switching cost” on the consumer if they want to exit the monopolistic repair ecosystem constructed by a certain company. The FTC’s later lawsuit seems to share this analysis.

EPA pushes back on Deere’s claims, forces changes in disclosure

In 2023 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent an on-the-record letter to the National Farmers Union in support of Right to Repair. The letter refutes manufacturers’ and dealers’ accusations that repair access facilitates emissions tampering and therefore violates environmental laws.  

After repair advocate Willie Cade and other repair advocates pointed out that Deere’s manuals discouraged independent repair of emissions systems, the EPA also issued a warning to John Deere about their manuals. As a result, Deere sent out a letter to customers clarifying that independent repair of emissions systems is not a violation of environmental laws, though the company still restricts access to the necessary materials to conduct these repairs.

Copyright Office OK's fixing McDonald’s ice cream machines

Thanks to an overly broad copyright law passed in the late 1990s, bypassing a digital lock can constitute a copyright violation — even if the lock is trivial, and the purpose of bypassing it is to repair the product. In that law, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), Congress created a process to apply to the Copyright Office for exemptions to that law, and a wide array of repair exemptions have been granted. 

In October 2024, the U.S. Copyright Office granted an exemption for retail-level commercial food equipment to be repaired without the repair violating copyright law. iFixit and Public Knowledge requested a full exemption for a wider range of commercial and industrial equipment, using the McDonald’s ice cream machine as their example, but a more limited exemption was granted. Even though it is now legal to bypass locks on your ice cream machine, it is still illegal to sell or share repair tools that bypass those locks. 

Congress debates Right to Repair, considers host of legislation

In the 118th Congress (running from 2023-2024), lawmakers considered a number of Right to Repair bills. Rep. Joseph Morelle and Sen. Ben Ray Lujan co-introduced legislation in the House and Senate (respectively) titled the Fair Repair Act, which would grant the Right to Repair for all Americans and their digital electronics. The law would cover anything “that depends for its functioning, in whole or in part, on digital electronics embedded in or attached to the product.” 

U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn of Florida filed the REPAIR Act to require auto manufacturers to give car owners control of wirelessly transmitted repair information and features, much like the ballot questions in Maine and Massachusetts discussed earlier in this report. The legislation attracted 28 Republican and 28 Democratic cosponsors, an impressive bipartisan display of support, but did not advance

In addition to the Fair Repair Act, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren offered amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) enabling the military to fix its equipment itself without having to rely on authorized repairers. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s amendment stated that deliberate attempts to prevent the “military end user” from fixing equipment harms the national defense system’s readiness. Sen. Warren’s proposal would prevent the Department of Defense from entering into an agreement with a contractor unless it provides fair and reasonable access to the parts, tools and information used by the manufacturer and authorized repair providers to maintain the product. Though the amendment attracted bipartisan support, it was not included in the final NDAA, and the lawmakers introduced new legislation, the Servicemember Right-to-Repair Act, to establish the military’s Right to Repair.

Congress has held a number of hearings on the topic of Right to Repair, and interest is clearly picking up.

Topics
Authors

Nathan Proctor

Senior Director, Campaign for the Right to Repair, U.S. PIRG Education Fund

Nathan leads U.S. PIRG’s Right to Repair campaign, working to pass legislation that will prevent companies from blocking consumers’ ability to fix their own electronics. Nathan lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, with his wife and two children.