Right-to-Repair Laws Gain Force as Oregon Enacts Nation's Strongest Rules

A nationwide legislative movement compelling manufacturers to make product repair more accessible gained significant momentum in early 2024, culminating in Oregon's governor signing the country's most stringent Right-to-Repair law in March. The new rules in Oregon, which specifically target the practice of “parts pairing,” follow a wave of similar comprehensive laws enacted in 2023 and 2024 in states including California, Colorado, and Minnesota, creating a rapidly shifting compliance landscape for businesses across the United States. This groundswell of state-level regulation forces manufacturers of products ranging from consumer electronics to agricultural machinery to provide independent repair shops and consumers with the same parts, diagnostic tools, and service manuals that were once restricted to authorized dealers. The bipartisan political support for these measures, framed as a pro-consumer and anti-monopoly issue, signals a fundamental change in the relationship between product owners and manufacturers, with legislative proposals now having been introduced in all 50 states, according to a report from iFixit. For small and mid-sized businesses, this nationwide legislative shift presents both significant opportunities and complex challenges. We've seen independent repair and service companies gear up for a surge in business, finally able to compete with manufacturer-authorized centers. Conversely, for companies that manufacture or rely on proprietary technology, this patchwork of state laws creates a daunting compliance landscape. Each state has slightly different rules, timelines, and exemptions. Navigating this requires a fundamental rethinking of service models, parts distribution, and even product design. It’s a classic case of a regulatory change that directly impacts operations. Our work in business process reengineering focuses on helping clients adapt to precisely these kinds of market shifts, ensuring they can capitalize on the new environment without falling foul of new regulations. To understand how these changes affect your specific operations, contact C&S Finance Group LLC at csfinancegroup.com. The recent legislative victories for the movement represent a major turning point. According to a CNBC report, seven states—California, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Connecticut, Oregon, and Washington—have now passed comprehensive regulations. These laws are a direct response to decades of increasing difficulty in repairing modern equipment, a problem exacerbated by the rise of software-controlled devices and the use of copyright laws like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to restrict access to internal systems. Advocates argue the core principle is simple. “Most consumers believe that if they buy a product, they should be able to use, modify, and fix it,” said Paul Roberts, founder of SecuRepairs, in a statement to CNBC. The movement has successfully framed the issue as one of ownership rights, resonating with voters across the political spectrum. Oregon’s law, signed by Governor Tina Kotek in March 2024, is considered a new benchmark because it is the first to explicitly ban “parts pairing,” a technique where manufacturers use software to prevent a device from functioning correctly if a non-authorized replacement part is installed. This practice has been a major barrier for independent repair of devices like smartphones and laptops. New York’s Digital Fair Repair Act, which went into effect in 2023, requires manufacturers to provide diagnostic and repair information for most digital electronic products, though it contains exemptions for home appliances, farm equipment, and video game consoles. The financial and legal stakes for manufacturers are substantial. Companies like Apple, Samsung, and IBM have been central figures in the debate. In the agricultural sector, John Deere recently settled a class-action lawsuit over its repair restrictions for $99 million and faces ongoing legal action from the Federal Trade Commission. This pressure has led some major corporations to shift their stance. According to iFixit, tech giants Google and even Apple, once a staunch opponent of such legislation, have begun to support certain right-to-repair bills, suggesting a move from outright opposition to negotiating the terms of the new regulatory environment. Despite the progress, advocacy groups note that significant gaps remain. A January 2025 report from the Public Interest Network highlighted that farm equipment is only covered in one state, and access to repair materials for critical medical devices like wheelchairs remains limited. California passed a law in 2024 specific to powered wheelchairs, but it only covers a pre-defined list of common repairs, leaving many potential issues unaddressed. The focus for groups like Repair.org and the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) is now on expanding the number of states with laws, closing these types of loopholes, and ensuring effective compliance from manufacturers. Looking ahead, the legislative battles will likely shift toward harmonizing the growing patchwork of state laws and addressing federal statutes that manufacturers have historically used to limit repairs. Advocacy groups are focused on passing legislation in the remaining states while working to strengthen existing laws and ensure companies fully comply with the new requirements, aiming to make independent repair a standard consumer right rather than a hard-won exception.