The right to repair is the body of legal rules that obliges manufacturers to make products repairable in practice, by supplying spare parts, tools, repair information and software support at reasonable conditions, and that entitles consumers and independent repairers to fix devices without being blocked by the producer. Within Consumer & accessibility law, it extends consumer protection from the moment of purchase to the whole useful life of a product.
For digital products such as smartphones, laptops and connected appliances, the right to repair addresses obstacles that hardware design alone does not explain: glued batteries, software locks on replacement parts and repair manuals reserved for authorized partners. Legislators in the European Union and several US states now regulate all three.
How right to repair rules work
Right to repair regulation works through three complementary layers. Product design rules make devices physically repairable, market rules oblige producers to offer repair after the sale, and contract rules give consumers remedies when a product fails. Each layer targets a different barrier to repair.
| Layer | Typical instrument | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Design for repair | Ecodesign regulations | Replaceable parts, disassembly with common tools |
| Repair obligation | EU Right to Repair Directive | Manufacturer must repair at a reasonable price |
| Information access | State repair laws, ecodesign rules | Manuals, diagnostics and parts for independent repairers |
| Guarantee remedies | Sale of goods rules | Repair or replacement of defective goods |
| Consumer information | Repairability scores | Label showing how easy repair is |
The key idea is that repair must be a realistic choice, not a theoretical one. A spare part that costs more than a new device, or that refuses to work until the manufacturer pairs it remotely, defeats the purpose of the rule.
The EU framework for repairable products
The European Union regulates repair mainly through the Right to Repair Directive (EU) 2024/1799, which member states must apply from 31 July 2026, combined with product-specific ecodesign regulations and the Batteries Regulation.
| Rule | Products covered | Core obligation |
|---|---|---|
| Duty to repair | Goods with EU repairability requirements | Repair after guarantee at a reasonable price |
| Guarantee extension | Goods repaired under legal guarantee | Extra 12 months when the consumer chooses repair |
| Smartphone ecodesign | Phones and tablets sold from June 2025 | Spare parts for 7 years after the model ends |
| Software support | Phones and tablets | Operating system updates for at least 5 years |
| Removable batteries | Portable batteries from February 2027 | Replaceable by the end user |
The directive also prohibits contractual, hardware and software techniques that impede repair, unless justified by legitimate reasons such as safety. Manufacturers may not refuse to repair a product only because it was previously repaired by someone else or contains compatible or second-hand parts. An optional European repair information form and a European online platform help consumers compare repair offers.
Right to repair in the United States and elsewhere
The United States has no single federal repair law for consumer electronics, so states lead. New York, Minnesota, California, Colorado and Oregon adopted statutes between 2022 and 2024, with differing scope and obligations. The Federal Trade Commission has treated unjustified repair restrictions as a consumer protection issue.
| Approach | Example | Main effect |
|---|---|---|
| Parts availability period | California: 3 or 7 years by price | Parts and manuals stay accessible |
| Parts pairing ban | Oregon statute | Limits software locks on replacement parts |
| Repairability index | French scoring label | Informs purchase decisions |
| Sectoral rules | Agricultural equipment laws | Opens diagnostics for farmers |
Most statutes exclude certain categories, such as medical devices, vehicles covered by separate rules or video game consoles, and many allow manufacturers to protect trade secrets and security functions. The exact list of exemptions is therefore decisive when assessing obligations.
How right to repair relates to neighboring consumer rules
The right to repair complements, rather than replaces, legal guarantee and safety law. A useful distinction is between rules that apply when a product is defective and rules that apply to ordinary wear after the guarantee period.
- Sale of goods rules give remedies for defects present at delivery, typically within a two-year legal guarantee in the EU.
- The Digital Content Directive covers defects in software and digital services, including the duty to provide updates.
- The Product Liability Directive governs compensation for damage caused by defective products, including after repair or modification.
- The GPSR sets general safety duties, which manufacturers sometimes cite as a reason to restrict third-party repair.
- Unfair commercial practices rules address misleading claims about durability or repairability.
Common obstacles and compliance pitfalls
Repair rules are often circumvented through technical design rather than open refusal. Regulators and repairers focus on a recurring set of practices.
| Obstacle | Effect on repair | Typical response |
|---|---|---|
| Parts pairing | Genuine parts disabled after swap | Ban or justification requirement |
| Excessive part prices | Repair uneconomic | Reasonable price obligation |
| Restricted manuals | Only authorized shops can repair | Publication duty for repair information |
| Glued components | Battery replacement impractical | Design rules for removability |
| Warranty void stickers | Consumers deterred from repair | Treated as misleading or unlawful |
For manufacturers, the main pitfall is treating repair as a service-department matter instead of a product requirement. Spare-part availability, pricing and software calibration tools must be planned at the design stage to meet the mandated periods.
Stripped to the essentials
When a phone screen cracks or a washing machine pump fails, you should be able to fix it instead of throwing it away. Right to repair laws make that possible. Companies must sell spare parts and share repair guides. Their devices must also keep working with parts installed by other shops.
It is a little like owning a car. You can choose the garage. The maker cannot make the car refuse a new tire just because it came from another store. The goal is longer-lasting products and less waste.
Where it is applied
A small repair shop in an EU city receives a three-year-old smartphone with a battery that holds only about 70 percent of its original capacity. Because the model falls under the ecodesign rules, the shop can order a genuine battery from the manufacturer’s parts channel at a published price and use the official repair documentation.
After the replacement, the phone does not display a warning about an unknown part, and the system reports normal battery health. The customer pays a fraction of the price of a new device, and the phone stays in use for several more years with continued security updates.