Right to repair is now the law in Colorado

Thanks to a new law signed Tuesday by Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado now has some of the broadest right-to-repair laws in the U.S. HB24-1121, “Consumer’s Right to Repair Digital Electronic Equipment,” requires all manufacturers to make it easier for consumers and independent electronics businesses to purchase the necessary equipment needed to repair their devices themselves.

“Under this bill, when an item becomes damaged, whether it be a cell phone, a dishwasher, a washing machine or a laptop, Coloradans will have the information they need to repair their own equipment or use their own repair service provider. choice,” Polis announced when signing the bill, as reported by The Telegraph. Colorado times recorder.

This builds on Colorado’s right-to-repair laws already in place for farm equipment and power wheelchairs, extending similar protections to almost every consumer electronic device equipped with a chip. Like the repair law passed last year in Minnesota, Colorado’s law specifically covers data center and enterprise equipment, with Minnesota’s vague exemption for “critical infrastructure” equipment.

There are some exceptions, such as game consoles (due to lobbying by game console manufacturers over piracy concerns), medical devices, ATVs, and motor vehicles, which are also typical of repair policies implemented in other states such as California and New York. Like Oregon’s Right to Repair law, Colorado’s HB24-1121 specifically prohibits electronics manufacturers from using “part pairing” to prevent replacement components from functioning unless authorized by the company’s software.

Device manufacturers have until January 1, 2026 to comply with Colorado’s new regulations, which apply to all electronics manufactured on or after July 1, 2021.