5 New State “Right to Repair” Laws and What They Mean for the Security Industry

Over the last few years, the “Right to Repair” movement has consistently gained momentum in states across the country with over 40 states having at least introduced right to repair legislation.

While the Security Industry Association (SIA) acknowledges the importance of providing consumers with effective ways to extend the life cycle of consumer electronics and reducing electronic waste, we strongly advocate for the protection and exclusion of security and life safety systems. The integrity of security and life safety systems would be unnecessarily put at risk if manufacturers are forced to make sensitive technical information and other means of compromising security systems broadly available to the public.

For this reason, the security industry is a critical stakeholder in related policymaking. SIA has worked particularly closely with lawmakers, key member companies and allied associations to ensure provisions addressing industry concerns were included in new right to repair laws in New York, California, Minnesota and Colorado, as we outline here.

We will continue to address risks to public safety posed by legislation that does not adequately protect security systems. In the meantime, it’s important for the industry to also be aware of which states have already adopted right to repair models and how they could impact your business.

New York

New York was the first state to adopt a right to repair law applying to electronic devices and products, with the provisions of the legislation taking effect in March 2023.

The New York law contains several provisions pertinent to our industry, including but not limited to the fact that the obligations do not apply to manufacturers of home “security devices or alarm systems” or nonconsumer products sold to a business or to the government.

California

In 2023, California enacted the California Right to Repair Act, which goes into effect on July 1, 2024. The California Right to Repair Act provides a clear exemption for “alarm system(s)” and “fire protection system(s)” as defined very broadly by existing law and fire code.

The relevant definition for “alarm system” as cited in the act is “an assembly of equipment and devices arranged to detect a hazard or signal the presence of an off-normal situation.”

The relevant definition for “fire protection system” in the CA Fire Code is “equipment and systems or combinations of systems used to detect a fire, active an alarm, extinguish or control a fire, control or manage smoke and products of a fire, or any combination thereof.”

Taken together, these exclusions provide protection for most, if not all, of the electronic security products produced by our industry.

Minnesota

Minnesota also adopted a right to repair law in 2023 which takes effect on July 1, 2024. The Minnesota right to repair law outlines requirements which do not pertain to any equipment used in work that could be performed under “relevant licensure,” including for example, technology systems contractors. It further exempts information technology equipment that is intended for use in critical infrastructure as defined by the federal Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2001.

While SIA advocated for and would like to see a clearer security exemption, taken together, these provisions shield most security industry products and manufacturers from the new right to repair requirements.

Colorado

The Colorado legislature passed a right to repair law for consumer electronics during the 2024 legislative session which is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Notably, the Colorado right to repair law provides multiple exemptions relevant to the security industry, the first being that provisions of the law do not apply to “safety communications equipment, the intended us of which is for emergency response or prevention purposes by an emergency system organization, such as police, fire, life safety or medical and emergency rescue services agency.”

The provisions of the law also do not apply to “Fire alarm systems, intrusion detection equipment that is provided with a security monitoring service, life safety systems, and physical access control equipment, including electronic keypads and similar building access control electronics.”

Taken together, these exclusions are broad and provide protection for a wide range of electronic security solutions produced by our industry.

Oregon

The Oregon state legislature adopted a right to repair law in 2024 which takes effect Jan. 1, 2025. While Oregon becomes the very first state to adopt a right to repair law without a provision specifically protecting the security and life safety industry’s products and manufacturers, it does not generally apply to any commercial security products, as it only applies to consumer electronics for retail sale and intended for personal, family or household use. It also does not apply to any product which has never been available for retail sale to a consumer.

SIA and allied organizations will continue to advocate for a security and life safety exemption to be added to the Oregon right to repair law in future legislative sessions.