California Right to Repair Law (SB 244): What It Means for Your Appliances

On October 10, 2023, Governor Newsom signed SB 244 — the Right to Repair Act — making California one of the first states to require manufacturers to provide repair parts, tools, and documentation for their products. For appliance owners and repair technicians, this law is a meaningful shift. For the first time, manufacturers cannot legally withhold the parts and information needed to repair appliances you own.

At EasyBear, we have been tracking how SB 244 is changing the appliance repair landscape across the Bay Area and Sacramento. Here is what the law does, what it does not do, and how it affects your repair options and costs.

What SB 244 Actually Requires

The law, formally known as the Right to Repair Act (California Civil Code §§ 42488–42488.6), establishes these requirements:

Source: California Legislature, SB 244 (Eggman), Chapter 704, Statutes of 2023. Full text available at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

For appliances — which almost always cost over $100 — this means manufacturers must provide repair parts and documentation for at least 7 years after the model is discontinued. This is significant because some manufacturers previously stopped stocking parts within 3–5 years, effectively forcing consumers to replace repairable appliances.

What Changed for Appliance Owners

Before SB 244, the appliance repair landscape had a growing problem: manufacturers were making it increasingly difficult for independent technicians to service their products. Some specific practices that SB 244 addresses:

Parts gatekeeping. Certain manufacturers restricted part sales to authorized service networks. If you wanted a Samsung control board or an LG compressor, you sometimes had to go through the manufacturer's own repair service or an authorized dealer — at a premium price. Independent shops like EasyBear could source parts through secondary channels, but availability was inconsistent and markup was significant.

Diagnostic lockouts. Modern appliances use proprietary diagnostic software to identify error codes and calibrate components after repair. Without access to these tools, independent technicians had to rely on reverse-engineered solutions or manual troubleshooting — adding time and cost to repairs. Our technicians report that Samsung and LG appliances were particularly restrictive pre-SB 244.

Documentation withholding. Service manuals — which contain wiring diagrams, component locations, calibration procedures, and troubleshooting flowcharts — were sometimes classified as proprietary and withheld from independent repair shops. Technicians relied on shared knowledge, repair forums, and experience rather than official documentation.

How SB 244 Is Changing Repair Costs

The law has been in effect for nearly two years. Here is what we are seeing in our service data:

Source: EasyBear internal service data comparison, Bay Area and Sacramento territories.

The biggest improvements are in Samsung and LG repairs, where parts access was previously the most restricted. Whirlpool and GE, which had relatively open parts channels before the law, show minimal change — they were already doing what SB 244 now requires.

The increase in single-visit repair completion is particularly meaningful for our customers. When we can source parts faster and access diagnostic information directly, more repairs happen in one appointment instead of two. That means less time without your appliance and less time off work waiting for a technician.

What SB 244 Does Not Cover

The law has important limitations that California homeowners should understand:

It does not cap repair prices. The "fair and reasonable" pricing language in SB 244 prevents manufacturers from charging $500 for a $50 part, but it does not establish specific price ceilings. Manufacturers set their own prices as long as they are not unreasonably inflated.

It does not require manufacturers to design for repairability. SB 244 addresses access to parts and information after an appliance is manufactured. It does not require manufacturers to make appliances easier to repair in the first place. A manufacturer can still solder WiFi modules onto control boards, use proprietary screws, or design components that require full disassembly to access.

It does not apply to commercial/industrial equipment. The law covers consumer electronics and appliances. Commercial-grade equipment used in restaurants, laundromats, and industrial settings is generally not covered.

It does not override safety regulations. Manufacturers can still restrict access to components that involve safety risks (gas valves, high-voltage circuits) where they can demonstrate a legitimate safety concern.

Enforcement is complaint-driven. The law is enforced through consumer complaints and legal action, not proactive government auditing. This means compliance varies by manufacturer, and smaller brands may lag behind.

How California Compares to Other States

California was not the first state to pass right-to-repair legislation, but its version is among the strongest for consumer appliances:

Source: U.S. PIRG. "State of the Right to Repair: 2025 Legislative Tracker." uspirg.org.

California's law is notable for its 7-year duration requirement and its broad definition of covered products. The combination of California's market size (40+ million residents) and its legal requirements effectively forces manufacturers to maintain repair infrastructure nationally — it is not economically practical to stock California-specific inventory separate from the rest of the country.

What This Means for Your Next Repair

If you are a California homeowner dealing with a broken appliance, SB 244 gives you tangible benefits:

More repair options. Independent repair services like EasyBear can now access the same parts and documentation that manufacturer-authorized services use. You are not locked into the manufacturer's own (often more expensive and slower) repair network.

Faster repairs. With direct access to repair manuals and diagnostic tools, our technicians spend less time diagnosing and more time fixing. Parts arrive faster because manufacturers must maintain inventory.

Longer repair windows. The 7-year requirement means your appliance remains repairable longer. A refrigerator model discontinued in 2024 must have parts available through at least 2031. This extends the useful life of your appliance and pushes back the point at which replacement becomes the only option.

Better pricing competition. When multiple repair shops can access the same parts, prices normalize. Manufacturer-authorized repair services can no longer charge premium rates justified by exclusive parts access.

What We Would Like to See Next

As technicians who repair appliances daily, we believe SB 244 is a strong first step. Here is what would make it better:

Design-for-repair standards. Requiring manufacturers to make key components (control boards, pumps, motors, sensors) modular and replaceable without specialized tools. The European Union is moving in this direction with its Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

Firmware update protections. Preventing manufacturers from pushing firmware updates that disable functionality in older models or make previously working repairs incompatible.

Repairability scoring. France's repairability index (indice de réparabilité) requires appliance manufacturers to display a repair-friendliness score at point of sale. A California equivalent would help consumers factor repairability into purchase decisions.

Extended duration requirements. Seven years is good, but appliances are designed to last 10–20 years. Matching parts availability to expected lifespan would be the gold standard.

Your Rights as a California Appliance Owner

Under SB 244, you have the right to:

1. Choose your repair provider. Manufacturers cannot require you to use authorized service exclusively.
2. Access parts. You can purchase repair parts directly or through your chosen repair service.
3. Access documentation. Repair manuals and diagnostic information must be available.
4. Fair pricing. Parts and documentation must be offered at reasonable cost.

If a manufacturer refuses to provide parts or documentation for an appliance within the 7-year window, you can file a complaint with the California Attorney General's office.

Bottom Line

SB 244 is making appliance repair more accessible, faster, and more affordable in California. The biggest winners are homeowners with Samsung, LG, and other brands that previously restricted independent repair access. For our technicians, it means better tools, better information, and better outcomes for every service call.

The right to repair your own property should not be controversial. California agrees — and the data shows it is working.

Book an appliance repair — EasyBear technicians have full access to parts, manuals, and diagnostic tools for all major brands.

Sources

• California Legislature. "SB 244 (Eggman): Right to Repair Act." leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
• U.S. PIRG. "State of the Right to Repair 2025." uspirg.org
• Consumer Reports. "Right to Repair: What Consumers Need to Know." consumerreports.org
• iFixit. "California Right to Repair: Implementation Tracker." ifixit.com/right-to-repair/california