ICYMI: EPA Sets Record Straight — Americans Have the Right to Repair Their Farm or Other Nonroad Diesel Equipment

ICYMI: EPA Sets Record Straight - Americans Have the Right to Repair Their Farm or Other Nonroad Diesel Equipment

February 6, 2026

WASHINGTON - On Monday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin set the record straight with guidance reaffirming American farmers and equipment owners' right to repair the farm and other nonroad diesel equipment they own. EPA's guidance makes it clear to manufacturers that the Clean Air Act does not prevent them from making essential repair tools or software available to all Americans. Without changing the law, weakening emission standards, or reducing compliance obligations, EPA's guidance will allow Americans to make repairs directly in the field, or at the repair shop of their choosing-saving them time and money.

Read coverage below on this commonsense guidance.

Farm News Media: EPA Greenlights Right To Repair In 'Another Win For American Farmers'Exit EPA's website

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is clarifying its policies under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and confirming that farmers and other nonroad equipment owners are allowed to temporarily override emissions systems to fix their own equipment... EPA's clarification applies to all nonroad diesel engines equipped with advanced emission control technologies, including selective catalytic reduction and inducement systems, as well as Diesel Exhaust Fluid system repairs."

Hoosier Ag Today: $48 Billion Breakthrough: EPA Says Farmers Have The Right To Repair Their MachinesExit EPA's website

"America's farmers could save $48 billion, according to the Trump administration, because of new guidance from EPA that says farmers and equipment owners have the right to repair their own equipment. 'For farmers, timing is everything. When equipment breaks down during planting or harvesting, delays can result in thousands of dollars in lost productivity,' says EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin."

Farm Week Now: EPA Reaffirms Right To Repair EquipmentExit EPA's website

"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued guidance that reaffirms farmers and equipment owners are allowed, under the Clean Air Act, to override emissions systems for repairs as long as the repair returns the equipment to compliance... 'We are issuing guidance out of the Trump EPA to make abundantly clear that if you own your farm and other nonroad diesel equipment, you have the right to fix it,' EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said during a media call Monday. 'This might seem like a no brainer, but ask any American farmer, and they will tell you about the headaches and costly hassles that they have been forced to endure at the hands of equipment manufacturers.'"

AgWeb: EPA Backs Farmers, Affirms Right To Repair EquipmentExit EPA's website

"... Zeldin says farmers are often forced to rely exclusively on authorized dealerships for repairs, even during critical times like during planting and harvest when downtime costs farmers time and money. 'Instead of a farmer being able to fix their own equipment in the field or bring it down the road to their local repair shop, farmers have been forced to rely solely on authorized dealers for essential repairs, which are not always close by,' he says. 'For farmers, timing is everything. When equipment breaks down during planting or harvesting, delays can result in thousands of dollars in lost productivity.'

AG Daily: EPA Clarifies Farmers' Right To Repair Non-Road Diesel EquipmentExit EPA's website

"... For several years, many manufacturers have used the Clean Air Act's anti-tampering provisions to prevent farmers from making repairs to their own equipment, claiming the Clean Air Act prohibited them from providing repair tools to farmers outside of the dealership network. This has required farmers to take their equipment to distant repair shops, increasing the cost and downtime of the farmer's operation. 'EPA is proud to set the record straight and protect farmers...' said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin."

Brownfield: New EPA Guidance Blocks Manufacturers From Limiting Farm Equipment RepairsExit EPA's website

"...EPA administrator Lee Zeldin says, 'Farmers should be able to choose where and how their equipment is repaired, whether that's by themselves, a local mechanic or a dealer.'

Zeldin says the agency's guidance reaffirms that the Clean Air Act states that farmers and equipment owners are allowed to temporarily override emissions systems when it's for the purpose of repair, and as long as the repair returns the equipment to compliance."

Iowa Capital Dispatch: EPA: Clean Air Act Supports Right To RepairExit EPA's website

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a clarification letter Monday to manufacturers saying that the Clean Air Act does not prohibit independent repairs to offroad diesel equipment such as farm machinery. A news release from EPA said manufacturers 'can no longer' use the act to 'justify limiting access to repair tools or software.'... The letter from EPA explains that while the Clean Air Act prohibits the removal or disabling of emission control systems, the law has a written exception that the systems can be disabled for the purpose of a repair."

Washington Examiner: EPA Issues Guidance Backing Farmers 'Right-To-Repair' EquipmentExit EPA's website

"... Zeldin said manufacturers have 'misused' the Clean Air Act, which regulates emissions for farm equipment, 'by falsely claiming that environmental laws prevented them from making essential repair tools or software available to all Americans.' The administrator said that the 'misinterpretation' has limited farmers and independent repair shops from fixing equipment. 'The Clean Air Act was written to ensure clean air for all Americans, not to lock farmers into expensive repairs,' Zeldin said."

Progressive Farmer: EPA: Repair Restrictions Not WarrantedExit EPA's website

"In a single guidance document from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Trump administration on Monday essentially wiped away the stated reason why equipment companies restrict farmers and independent repair shops from making emissions repairs to their own equipment. For years equipment manufacturers have interpreted the Clean Air Act's emission control anti-tampering provisions as preventing them from making repair tools available to farmers and independent repair shops."

Tampa Free Press: Farmers Win Big As EPA Ends Corporate Lockdown On Tractor RepairsExit EPA's website

"American farmers and heavy equipment owners just got a major green light to fix their own machinery without looking over their shoulders...The move centers on a common-sense reading of the law: while you can't permanently disable emissions controls, you are absolutely allowed to bypass them temporarily if it's for the 'purpose of repair.'... By making tools and software more accessible to independent shops and individuals, the administration expects to save farmers thousands of dollars in service fees and prevent long delays during critical planting and harvest seasons."

Daily Caller: Trump Admin Sets Record Straight Over Red Tape Strangling FarmersExit EPA's website

"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released guidance Monday for farmers affirming their right to repair their farm and nonroad diesel equipment, aimed at saving them 'headaches and costly hassles.' EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler told reporters Monday that if farmers own their property and nonroad diesel equipment, they have the right to fix it themselves."

RFD TV: EPA Issues New Right To Repair GuidanceExit EPA's website

"Federal regulators moved to remove long-standing barriers that limited farmers' ability to repair their own equipment, issuing new guidance that affirms producers' rights under existing environmental law... The Environmental Protection Agency clarified that the Clean Air Act allows equipment owners to temporarily bypass emissions systems when necessary to complete repairs, provided the machinery is returned to full compliance. EPA officials said some manufacturers had misused the law to restrict access to repair software and tools, forcing farmers to rely solely on authorized dealers and increasing downtime during critical planting and harvest windows."

Manufacturing Drive: EPA Says Deere Can't Cite Clean Air Act To Limit Farm Equipment RepairsExit EPA's website

"For years, companies have interpreted the Clean Air Act's anti-tampering provisions in a way that prevents them from making their repair tools or software available to customers. This has forced farmers to take their equipment to manufacturer-authorized dealers to be fixed, when the repair could have been made in the field or at a nearby independent shop. The companies' interpretation has made repairs more costly and caused some farmers to opt for older equipment that lacks modern emission controls because they can fix that equipment themselves."

Oklahoma Farm Report: EPA Clarifies Farmers' Right to Repair Equipment, Cutting Costs And Downtime For GrowersExit EPA's website

"... The guidance makes clear that the Clean Air Act does not prohibit farmers or independent repair shops from accessing diagnostic tools, software or temporary emission system overrides when repairs are made for the purpose of restoring proper equipment functionality. For years, manufacturers had cited the law to restrict repairs to authorized dealers, often forcing costly delays during planting and harvest."

Agri Pulse: Trump EPA Enters Right-To-Repair Debate With Emissions GuidanceExit EPA's website

"... An EPA press release asserts that 'for years, prominent equipment manufacturers have interpreted the CAA's emission control anti-tampering provisions as preventing them from making essential repair tools available to all Americans.' This, in turn, has 'forced farmers to take their equipment exclusively to manufacturer-authorized dealers to be fixed, even though the repair could have been made in the field or at a nearby independent repair shop,' it argues."

Morning AgClips: EPA Advances Farmers' Right to Repair Their Own EquipmentExit EPA's website

"EPA's guidance to manufacturers clarifies that the Clean Air Act (CAA) supports, rather than restricts, Americans' ability to make repairs on their own, and makes clear manufacturers can no longer use the CAA to justify limiting access to repair tools or software. For America's farmers, timely and affordable repairs are essential to planting, harvesting, and keeping operations running."