06/30/2026
Trump Ends Arrests for Fixing Your Own Car
President Trump signed a presidential memo to the Environmental Protection Agency that restores Americans’ freedom to repair their own vehicles. The action stops the federal government from going after people who fix their cars, ends the California monopoly on aftermarket parts certification, and puts common sense back in charge.
Lee Zeldin laid it out directly: “Mr. President, this is a presidential memo to the Environmental Protection Agency, a presidential memo supporting the freedom to fix. Americans have the freedom to fix their vehicle. President Trump insists upon it. We are not going to be going after people who are fixing their own vehicle like past administrations have. Additionally, we’ve been concerned, President Trump has been concerned about aftermarket parts, cheap knockoff aftermarket parts coming into the United States, harming small businesses, harming Americans. This presidential memo puts an end to it. Also, the only third-party certification for these aftermarket parts is CARB in California, a process that’s backlogged and faulty. So we’re going to break that monopoly, and no longer will CARB be the only third-party certifier for these aftermarket parts. Again, President Trump is insisting on fixing it. This presidential memo does that. President Trump was calling me up on a Saturday night when this idea first came to his head, and he says he wants to do a press conference right away to get this over the top. In February, February 2nd, we signed a right to repair for our farmers so they can repair their tractors and their non-road equipment, and this is covering everyone else.”
President Trump made clear why the change was needed. “I mean, think about it. It came to my attention because I noticed they were arresting people for fixing their car. They were arresting people for fixing it. That’s not even believable. Anyway, so it’s right to fix, and I think it’s really common sense. If somebody wants to fix—some of these people are better mechanics than the mechanics in the shop. They’re telling the mechanic in the shop how to fix their car already.”
He added that the policy will deliver real relief: “And it’s going to save them a lot of money, and they’re going to be able to do it themselves. Please.”
This builds on the February right-to-repair win for farmers and now covers every American who owns a vehicle. No more bureaucratic harassment. No more California gatekeeping. Just the freedom to fix what you own.
