Prepared in the supplied September 2026 research pack. This draft has not been reverified in this pass. Rules, prices, company status, and numerical claims may need correction.
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For years, farmers with modern tractors and combines have run into the same wall. A sensor fails, the machine throws a fault code or drops into limp mode, and the fix needs software that only an authorized dealer could use. In a busy season, waiting for the dealer can be costly.
On July 8, 2026, the Federal Trade Commission and five states announced a settlement with Deere & Company over that problem. The deal is significant. It is also not yet final in every respect, it covers one manufacturer, and it leaves open questions about price and rollout.
This article explains what the proposed order requires, what it does not do, where state law fits, and what you can do now whether you run Deere green or another color. It reflects the situation as of September 2026. It is not legal advice.
Key takeaways
- As of September 2026, the FTC, Illinois, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have reached a settlement with Deere. It was filed as a proposed stipulated order and is described as pending court approval.
- Deere must give farmers and independent repair shops the same repair resources it gives its authorized dealers, including fault codes, reprogramming, part pairing, emissions restarts, manuals and diagnostics.
- Future repair tools must be offered once more than 50% of Deere's dealer network has them.
- Access must be on "fair and reasonable terms." No specific price is set. The order lasts 10 years, with no admission of liability and no monetary penalty described.
- Colorado's right-to-repair law for agricultural equipment has applied to agricultural equipment manufacturers, not just one company, since January 1, 2024. Other states' laws were not verified for this article.
- The settlement does not cover other brands, and it does not help owners of machines from companies that have shut down.
How we got here
The FTC filed its lawsuit against Deere on January 15, 2025, in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. An amended complaint followed in February 2025. On June 9, 2025, the court denied Deere's motion for judgment on the pleadings, which allowed the case to continue.
Just over a year later, on July 8, 2026, the FTC and five states announced the settlement. A joint motion and the stipulated order were filed with the court the same day. A legal analysis by the law firm Axinn describes the order as pending court approval, and the FTC case page lists the motion without clearly showing that the court has entered the order. Until the docket confirms entry, the accurate description is a proposed stipulated order, subject to court approval.
What the proposed order requires
Here is what the FTC's announcement and Axinn's analysis describe.
| Term | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Dealer-equivalent repair resources | Farmers and independent shops get the same repair resources Deere gives authorized dealers |
| Fault codes | Read, clear and reset diagnostic codes |
| Reprogramming and part pairing | Reprogram components and pair new parts to the machine |
| Emissions shutdowns | Restart machines after emissions-related "limp mode" shutdowns |
| Manuals and diagnostics | Access to technical manuals and diagnostic information |
| Future tools | Must be offered once available to more than 50% of Deere's dealer network |
| Price | "Fair and reasonable terms"; no specific price set |
| Duration | 10 years, extendable if Deere violates the order |
| Reporting | Reports every 60 days during rollout, interim reports when new tools issue, and annual reports |
| Liability and penalty | No admission of liability; no monetary penalty described |
The FTC's Bureau of Competition said the settlement will help lower costs for American farmers. Farm groups also responded. The Daily Montanan reported reaction from Montana Farmers Union and framed access in terms of reasonable cost.
What has not changed, or is still unclear
Court approval. As of September 2026, confirm the order's status on the court docket before relying on specific terms.
Price. "Fair and reasonable" is not a number. What farmers and independent shops will actually pay for tools and software access is not set in the order as described. Watch the rollout reports and any complaints.
Timing. The rollout has reporting every 60 days, which suggests access will phase in rather than arrive all at once. The research behind this article did not find a published rollout calendar.
Other manufacturers. The settlement binds Deere only. Owners of other brands depend on state laws, voluntary industry agreements or future federal action. Industry memoranda of understanding between farm groups and manufacturers have been reported, but their terms were not verified for this article.
Safety and emissions limits. Access to restart a machine after an emissions shutdown is not the same as permission to tamper with emissions systems. Colorado's law, for example, does not let owners or independent repairers disable safety notification systems or circumvent emissions protections.
Defunct manufacturers. The order does nothing for machines whose makers are gone. Monarch Tractor's MK-V owners, for example, have no announced support path after Caterpillar bought Monarch's technology and patents in April 2026. Our article on the electric tractor shakeout covers that case.
Where state law fits
Colorado
Colorado's HB23-1011, the Consumer Right To Repair Agricultural Equipment law, was signed April 25, 2023, and took effect January 1, 2024. It is not limited to one company. It requires manufacturers to provide owners and independent repairers with the parts, embedded software and firmware, tools, documentation and data needed for repair.
| Colorado HB23-1011 feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who it covers | Agricultural equipment manufacturers |
| What must be provided | Parts, embedded software and firmware, tools, documentation and data |
| Enforcement | Failure to comply is a deceptive trade practice |
| Limits | No disabling safety notification systems; no circumventing emissions, copyright, trademark or patent protections |
| Industry MOUs | A signed MOU does not exempt a manufacturer |
| Sunset | Repealed if Congress enacts a federal agricultural right-to-repair law |
Colorado is widely described as the first US state with an agricultural equipment repair law. That claim was not re-verified for this article.
Other states
Other states may have passed agricultural right-to-repair laws in 2025 or 2026. Those enactments were not verified for this article. Check with your state legislature, attorney general's office or state farm organization.
A repair-readiness checklist
Whatever brand you run, these steps help you use whatever access you have.
For machines you already own
- List every machine with electronic controls, its model, serial number and software version.
- Ask your dealer in writing what diagnostic tools and manuals are available to you as an owner, and at what price.
- Identify at least one independent repair shop near you and ask what access they have.
- Keep fault-code records and repair invoices. They help if you need to show a problem.
Before buying new or used equipment
- Ask whether you will be able to read and clear fault codes yourself.
- Ask whether parts must be "paired" by a dealer, and what that costs.
- Ask whether the machine needs a cloud connection or subscription to operate.
- For startups, ask what happens to software support if the company is sold or closes.
- Get manuals and service information included in the sale where possible.
For Deere owners specifically
- Watch for Deere's rollout of farmer and independent-shop repair resources under the order.
- Note the price and terms offered, and compare them with what dealers pay if that information becomes available.
- Follow updates from your farm organization. Some groups, such as Pioneer and Texas Farm Bureau, have issued notices on the settlement.
What to do next
- Check the court docket or FTC case page for entry of the order before relying on specific terms.
- Build your equipment inventory with software versions and service records.
- Talk to your dealer and an independent shop about what access looks like now and after rollout.
- Learn your state's law. If you farm in Colorado, read HB23-1011. Elsewhere, ask your state farm organization.
- Get legal advice from an attorney if you believe a manufacturer is denying access you are entitled to.
Related reading on this site: our articles on the electric tractor shakeout, on robotic weeders and vendor risk, and on the 2026 farm bill.
Sources
- Deere & Company, FTC v. (case page) — Federal Trade Commission (accessed September 17, 2026)
- FTC, States Secure Settlement with Deere & Company, Advancing Farmers' Right to Repair — Federal Trade Commission (July 8, 2026)
- Right to Repair Alert: Deere & Company Reaches Settlement with FTC, States — Axinn (July 2026)
- FTC reaches settlement with Deere in right-to-repair suit — Daily Montanan (July 14, 2026)
- John Deere owners will get the right to repair their own equipment under a new FTC settlement — U.S. News & World Report / Associated Press (July 8, 2026)
- FTC, John Deere reach settlement on right to repair — Texas Farm Bureau (July 2026)
- Pioneer Issues Notice to Members on FTC and States' Right to Repair Settlement with John Deere — Farm Equipment (2026)
- HB23-1011 Consumer Right To Repair Agricultural Equipment — Colorado General Assembly (2023)
- Monarch Tractor bought by Caterpillar — Equipment World (April 16, 2026)
Sources & context
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