[Home](/)/[Resources](/resources)/US Warranty Requirements Under the Magnuson-Moss Act USConsumer productsRegulation guide # US Warranty Requirements Under the Magnuson-Moss Act The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act is the federal law that governs how consumer product warranties must be written and disclosed in the US. It does not require you to offer a warranty at all — but if you do, it sets rules that catch a lot of hardware companies off guard, from designation labels to what you can and cannot condition coverage on. Copy Link[Share on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/?text=https%3A%2F%2Fkrono-labs.com%2Fguides%2Fus-warranty-magnuson-moss-act) At a glance Statute Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. §2301 Enforcing agency FTC Applies to Written warranties on consumer products Warranty is Not legally required, but regulated if offered Common violation Improper "tie-in" repair conditions ## What the Act actually requires ### No mandate to offer a warranty The Magnuson-Moss Act does not force any company to offer a written warranty. Its rules apply once a company chooses to offer one on a consumer product costing more than a small statutory threshold. ### Full vs. Limited designation A written warranty on a covered product must be conspicuously designated as either "Full" or "Limited." A Full warranty carries specific minimum federal standards (including no unreasonable duration limits on implied warranties and free repair or replacement within a reasonable time); a Limited warranty can restrict coverage but must say so clearly. ### Pre-sale availability of warranty terms FTC rules under the Act require that warranty terms be available to consumers before purchase — in-store or, for online and catalog sales, accessible before the buyer commits to the transaction. ## Restrictions that trip up hardware companies ### Anti-tie-in rule A company generally cannot condition warranty coverage on the consumer using only the manufacturer’s branded parts or authorized service, unless the FTC has granted a specific waiver — a rule with direct overlap with right-to-repair enforcement priorities. ### Implied warranty disclaimer limits A company offering any written warranty cannot disclaim the implied warranty of merchantability that arises under state law for the same product during the written warranty’s coverage period. ### Clear and conspicuous disclosure Warranty terms, exclusions, and the process for obtaining service must be stated in clear, readily understood language — vague or scattered warranty language is itself a common source of FTC scrutiny. ## Building a compliant warranty program 01 Decide deliberately whether to offer a written warranty at all, and if so, whether it will be designated Full or Limited — this drives every other requirement. 02 Draft warranty terms in plain, specific language covering duration, what is covered, what is excluded, and how a consumer obtains service. 03 Make the full warranty text available to a buyer before purchase, including for e-commerce listings, not only inside the box after the sale. 04 Review any language conditioning coverage on using branded parts or authorized repair providers — remove or narrowly justify it against the anti-tie-in rule. 05 Confirm your warranty does not attempt to disclaim state-law implied warranties during the written warranty period. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I have to offer a warranty on my hardware product? No. The Magnuson-Moss Act does not require any company to offer a written warranty. It only regulates the content and disclosure of a warranty you choose to offer on a covered consumer product. ### What is the difference between a Full and a Limited warranty under the Act? A Full warranty must meet minimum federal standards, including remedying a defect within a reasonable time at no charge and not unreasonably limiting the duration of implied warranties. A Limited warranty can restrict coverage — for example, to parts only, or for a shorter period — as long as it is clearly designated as Limited and its terms are disclosed. ### Can I require customers to use only my branded parts to keep the warranty valid? Generally no. The Act’s anti-tie-in provision prohibits conditioning warranty coverage on the use of a specific brand of parts or service, absent an FTC waiver showing the branded part or service is necessary for the warranty to function properly. ### Does a "limited lifetime warranty" avoid these rules? No — a lifetime warranty is still a written warranty subject to the Act’s disclosure and designation requirements. "Lifetime" describes duration, not an exemption from the underlying rules governing content, disclosure, and tie-in restrictions. **Disclaimer:** This page is an educational resource only and does not constitute legal advice. Warranty disclosure requirements interact with both federal Magnuson-Moss rules and state consumer protection law — consult qualified counsel before finalizing warranty language for your products. 🇺🇸 US roadmap for your product Every standard, document, and test that applies — free, no account required. See your free roadmap[ Want an expert to take your product through 🇺🇸 US compliance for you? One consultant from Krono's compliance team takes your product from requirements to legal sale, with a fixed quote before any work starts. See compliance services](/services) Related guides * [US Right to Repair State LawsWhich US states require parts, tools, and documentation access for electronics repair, and what's excluded.](/guides/us-right-to-repair-state-laws) * [UK Warranty & Consumer Rights ActStatutory warranty and returns rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.](/guides/uk-warranty-consumer-rights-act) * [EU Warranty: Consumer Guarantees DirectiveThe two-year statutory legal guarantee every EU consumer sale carries.](/guides/eu-warranty-consumer-guarantees-directive) * [India Warranty: Consumer Protection ActProduct liability and warranty obligations under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 and CCPA enforcement.](/guides/india-warranty-consumer-protection-act) * [UCC Article 2 Warranties for HardwareHow UCC Article 2 warranty obligations arise for hardware sellers: express warranties under 2-313, implied merchantability under 2-314, fitness for a particular purpose under 2-315, and drafting enforceable disclaimers and remedy limitations.](/guides/us-uniform-commercial-code-warranties)