Are robot mowers banned in the US? The 2026 FCC rule, tracked

By the RobotMowGuide editors

Edited and fact-checked by the RobotMowGuide editors at Aivora Digital. FCC documents read again on Oct 13, 2026. The Covered List appendix date cited here is Oct 9, 2026.

Updated Oct 13, 2026

Research-based: we haven't tested these mowers. How picks are chosen

No. If your robot mower is already on sale, it can still be sold and used. The July 2026 FCC rule only affects new models that haven't been authorized yet.

If you're buying a mower now, these current models have a confirmed amazon.com listing.

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Paid links: see disclosure

See Navimow i210 AWD on Amazon See LUBA 3 AWD 3000 on Amazon See Navimow X430 on Amazon

A brick-and-white house with a curved green lawn, stone paths, and pines

What the FCC added on July 28, 2026

On July 28, 2026, the FCC added foreign-produced advanced robotic devices to the Covered List. The fact sheet is DOC-423682. The news release is on fcc.gov. The public notice is cited as DA 26-786. Those links are the FCC copies we read.

The Covered List name, from the FCC FAQ (page updated October 2, 2026), is: “Foreign produced advanced robotic devices, except advanced robotic devices which have been granted a Conditional Approval by DoW.”

The same fact sheet says the restrictions apply to new device models. It says the update doesn't prohibit import, sale, or use of existing models the FCC previously authorized, and doesn't affect previously purchased devices. To be fair, it also says the rule is country-neutral.

Does the definition name a lawn mower?

Not by name. The FCC FAQ defines an advanced robotic device as a device with ground locomotion, that operates at a distance from a human, weighs over 4.4 lb with its dock, contains a sensor, has a network connection of at least 200 kbps (including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or cellular), and uses navigation software.

The notice doesn't mention lawn mowers by name, but a connected wire-free robot mower appears to meet every part of that definition. If yours has no radio link at 200 kbps or more, it may fall outside that definition.

What did not change

A model the FCC had already authorized can still be imported, marketed, and sold (fact sheet DOC-423682).
If you already own one, you can keep using it (fact sheet DOC-423682).
Devices authorized before July 28, 2026 may keep receiving software and firmware updates that mitigate harm to US consumers, including security patches and operating-system compatibility updates, at least until January 1, 2029. The waiver is of 47 CFR §§ 2.932(b) and 2.1043(b). After that date it depends on further FCC action. The notice doesn't say the waiver covers hardware changes (DA 26-789).
Repairs of already-authorized devices you already have aren't prohibited. Replacement with identical parts isn't prohibited (FCC FAQ).

Who counts as foreign-produced

It's about where the mower is made, not the brand name. The FCC FAQ says “foreign-produced” means the device isn't a domestic end product under 48 CFR § 25.101(a). It must be manufactured in the United States, and the cost of domestic components must exceed 65 percent for items delivered from 2024 through 2028, and 75 percent from 2029. The maker's nationality isn't the test. The fact sheet says the rule applies regardless of the nationality of origin (DOC-423682).

Conditional approvals

A Conditional Approval is an exception for a named device or platform. The rows below are the robotic ones we could read. The appendix inside DA 26-1089 is marked “Updated October 9, 2026.” We only read the rows named here from that appendix. The live table is the FCC Covered List, table date Oct 9, 2026.

Applicants must submit Conditional Approval applications by January 1, 2028 (FCC robots-ca.pdf).

Swipe sideways to read every column.

Robotic Conditional Approval rows we read in October 2026.
Device or platform	Date	FCC document	End date in the row we read
Husqvarna AB 305v IQ, 310v IQ, 420v IQ, and 440v IQ robotic platforms	September 9, 2026	Appendix in DA 26-1089, updated October 9, 2026	No end date in the row we read
Matic Robots, Inc. Robotic Floor Cleaner Model 4MA0001 and Charging Dock Model 4DK0008	October 2, 2026	DA 26-1063	Not a mower. No end date was in the row we could read
ANSCER Robotics AR250, AR650, and AR1250	September 18, 2026	DA 26-996 and the FCC announcement	No termination date while the onshoring plan is met. Not a mower.

Brands a buyer asks about

If you're asking about a brand, none of the rows we could read is Navimow, Mammotion, Dreame, Worx, ECOVACS, MOVA, eufy, Sunseeker, or Greenworks. That doesn't mean those brands are missing from every FCC file. It only covers the rows we could read. No specific mower is marked FCC-authorized from these rows.

Swipe sideways to read every column.

What the rows we read do, and don't, say about brands.
Name	In the rows we read	What that means for a mower already on sale
Husqvarna platforms listed above	Yes. FCC spelling is “305v IQ” and the same pattern for the other three.	Husqvarna's September 11, 2026 press release says the FCC announced the approval on September 9, 2026, names platforms 305V iQ, 310V iQ, 420V iQ, and 440V iQ, says a US launch is expected in 2027, and says already-approved models on the market are exempt. That last sentence is Husqvarna's. The FCC fact sheet says previously authorized models can still be sold, and it doesn't limit that sentence to one brand (Husqvarna Group, DOC-423682).
Matic and ANSCER	Yes. Floor cleaner and industrial robots, not lawn mowers.	They don't tell you whether a lawn mower is authorized.
Navimow, Mammotion, Dreame, Worx, ECOVACS, MOVA, eufy, Sunseeker, Greenworks	Not in the robotic rows we could read.	The fact sheet still says previously authorized models can still be sold. These rows don't show that a given model from these brands is authorized. We'd look up the FCC ID on your mower before you rely on a brand name.

How to check an FCC ID

You'll find the ID on your mower or in its papers. Search it in the FCC equipment authorization search. We aren't saying that any model's ID is on file. The search result is what tells you. If an ID is missing, that doesn't answer it either way.

What to buy now

We'd choose for the lawn you have. The rankings are on the best-mowers page.

Open questions

The documents cited here don't name a proposal to stop sales of already-authorized mowers. New models still need authorization, or a Conditional Approval, before they can be sold. What happens to software updates after January 1, 2029 depends on further FCC action (DA 26-789).

Questions

Can I still buy a robot mower?

Yes, if the model was already authorized. The fact sheet says the update doesn't prohibit import, sale, or use of those models.

Will my mower keep getting updates?

DA 26-789 says your already-authorized mower may receive security and compatibility updates at least until January 1, 2029. It doesn't promise hardware changes, and it doesn't set the rule after that date.

Does it matter which brand?

The rule is about where and how the device is produced, not the brand's nationality. A Conditional Approval is for a named platform. The mower brands in the table above weren't in the approval rows we could read.

How do I check a model’s FCC authorization?

Use the FCC equipment authorization search and the ID on your mower or in its papers. We don't list example IDs.

Will new models come to the US?

A new model needs FCC authorization, or a Conditional Approval, before it can be sold. Husqvarna says the approved platforms are expected in the US in 2027. That date is Husqvarna's, not ours.

Can I import one myself?

The fact sheet says models the FCC had already authorized can still be imported and sold. These documents don't describe a path for a model that has no authorization.

Changelog

October 13, 2026: first written up. The Covered List appendix date cited is October 9, 2026. The FAQ page date cited is October 2, 2026. Links are here for three current models that already have an amazon.com listing.