It has been almost two years since we discontinued the production, sale, and maintenance of the TASER X26E and over five years for the TASER M26. Although many of these devices remain in use by our customers, the firmware is no longer updated, and the weapons are no longer warrantied or supported.

Like any technological product, especially high-tech electronic devices, a CEW’s high voltage capacitor and other electronic components wear out over time and may not operate as expected, increasing the risk of a TASER CEW failing in the field. We have found that the risk rises as your weapons get older, especially around the 5-year mark. Accordingly, we have issued 5-Year Useful Life Recommendations for TASER weapons.

These recommendations, though immediately relevant to the TASER M26 and X26E, apply to all TASER weapons.

The Useful Life Recommendations should not be interpreted as an expiration date. Our customers can continue to field TASER CEWs after 5 years. However, from a risk management standpoint, it is best practice to replace units older than 5 years to avoid the increased risk of a failure in the field, where an officer could be seriously injured by an assailant.

This is often true of other standard issue law enforcement equipment. A similar example is the warrantied period of ballistic body armor. Manufacturers warranty their body armor for specific time periods, usually 5 years, based on testing that evaluates the vest’s ability to maintain ballistic performance after exposure to heat, moisture, and mechanical wear.

These guidelines also are a recommendation for budget-planning purposes. We offer several payment plans, including TASER 60, which lets you spread your payments over 5 years, to help your agency follow these 5-Year Useful Life Recommendations.

In addition, TASER provides a $10-million liability insurance policy with coverage extended to our customers for any product design or manufacturing defect, even for units older than 5 years. However, in the event that a TASER CEW fails due to a worn-out electronic component that is older than 5 years, our insurance would not cover this claim, and TASER would not be liable for any resulting injuries.

For your reference, we have recorded a webinar that addresses these recommendations. Please contact our customer service team or your TASER sales representative if you have any additional questions.

We greatly appreciate you as one of our valued customers, and we are here to support you any way we can.

Thank you,

Doug Klint
Executive Vice President and General Counsel

Learn more about TASER 60