Plug-in solar laws: where it is legal, and from when

The short version: ten states have signed plug-in solar laws, but signing and starting are different dates. As of November 9, 2026, the laws in Utah, Maine, Maryland, Vermont, Connecticut and Colorado are in effect. Virginia, New Hampshire and California start January 1, 2027, and New Jersey on March 1, 2027. Everywhere else, your utility’s normal rules for solar still apply.

We are not lawyers. This page summarizes Bright Saver’s state table and news coverage we read on November 9, 2026, and links to each so you can check our reading. Utilities, landlords and HOAs can add rules of their own.

The full table

Every state, with its bill number, signing date, start date and wattage cap, is on our plug-in solar laws by state page. It is built from the same data the setup planner uses, so the two always agree.

What the laws do

Before these laws, a 400 W balcony kit fell under the same rules as a rooftop array: an interconnection application and utility approval before you connect anything. Utah’s 2025 law, the first, created a separate category for small plug-in systems. The laws that followed mostly do the same three things:

• Skip the utility paperwork for a small, certified device. Solar Power World reports California’s law replaces the interconnection agreement for qualifying devices.
• Cap the size, usually at 1,200 W. Bright Saver lists Colorado at 1,920 W.
• Require certified equipment. California’s SB 868 requires certification by UL or an equivalent national testing lab.

New Jersey goes a step further: its law bars landlords, HOAs and towns from blocking a qualifying device.

Where the sources disagree

Colorado’s start date: Bright Saver lists August 12, 2026, while The Gadgeteer reported in May that the law takes effect January 1, 2027. We show Bright Saver’s date and flag the difference. If you are in Colorado, confirm with your utility before you plug in.

What a law does not change

• Your circuit. A standard 15 A outlet circuit has about 360 W of safe headroom by Bright Saver’s math. A law allowing 1,200 W does not make 1,200 W safe on a shared circuit. See is plug-in solar safe.
• Your lease and HOA rules, except where the law overrides them, as in New Jersey. EnergySage advises checking both before installing.
• What happens in a blackout. Certified plug-in inverters shut off when the grid does. See why plug-in solar goes dark in a blackout.

Pending: New York and Pennsylvania

New York’s SUNNY Act passed the legislature, pv magazine USA reported on June 1, 2026, and would take effect as soon as the governor signs it, allowing devices up to 1,200 W. Pennsylvania’s HB 1971 is still in committee; we cover it in Pennsylvania plug-in solar: where HB 1971 stands.