Is plug-in solar legal in my state?
10 states have signed plug-in solar laws. 6 are in effect today; the rest start on a later date. Every row cites its source.
Plug-in solar rules differ by state, utility, landlord and HOA, and several new laws take effect on later dates. Check your state law, your utility and your lease before you plug anything in. Nothing here is legal advice.
Law in effect
6
Signed, not yet in effect
4
Bill pending
7
No law yet
34
| State | Status | Bill | Signed | Takes effect | Cap | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Alaska | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | HB 257 | ||||
| Arizona | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | SB 1606 | ||||
| Arkansas | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| California | Signed, not yet in effect Signed into law | SB 868 | September 30, 2026 | January 1, 2027 | 1,200 W | Requires equipment certified by UL or an equivalent national lab. The utility exemption ends January 1, 2030 unless the legislature extends it. Sources: Bright Saver, pv magazine USA, Solar.com, pv magazine USA, Solar Power World. |
| Colorado | Law in effect Signed into law | HB26-1007 | May 7, 2026 | August 12, 2026 | 1,920 W | Sources disagree on the start date: Bright Saver lists August 12, 2026; The Gadgeteer reported January 1, 2027. Bright Saver lists a 1,920 W cap. Sources: Bright Saver, The Gadgeteer. |
| Connecticut | Law in effect Signed into law | HB 5340 (Public Act 26-127) | June 4, 2026 | October 1, 2026 | Not verified | |
| Delaware | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | SB 270 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Bill pending Bill in progress | B26-0602 | ||||
| Florida | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Georgia | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | HB 1304 | ||||
| Hawaii | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | SB 2902 | ||||
| Idaho | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | HB 612 | ||||
| Illinois | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | SB 3104 | ||||
| Indiana | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | SB 74 / HB 1084 | ||||
| Iowa | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | HF 2046 | ||||
| Kansas | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Kentucky | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Louisiana | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Maine | Law in effect Signed into law | LD 1730 | April 6, 2026 | July 15, 2026 | 1,200 W | |
| Maryland | Law in effect Signed into law | HB 1532 | May 12, 2026 | July 1, 2026 | 1,200 W | |
| Massachusetts | Bill pending Bill in progress | H5175 | ||||
| Michigan | Bill pending Bill in progress | HB 5764 | ||||
| Minnesota | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | SF 4504 | ||||
| Mississippi | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Missouri | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | HB 2528 / HB 2444 | ||||
| Montana | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Nebraska | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Nevada | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| New Hampshire | Signed, not yet in effect Signed into law | SB 540 | July 2, 2026 | January 1, 2027 | Not verified | |
| New Jersey | Signed, not yet in effect Signed into law | S 2368 (Garden State Balcony Solar Act) | September 1, 2026 | March 1, 2027 | 1,200 W | Bars landlords, HOAs and towns from blocking a qualifying device. Sources: Bright Saver, pv magazine. |
| New Mexico | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | SB 157 | ||||
| New York | Bill pending Passed, awaiting the governor | S 8512A / A 9111C (SUNNY Act) | 1,200 W | Passed by the legislature in May 2026; would take effect as soon as it is signed. Sources: Bright Saver, pv magazine USA. | ||
| North Carolina | Bill pending Bill in progress | HB 1129 / SB 957 | ||||
| North Dakota | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Ohio | Bill pending Bill in progress | HB 755 | ||||
| Oklahoma | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | HB 4060 | ||||
| Oregon | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | HB 4080 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Bill pending Bill in progress | HB 1971 | 1,200 W | In committee since October 28, 2025. The session ends in December; the sponsor plans to reintroduce it. Sources: Bright Saver, BillTrack50, The Philadelphia Citizen (reposted by now.solar). | ||
| Rhode Island | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | HB 7269 | ||||
| South Carolina | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | HB 4579 | ||||
| South Dakota | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Tennessee | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Texas | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Utah | Law in effect Signed into law | HB 340 | March 25, 2025 | May 7, 2025 | 1,200 W | |
| Vermont | Law in effect Signed into law | S 202 | June 16, 2026 | July 1, 2026 | Not verified | |
| Virginia | Signed, not yet in effect Signed into law | HB 395 | April 22, 2026 | January 1, 2027 | 1,200 W | |
| Washington | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | SB 6050 | ||||
| West Virginia | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Wisconsin | No law yet No bill on record | None on record | ||||
| Wyoming | No law yet Deferred to the 2027 session | HB 146 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
What a plug-in solar law changes
Before these laws, a 400 W balcony kit fell under the same utility rules as a 10 kW roof: an interconnection application and approval before you connect anything. The laws create a separate category for small certified devices, usually up to 1,200 W, and let you plug one in without that approval. Some, such as California's, also require the equipment to be certified by UL or another national testing lab.
What a law does not change
- Your circuit. A standard 15 A outlet circuit has about 360 W of safe headroom. Systems above that need a dedicated circuit or power control, and an electrician. Is plug-in solar safe?
- Blackouts. Certified plug-in inverters shut off when the grid goes down. Why plug-in solar goes dark in a blackout.
- Your lease or HOA, unless the law says so, as New Jersey's does.
Questions
Is plug-in solar illegal where there is no law?
Buying and owning a kit is legal everywhere. What a state law changes is whether you can plug it into your home without first getting your utility's interconnection approval. Without a law, the utility's normal rules for solar generators apply.
What wattage do the laws allow?
Most laws cap a plug-in system at 1,200 W; Bright Saver lists Colorado at 1,920 W. The safe limit for plugging into a shared 15 A household circuit is lower, about 360 W, so bigger systems need a dedicated circuit and an electrician.
Can my landlord or HOA say no?
Usually yes, unless your state's law says otherwise. New Jersey's law bars landlords, HOAs and towns from blocking a qualifying device.
Sources
- Is plug-in solar legal? State-by-state legislation table, Bright Saver, read 2026-11-09.
- Newsom signs California plug-in solar bill, pv magazine USA, read 2026-11-09.
- California Legalizes Plug-In Solar, Solar.com, read 2026-11-09.
- California plug-in solar bill SB 868 earns approval of both legislative houses, pv magazine USA, read 2026-11-09.
- California sends balcony solar bill to governor for signature, Solar Power World, read 2026-11-09.
- 5 Balcony Solar Kits That Work in US Apartments Now, The Gadgeteer, read 2026-11-09.
- New Jersey legalizes plug-in solar up to 1,200 W, pv magazine, read 2026-11-09.
- New York legislature passes SUNNY Act plug-in solar legislation, pv magazine USA, read 2026-11-09.
- PA HB1971: portable solar generation systems, BillTrack50, read 2026-11-09.
- Ideas We Should Steal: Plug-In Solar (The Philadelphia Citizen), The Philadelphia Citizen (reposted by now.solar), read 2026-11-09.