Definition
State solar rules are the licensing, permitting and consumer protection requirements that govern who may repair or remove a home solar system in each state, and which office a homeowner complains to when a solar company fails.
Know what the system needs? Call the line for the job: solar repair, new equipment, or roof work.
Solar contractor license requirements by state
| State | License needed for solar work | Complaint office | Attorney general actions on solar | Failed installers active there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Installation must be performed by a TDLR-licensed electrical contractor. | Texas Attorney General Consumer Protection Division | May 21, 2026: AG Ken Paxton sued San Antonio-based CAM Solar Inc. | Sunnova, SunPower, Freedom Forever, Titan Solar Power, Lumio, ADT Solar |
| Florida | DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board: Certified Solar Contractor or Certified/Registered Electrical Contractor via the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board. | Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | November 2023: AG Ashley Moody took legal action against MC Solar, alleging it scammed hundreds of consumers including seniors, persons with disabilities and veterans. December 4, 2023: AG Moody sued Vision Solar (delays, property damage, unfinished permits leaving fines/liens) and SetUp My Solar d/b/a 320 Solar and its owners (high-pressure sales, overstated savings, misrepresented equipment and rebates, unlicensed HVAC/water-heater bundling). | Sunnova, SunPower, Freedom Forever, Titan Solar Power, Lumio, ADT Solar |
| California | CSLB license: C-46 Solar, C-10 Electrical, or B General Building; CSLB Solar Energy System Disclosure document required at sale. | Contractors State License Board | No 2023 to 2026 solar action found | Sunnova, SunPower, Freedom Forever, Titan Solar Power, Lumio, ADT Solar |
| Arizona | Arizona Registrar of Contractors license: CR-17/A-17 solar-specific, or C-11/L-11 electrical; ROC license required for any contracting over $1,000 or requiring a permit. | Arizona Registrar of Contractors | July 27, 2023: AG Kris Mayes sued Vision Solar LLC and lead generator Solar Xchange LLC (owner Mark Getts) under the Consumer Fraud Act and Telephone Solicitations Act for false savings/rebate claims, months-long delays and deceptive telemarketing. | Sunnova, SunPower, Freedom Forever, Titan Solar Power, Lumio, ADT Solar |
| New Jersey | Home Improvement Contractor registration with the Division of Consumer Affairs plus a licensed Electrical Contractor for the electrical scope; NJ Clean Energy Program requires registered installers for incentives. | New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs | No 2023 to 2026 solar action found | Sunnova, SunPower, Freedom Forever, ADT Solar, Vision Solar, PosiGen |
| New York | No statewide contractor or solar license; licensing is by AHJ. NYSERDA NY-Sun participating-contractor status required for incentives. | New York State Attorney General Consumer Frauds Bureau | March 17, 2026: AG Letitia James sued home solar/improvement company Attyx (formerly SUNco. | Sunnova, SunPower, Freedom Forever, ADT Solar, PosiGen, Sungevity |
| Massachusetts | Board of State Examiners of Electricians guidance treats PV assembly and installation as electrical work requiring a licensed electrician. | Massachusetts Attorney General Consumer Advocacy & Response Division | No 2023 to 2026 solar action found | Sunnova, SunPower, Freedom Forever, Vision Solar, PosiGen, Sungevity |
| North Carolina | Electrical contractor license from the NC Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors is required for solar PV installations of any value. | North Carolina Department of Justice Consumer Protection Division | November 22, 2022: AG Josh Stein (pre-window, context) wrote to solar lenders asking them to suspend payments for Pink Energy (Power Home Solar) customers after the Mooresville, NC installer collapsed (Chapter 7 Oct 2022). | Sunnova, SunPower, Freedom Forever, Titan Solar Power, Pink Energy (Power Home Solar), ADT Solar |
| Nevada | Nevada State Contractors Board C-2 Electrical Contracting license with C-2g Photovoltaics subclassification; NSCB launched a dedicated Solar Investigations Unit in May 2024. | Nevada State Contractors Board | May 16, 2024: Nevada State Contractors Board (not the AG) created a specialized Solar Investigations Unit after a solar contractor was accused of $250,000 theft from seniors (Apr 2024). | Sunnova, SunPower, Freedom Forever, Titan Solar Power, Lumio, ADT Solar |
| Colorado | No statewide general contractor license; solar electrical work requires a Colorado State Electrical Board licensed electrical contractor, or a registered Photovoltaic Installer working under NABCEP-certified supervision. | Colorado Attorney General Consumer Protection Section | December 18, 2025: AG Phil Weiser announced a statewide grand jury indictment (dated 2025-08-28) of Sopris Solar principals Nathan Billmaier and Scot Birrell on 11 counts: racketeering and conspiracy under the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act. | Sunnova, SunPower, Freedom Forever, Titan Solar Power, Lumio, ADT Solar |
Compiled from state licensing boards, attorney general releases and bankruptcy filings. Checked October 11, 2026. Permit rules vary by city; confirm with the local building department.
Found your installer? If something on the roof needs doing, call the line for that job: repair, new equipment, or roof work.
Do you need a permit to repair, remove or reinstall solar panels
| State | Permit note for repairs, removal and reinstall | Net metering status |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Removal-and-reinstall generally requires a new building/electrical permit and re-inspection from the local AHJ (the system is being re-attached and re-energized); a like-for-like string-inverter swap usually needs an electrical permit and may need utility notification. | No statewide net metering; in ERCOT the buyback rate depends on the retail electric provider's solar plan, while some municipal utilities and co-ops (e.g., Austin Energy value-of-solar) have their own programs. |
| Florida | Removal-and-reinstall generally requires a new building/electrical permit and re-inspection from the local AHJ (the system is being re-attached and re-energized); a like-for-like string-inverter swap usually needs an electrical permit and may need utility notification. | Full retail net metering remains under FPSC Rule 25-6.065 for IOU customers (HB 741, which would have phased it down, was vetoed in 2022); municipal utilities and co-ops set their own terms. |
| California | Removal-and-reinstall generally requires a new building/electrical permit and re-inspection from the local AHJ (the system is being re-attached and re-energized); a like-for-like string-inverter swap usually needs an electrical permit and may need utility notification. | NEM 3.0 'net billing tariff' since 2023-04-15 for new PG&E/SCE/SDG&E customers: exports credited at avoided-cost values (roughly 75-80% lower than NEM 2.0). |
| Arizona | Removal-and-reinstall generally requires a new building/electrical permit and re-inspection from the local AHJ (the system is being re-attached and re-energized); a like-for-like string-inverter swap usually needs an electrical permit and may need utility notification. | Net billing since 2016 (no full retail NEM): exports credited at a Resource Comparison Proxy export rate that can fall up to 10% per year for new customers, locked for 10 years at interconnection. |
| New Jersey | Removal-and-reinstall generally requires a new building/electrical permit and re-inspection from the local AHJ (the system is being re-attached and re-energized); a like-for-like string-inverter swap usually needs an electrical permit and may need utility notification. | Full retail net metering statewide (BPU rules) with annual true-up of excess at avoided cost; incentives via SuSI (ADI) program. Systems up to 100% of annual usage eligible. |
| New York | Removal-and-reinstall generally requires a new building/electrical permit and re-inspection from the local AHJ (the system is being re-attached and re-energized); a like-for-like string-inverter swap usually needs an electrical permit and may need utility notification. | Residential mass-market customers can still take Phase One net metering (full retail credit) but new customers since 2022 pay a monthly Customer Benefit Contribution charge per kW. |
| Massachusetts | Removal-and-reinstall generally requires a new building/electrical permit and re-inspection from the local AHJ (the system is being re-attached and re-energized); a like-for-like string-inverter swap usually needs an electrical permit and may need utility notification. | Net metering continues: residential systems <=10 kW (single-phase) are exempt from the net metering caps; 2024 legislation expanded net metering eligibility. |
| North Carolina | Removal-and-reinstall generally requires a new building/electrical permit and re-inspection from the local AHJ (the system is being re-attached and re-energized); a like-for-like string-inverter swap usually needs an electrical permit and may need utility notification. | Duke Energy's new net metering (NCUC-approved March 2023, effective for applications from Oct 2023) replaces full retail NEM with time-of-use rates, a minimum bill and non-bypassable charges (or a 'Bridge Rate'). |
| Nevada | Removal-and-reinstall generally requires a new building/electrical permit and re-inspection from the local AHJ (the system is being re-attached and re-energized); a like-for-like string-inverter swap usually needs an electrical permit and may need utility notification. | Net metering under AB 405 (2017): new NV Energy customers are credited at 75% of the retail rate (tier 4) for 20 years; in 2025 NV utilities filed to move from monthly to 15-minute netting for systems under 25 kW. |
| Colorado | Removal-and-reinstall generally requires a new building/electrical permit and re-inspection from the local AHJ (the system is being re-attached and re-energized); a like-for-like string-inverter swap usually needs an electrical permit and may need utility notification. | Full retail net metering for Xcel Energy and Black Hills customers under PUC rules (systems up to 120% of usage), with annual excess paid at avoided cost or rolled over; co-ops and munis set their own terms. |
General rules; the authority having jurisdiction (usually the city or county) decides. Net metering notes are from 2024 to 2025 sources.
Need work done? Call the line for the job, and ask for the license number this table lists.
Where to complain about a solar company
Start with the state attorney general's consumer protection division, linked in the table, which is where the Texas, Florida, Arizona and New York actions against solar sellers began. For licensed contractors, the licensing board (CSLB in California, ROC in Arizona, DBPR in Florida, TDLR in Texas) takes complaints that can lead to bond claims or license discipline. Connecticut runs a Home Improvement Guaranty Fund that paid Vision Solar customers up to $25,000 each. For a company already in bankruptcy, the complaint office cannot recover money, but a proof of claim with the court can; the tracker lists the claims agent for each case.
Attorney general actions against solar companies, 2023 to 2026
Public enforcement actions located in state attorney general releases. Absence from the table means none was found, not that none exists.
City guides
City guides with local utility rules, permits and prices: Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver, Houston, San Antonio, Miami, Tampa, Orlando.
Questions people ask
Do I need a licensed electrician to replace a solar inverter?
In most states, yes. Texas requires a TDLR-licensed electrical contractor, California a CSLB C-10 or C-46, Florida an EC or CVC license. A like-for-like inverter swap usually also needs an electrical permit.
Do I need a permit to remove and reinstall solar panels?
Usually. The system is being re-attached and re-energized, so most cities require a new building or electrical permit and a reinspection. A single microinverter swap is typically treated as a repair with no permit.
Who do I complain to about a solar company?
Your state attorney general's consumer protection office first, then the contractor licensing board (CSLB, ROC, DBPR, TDLR). If the company is in bankruptcy, file a proof of claim with the court instead.
Which states have sued solar companies?
Texas (CAM Solar, May 2026), New York (Attyx, Mosaic and WebBank, March 2026), Florida (Vision Solar and MC Solar, 2023), Arizona (Vision Solar, 2023) and Colorado (Sopris Solar indictment, December 2025), among others.
Not sure what the system needs? Call the solar repair line and describe what the app or inverter shows; roof work goes to the roof line.
- 1Call the line
- 2It rings a local company
- 3They give you the price
Sources (17)
- TDLR: Residential Solar Retailer program at a glance (checked 2026-10-11)
- GreenLancer: A Guide to Solar Licensing Requirements by State for Contractors (2026-09-28)
- pv magazine USA: Net metering policies see significant revision in states across the U.S. (NC CETC Q1 2025) (2025-04-18)
- Solar Insure: The Complete List of Solar Bankruptcies and Business Closures (2026-09-29)
- pv magazine USA: Anti-rooftop solar net metering bill passes in Florida (later vetoed) (2022-03-08)
- DSIRE (NC Clean Energy Technology Center) - state net metering program entries; verify current status (accessed 2026-10-09)
- EnergySage: Net Metering Is One Of The Best Solar Incentives. Is It Going Away? (2024-02-07)
- IREC: New Jersey solar licensing (2025-06-07)
- NYS Focus: New York Sues Solar Company, Says It Cheated Thousands (2026-03-19)
- pv magazine USA: Massachusetts expands solar net metering (2024-03-01)
- Bowditch: What Massachusetts owner-occupied residential property owners and solar panel installers need to know (2024-11-05)
- Ward and Smith: Licensing and Permitting for Solar Panel Projects in North Carolina (2023-07-26)
- EnergySage: North Carolina Net Metering Policy (checked 2026-10-11)
- Nevada AG: Solar scam warning (National Consumer Protection Week) (2023-03)
- GreenLancer: Colorado solar permit guide (checked 2026-10-11)
- EnergySage: Do You Need A Roof Replacement With Solar Panels? (2026-05-15)
- Forme Solar: Solar Company Closed? Southern California Service Help (2026-10-06)