Quick answer: As of November 5, 2026, ten states have signed plug-in solar laws: Utah, Maine, Virginia, Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey and California. New York’s bill passed both chambers and was waiting for the governor. Several laws are signed but not yet in effect, so check the start date for your state before you plug anything in.
Plug-in solar (also called balcony solar) lets you connect a small, certified solar kit to an ordinary outlet. Until 2025, U.S. utilities treated these kits like any rooftop system, with applications and approvals. The new state laws carve out a simpler path for small kits, usually up to 1,200 watts. New to the topic? Start with our complete plug-in solar guide.
Plug-in solar laws by state
| State | Law | Signed | Takes effect | Size limit (AC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | HB 340 | March 2025 | May 7, 2025 | 1,200 W |
| Maine | LD 1730 | April 6, 2026 | Summer 2026 | 420 W without an electrician; up to 1,200 W with a licensed electrician |
| Virginia | HB 395 / SB 250 | April 2026 | Reported as January 1, 2027 (confirm) | 1,200 W |
| Colorado | HB26-1007 | May 7, 2026 | August 12, 2026 | 1,920 W |
| Maryland | HB 1532 | May 12, 2026 | 2026 (confirm with your utility) | 1,200 W per meter |
| Connecticut | HB 5340 | June 4, 2026 | October 1, 2026 | 1,200 W, one kit per meter |
| Vermont | S.202 | June 16, 2026 | 2026 (confirm) | 1,200 W |
| New Hampshire | SB 540 | July 2026 | Confirm with official text | 1,200 W |
| New Jersey | Garden State Balcony Solar Act (S2368/A4836) | September 1, 2026 | Six months after signing (around March 1, 2027) | 1,200 W |
| California | SB 868 | September 30, 2026 | January 1, 2027 | 1,200 W per home |
| New York | SUNNY Act (S8512/A9111) | Passed legislature; awaiting governor | 90 days after signing, if signed | Not set in bill summary |
Where a cell says “confirm,” published trackers disagree or we could not yet check the final chaptered text. We will update this table as we verify each state against its official legislature record.
What most plug-in solar laws have in common
- A size cap. Usually 1,200 watts of AC output per home or per meter. Colorado allows 1,920 watts.
- Certification. The kit must be certified for plug-in use by a nationally recognized testing lab such as UL.
- No interconnection agreement or fees. Utilities cannot make you go through the full rooftop-solar approval process. Some states allow a simple registration or notice.
- Anti-islanding. The inverter must shut off automatically when the grid goes down.
- No pay for exports. In most states, power you send back to the grid earns nothing, so a kit should be sized to what your home uses during the day.
Renters, landlords and HOAs
State laws mainly stop utilities from blocking plug-in solar. Whether your landlord or HOA can say no depends on the state:
- Virginia bars landlords with four or more rental units from banning balcony solar, according to reporting on HB 395.
- Colorado limits landlords and HOAs from unreasonably banning kits, starting January 1, 2027.
- California’s law does not override lease terms or HOA rules.
Wherever you live, get written permission before you attach anything to a building you do not own.
What if my state has no plug-in solar law?
Then your utility’s standard rules for customer-owned generation still apply. Connecting a kit without approval may break your utility’s terms of service. Options:
- Contact your utility and ask how it treats small plug-in systems.
- Use solar panels with a portable power station instead. Because it is not connected to your home’s wiring, it does not feed the grid.
- Watch your state legislature: more than 30 states introduced plug-in solar bills in 2025 and 2026, and several plan to try again in 2027.
State guides
More state guides are on the way. Each one will show the bill text, start date, size limit and renter rules, plus a “last checked” date.
Sources
- PromptQuorum state tracker (updated October 19, 2026)
- Solar.com plug-in solar guide
- WattBuild: balcony solar in the US (Virginia landlord provision)
- State legislature pages for each bill
*Last checked: November 5, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. See our Disclaimer.*