How many days do you have to cancel a solar contract signed at home? Here's the right-to-cancel window and the governing statute for all 50 states — plus the federal rule that sets the floor everywhere.
If a solar salesperson signed you up at your kitchen table, you almost certainly have a short window to cancel with no penalty — often just a few business days. This is called a cooling-off period (or "right to cancel"), and it exists specifically because home-solicitation sales are high-pressure. The catch: the clock is short, and once it runs out, cancelling gets much harder.
The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 429) gives you 3 business days to cancel most sales of $25 or more made at your home or anywhere other than the seller's permanent place of business. Weekends and federal holidays don't count. This applies in every state. Many states then add their own home-solicitation cancellation law on top — and a few give you longer.
Each state's home-solicitation right-to-cancel window and the primary governing statute. Where a state has no dedicated cooling-off law, the federal FTC Rule is the operative 3-day right.
| State | Cooling-Off Window | Governing Statute | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3 business days | Ala. Code § 8-19B-1 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Federal FTC Rule also applies; ADTPA secondary |
| Alaska | 3 business days | Alaska Stat. § 45.50.471(b)(15) (within the UTPA) | No standalone cooling-off statute; rests on federal FTC Rule |
| Arizona | 3 business days | Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 44-5001 to 44-5006 (Home Solicitation Sales) | Consumer Fraud Act secondary |
| Arkansas | 5 business daysExtended | Ark. Code Ann. § 4-89-101 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Two days beyond the federal minimum |
| California | 3 business days | Cal. Civ. Code § 1689.7 (Home Solicitation Sales Act, §§ 1689.5–1689.14) | Detachable cancellation form required; CSLB contractor rules |
| Colorado | 3 business days | C.R.S. § 6-1-708 (Consumer Protection Act, home solicitation) | No-notice is itself a deceptive trade practice |
| Connecticut | 3 business days | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-135a (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Notice in ≥10-pt bold, same language as the sale |
| Delaware | 3 business days | 6 Del. C. § 4401 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Consumer Fraud Act secondary |
| Florida | 3 business days | Fla. Stat. §§ 501.021–501.055 (notice § 501.025) | Unlicensed-contractor contracts unenforceable |
| Georgia | 3 business days | O.C.G.A. § 10-1-6 (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Period may not run if required notice not given |
| Hawaii | 3 business days | Haw. Rev. Stat. ch. 481C (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | HRS ch. 480 (unfair/deceptive acts) secondary |
| Idaho | 3 business days | Idaho Code § 28-36-101 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Consumer Protection Act secondary |
| Illinois | 5 business daysExtended | Home Repair & Remodeling Act (815 ILCS 513/) | Extended state window; ICFA secondary |
| Indiana | 3 business days | Ind. Code § 24-5-0.5-25 (Deceptive Consumer Sales Act) | Treble damages available under DCSA |
| Iowa | 3 business days | Iowa Code ch. 555A (§§ 555A.3–.4) | Notice in same language as the sale |
| Kansas | 3 business days | K.S.A. § 50-640 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Kansas Consumer Protection Act secondary |
| Kentucky | 3 business days | KRS 367.410–367.470 (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Notice in same language as the sale |
| Louisiana | 3 business days | La. R.S. §§ 51:731–741 (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | LUTPA secondary |
| Maine | 3 business days | 32 M.R.S.A. § 4661 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | — |
| Maryland | 3 business days | Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-301 et seq. (Door-to-Door Sales Act) | MHIC home-improvement regs may add protection |
| Massachusetts | 3 business days | M.G.L. c. 93, § 48 (Home Solicitation Sales) | Ch. 93A: treble damages + fees; 30-day demand letter |
| Michigan | 3 business days | MCL 445.111 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Home Improvement Finance Act disclosures |
| Minnesota | 3 business days | Minn. Stat. §§ 325G.06–.11 | Cancellation notice in ≥10-pt type |
| Mississippi | 3 business days | Miss. Code Ann. § 75-66-1 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Consumer Protection Act secondary |
| Missouri | 3 business days | RSMo § 407.700 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales) | MMPA: actual + punitive damages + fees |
| Montana | 3 business days | MCA § 30-14-501 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | UTPCPA secondary |
| Nebraska | 3 business days | Federal FTC Rule (16 C.F.R. 429); no standalone state act | Neb. Consumer Protection Act secondary |
| Nevada | 3 business days | NRS 598.350–598.370 (Home Solicitation Sales) | Solar-access protection NRS 278.0208 |
| New Hampshire | 3 business days | Federal FTC Rule; RSA 358-A / RSA 361-B | No separate state cooling-off; home-improvement disclosures may add protection |
| New Jersey | 3 business days | N.J.S.A. 17:16C-61.5 (Home Solicitation Sale Act) | HIC Registration Act 3-day notice; CFA treble damages |
| New Mexico | 3 business days | NMSA §§ 57-18-1 to 57-18-5 (Door-to-Door Sales Act) | — |
| New York | 3 business days | Personal Property Law §§ 425–432 (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Solar financing disclosures; GBL §§ 349/350 |
| North Carolina | 3 business days | N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 25A-38 to 25A-42 (Door-to-Door Sales Act) | Missing notice tolls the period (§ 25A-39) |
| North Dakota | 3 business days | N.D.C.C. ch. 51-18 (Home Solicitation Sales) | Applies to sales over $25 |
| Ohio | 3 business days | O.R.C. §§ 1345.21–1345.28 (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Applies to sales of $25+ |
| Oklahoma | 3 business days | Federal FTC Rule; 15 O.S. § 751 et seq. | No dedicated state cooling-off statute; Home Repair Fraud Prevention Act secondary |
| Oregon | 3 business days | O.R.S. §§ 83.710–83.750 (Home Solicitation Sales) | Applies where obligation exceeds $25 |
| Pennsylvania | 3 business days | Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (73 P.S. § 517.1 et seq.) | Contractor registration w/ PA AG; UTPCPL secondary |
| Rhode Island | 3 business days | R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 6-28-1 to 6-28-9 (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Two copies of cancellation form required; deficient notice extends period |
| South Carolina | 3 business days | S.C. Code § 37-2-502 (Consumer Protection Code) | — |
| South Dakota | 3 business days | SDCL §§ 37-24-5.1 to 37-24-5.7 (Door-to-Door Sales) | Seller must furnish a Notice of Cancellation; refund due within 10 days |
| Tennessee | 3 business days | Tenn. Code § 47-18-701 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | — |
| Texas | 3 business days | Tex. Bus. & Com. Code ch. 601 | Home-solicitation transactions |
| Utah | 3 business days | Utah Code § 70C-5-102 (Home Solicitation Sales, Title 70C ch. 5) | Sits in the Consumer Credit Code — strong fit for loan-financed solar |
| Vermont | 3 business days | 9 V.S.A. § 2454 (Home Solicitation Sales) | Detachable cancellation form required; refund within 10 days |
| Virginia | 3 business days | Va. Code § 59.1-21.1 et seq. (Home Solicitation Sales Act) | Applies to sales of $25+ |
| Washington | 3 business days | RCW 63.14.154 (Retail Installment Sales Act — cancellation) | Covers financed door-to-door sales; federal FTC Rule also applies |
| West Virginia | 3 business days | W. Va. Code § 46A-2-130 et seq. (Consumer Credit & Protection Act) | — |
| Wisconsin | 3 business days | Wis. Stat. § 423.203 (Wisconsin Consumer Act) | — |
| Wyoming | 3 business days | Wyo. Stat. § 40-12-104 (Home Solicitation Sales) | Clock starts once the seller provides the contract copy + cancellation notice |
Extended = state gives you longer than the federal 3-day minimum. Statutes are provided for reference and are subject to amendment — always verify against the current statute before relying on any citation.
Send a written cancellation notice — don't just call. Reference your state's statute (above) and the FTC Cooling-Off Rule.
Send it USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested, postmarked before the deadline. The postmark is your proof of a timely cancellation.
Save the letter, the certified receipt, and the green return-receipt card. Watch for your refund — federal rule requires it within 10 business days.
Get a free, no-obligation review of your solar contract and exit options.
Get a Free Contract Review →Past the cooling-off window? You may still have options — post-cooling-off rescission (if the sale involved misrepresentation), buyout, lease/PPA transfer at home sale, or a regulatory complaint. See our how to cancel a solar contract and how to get out of a solar contract guides. If your installer went bankrupt or out of business, see our list of solar company bankruptcies.
We do not advise homeowners to stop making payments or breach contractual obligations. Whether to continue payments during a dispute is a legal question that depends on your specific facts — ideally answered by a licensed attorney.
Under the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule, you generally have 3 business days to cancel a solar contract signed at your home. Most states mirror this; Arkansas and Illinois provide 5 business days. Weekends and federal holidays don't count toward the deadline.
Generally no. The federal Cooling-Off Rule applies to sales made at your home or a location other than the seller's permanent place of business. If you signed at the company's showroom or office, the federal rule usually does not apply — though your state may have separate protections. Check your state's statute above.
Sellers are required to provide a written Notice of Cancellation. In several states, if that notice was missing or defective, the cancellation period may not have started running — meaning your window could still be open even weeks later. This argument is fact-specific; consult a licensed attorney before relying on it.
Send a written notice by USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt Requested, postmarked before your deadline. Reference your state statute and the FTC rule, and keep copies of everything. The postmark date is your proof of timely cancellation. Our free contract review can help you confirm the details.
Possibly. Options after the window closes include rescission (if the sale involved misrepresentation or missing disclosures), a contract buyout, transferring a lease or PPA when you sell your home, or filing a regulatory complaint. None are guaranteed, and the right path depends on your facts. A free contract review or an attorney consultation is the best next step.