Can I buy plug-in solar before my state passes a law?

In most states, yes. Plug-in solar is not banned anywhere in the United States. A handful of states have passed laws that explicitly permit it and set out how it works. In most of the rest there is simply no framework either way, which is a gray area rather than a prohibition. We ship to 47 states, and members buy and install in states with no law on the books.

The three exceptions are New York, Maine and Vermont, where the requirement is whole-system certification rather than any question of legality. We sell membership there but not kits, and we have a separate post explaining why.

What does a law actually change for me?

Mostly it removes an argument. Where a law has passed, your right to plug a panel in is written down, which matters if a utility, a landlord or a homeowners association questions it. Where none exists, you are in the same position as anyone using an appliance nobody has legislated about.

If you do not apply for interconnection, you bypass the outdated interconnection rules that treat a small plug-in panel like a rooftop array twenty times larger. In practice, we have learned that most utilities do not enforce those rules for very small systems.

Should I wait for my state's bill?

Bills take years and some fail more than once before passing. If you are waiting for certainty before spending money, that is a reasonable position. If you are waiting because you think buying now is prohibited, that is usually not the case.

How do I find out where my state stands?

Our State Tracker has the current position for all fifty states, including which bills are live and who is sponsoring them.

Does buying now help the campaign?

It does, in a specific way. Legislators respond to constituents who already own the thing, because it turns an abstract policy question into a household in their district. Members in states without a law are some of the most useful voices we have.

Questions like this come up regularly in the Bright Saver Community, where members in states at every stage of the process compare notes.