How to cancel a solar contract in California: your right to cancel

A solar contract is one of the biggest purchases many households make, and some are signed quickly at the kitchen table. If you signed and now have doubts, California law gives you a short window to back out for any reason. The clock is measured in business days, so it is worth acting today.

How long you have. The California Public Utilities Commission's Solar Consumer Protection Guide says: you have at least three business days to cancel your contract for any reason. If you are 65 years old or older, you have five business days. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) publishes official cancellation notice forms for both the three-day and five-day versions, in English and Spanish.

How to cancel. CSLB's five-day notice form says to send written notice to the contractor at the contractor's place of business by midnight of the final business day. It lists e-mailing, mailing, faxing or delivering as allowed ways to send it, and it asks you to include your name, your address and the date you received the signed copy. Your contract should include a cancellation form. Use it if you have it, and keep a copy.

What your paperwork should include. Under Business and Professions Code Section 7169, a solar seller must give you a Solar Energy System Disclosure Document before completing a sale, financing or lease. CSLB says it must show the total cost and payments for the system, including financing costs, plus how to file a complaint and your right to cancel. It goes on the front page of the contract in boldface 16-point type. The contract and disclosure must be written in the same language that was mainly used in the sales pitch or marketing you received.

The guide you sign. Solar providers serving PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, Bear Valley Electric, PacifiCorp and Liberty customers must collect your initials and signature on the CPUC's Solar Consumer Protection Guide. It warns about common false claims, such as free solar or promises to eliminate your electric bill, and pressure tactics. If a salesperson rushed you past it, that is worth noting.

Signs you may want to use the window. The total in the disclosure is different from what you were told. You were told a lease or loan was a free government program. You did not get a copy of the signed contract. The payment schedule includes increases you did not understand. You felt pressured to sign the same day.

Step by step. Step 1: Find the date you received your signed copy and count business days from there. Step 2: Fill out the cancellation form in your contract, or write a short dated note with your name, address, and the date you received the contract. Step 3: Send it by at least two of the allowed methods, such as email plus mail, and keep proof. Step 4: If your financing or lease is with a different company than the installer, ask whether you should notify that company too.

If you are past the window or something went wrong, you can file a complaint with CSLB at 800-321-CSLB (2752). Problems with PACE financing go to the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation at 213-576-7690 or pacehelp@dfpi.ca.gov. For your specific contract, a consumer attorney or legal aid office can tell you where you stand.

Today's step: if you signed recently, find the date on your copy and write down your cancellation deadline, even if you plan to go ahead. Checked October 5, 2026.