Maryland at a glance

In Maryland, solar installation is a home improvement, so installers must be licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission and follow its contract rules. If you were sold at home, you have five business days to cancel, or seven if you're 65 or older. Maryland keeps retail net metering, and since October 2023 you can choose to carry extra credits forward instead of taking a low year-end payout.

If you were misled, you have options

Being told your bill would disappear, that the system was free, that a tax credit would pay off the loan, or that you were only signing up for an inspection can all matter, even long after a cancellation window has closed.

  1. Your state's consumer protection law. Every state has a law against deceptive and unfair business practices. False promises about savings, costs, tax credits, or who you were dealing with may fall under Maryland's law.
  2. Missing paperwork and disclosures. Many states require specific disclosures and a written cancellation notice. If you never received them, a deadline may not have started, or the contract may have other problems.
  3. Your lender may share responsibility. When a seller arranges your financing, federal rules often let you raise the same claims against the lender that you have against the seller, up to the amount you paid. Check your loan for a notice about the FTC Holder Rule.
  4. Official complaints. Complaints to Maryland's agencies are free, create a record, and can lead to mediation or an investigation.
  5. Professional help. A solar attorney or solar exit company can review your documents and tell you which of these options fit your situation.

Not sure which option fits? Tell us what happened and we will help you see your options. It takes about two minutes.

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Your right to cancel

Maryland cancellation window

5 business days (7 if you are 65 or older)

If a salesperson sold you a home improvement contract, including a solar installation, anywhere other than the seller's place of business, such as at your home, you can cancel before midnight of the fifth business day after the sale. If you are 65 or older, you have until midnight of the seventh business day.

Source: Md. Code, Com. Law §14-302.1 · Checked November 7, 2026

Conditions that matter

  • Cancel by sending the Notice of Cancellation attached to your contract to the seller's address by the deadline. If you never received one, you can notify the seller in any manner.
  • The seller must return your payments within 10 business days after receiving your cancellation.
  • Does not apply if you negotiated the project earlier at the seller's permanent retail location, or if you waived the right in a dated, handwritten statement for a real emergency you requested.
  • Separately, if a home improvement contract is paid for with a loan or lien secured by your home, you can rescind in writing within three business days after signing (Bus. Reg. §8-501).

The general door-to-door cancellation period is 3 business days (Com. Law §14-302). Solar panels must be mounted by a licensed home improvement contractor, and a contractor cannot take a deposit of more than one-third of the contract price. Projects in the state's Maryland Solar Access Program also had to allow cancellation up to 30 days after signing under the program's FY26 policy.

Canceling one agreement does not always cancel another. A separate loan, lease, or power purchase agreement can have its own terms, so check each document you signed. If the sale was made in Spanish or another language, read your rights when a contract is not in your language. To compare deadlines, see the cancellation period in every state.

Laws that protect you in Maryland

These are the state laws that come up most often in solar disputes here. Each one links to the official text or the agency that enforces it.

Md. Code, Com. Law §14-302.1

Home solicitation sales of home improvements

If a home improvement contract, including solar, was sold to you away from the seller's place of business, you can cancel before midnight of the fifth business day after the sale, or the seventh if you're 65 or older.

Md. Code, Bus. Reg. §8-501

Home improvement contract requirements

Home improvement contracts must be in writing, legible, and signed by both sides, and the statute includes specific terms for solar installed on roofs. If the work is paid for with a loan or lien secured by your home, you can rescind in writing within three business days.

How your utility credits solar in Maryland

Retail net metering with a carry-forward option

Maryland utilities credit excess solar against future use at retail value. By default, credits left at the end of the April billing year are paid out at a lower rate based on the utility's supply cost. Since October 1, 2023, you can instead choose to carry credits forward indefinitely. You have to ask your utility to switch.

Source: Md. Code, Pub. Util. §7-306

Check your Maryland solar contract

Pull out your paperwork and look for these. Anything missing is worth noting in a complaint or showing to an attorney.

  • The installer holds a current Maryland Home Improvement Commission license.
  • The deposit is no more than one-third of the contract price.
  • The contract is written, legible, and signed by both of you.
  • You were given a Notice of Cancellation showing your five business day deadline (seven if 65 or older).
  • You know whether you're on the annual payout or the carry-forward option for credits.

Where to get help in Maryland

These are official agencies. Filing a complaint is free. An agency can investigate or mediate, but most cannot act as your lawyer or guarantee a refund.

Installer and contractor complaints

Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC)

Licenses home improvement contractors, including solar installers, and investigates complaints. A Guaranty Fund claim against a licensed contractor must be filed within three years of discovering the loss. Toll free: 1-888-218-5925.

Visit the official page 410-230-6231

Consumer protection

Maryland Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division

Mediates complaints against businesses and offers free binding arbitration if both sides agree. It does not act as your lawyer. Toll free in Maryland: 1-888-743-0023.

Visit the official page 410-528-8662

Utility billing and service

Maryland Public Service Commission, Consumer Affairs Division

Takes complaints about regulated utilities online, by phone, or by mail. Toll free in Maryland: 800-492-0474.

Visit the official page 410-767-8028

Before you contact anyone

  1. Gather every document you signed. The sales or installation agreement, any loan, lease, or power purchase agreement, and any change orders.
  2. Identify each company. The seller, installer, lender, and current servicer may be different businesses. Your latest statement shows who services your account now.
  3. Write down the timeline. When you were contacted, when you signed, when work started, and every promise made about savings or cost.
  4. Keep proof of every notice. Save emails, certified mail receipts, and the date you sent anything.

Guides for your situation

Questions to ask

  • Which agreement am I trying to cancel or change, and who is the other party to it?
  • What does my agreement say about cancellation, notice, and where to send it?
  • Did the seller give me the cancellation notice and disclosures required in my state?
  • Is my loan separate from my installation contract, and what happens to it if the contract is canceled?
  • Was a dealer fee built into my loan? Estimate it with our calculator.

Maryland solar questions

How long do I have to cancel a solar contract signed at my home in Maryland?

Five business days for most people, seven if you're 65 or older. If the project is financed by a loan secured by your home, you also have a separate three business day right to rescind.

What happens to extra solar credits in Maryland?

They carry forward through the billing year. At the end of the April cycle, they're paid out at a lower rate unless you've asked your utility to carry them forward indefinitely.

Who licenses solar installers in Maryland?

The Maryland Home Improvement Commission. Check the license before you sign, and file workmanship complaints there.

National resources

General information, not legal advice.

This page can’t tell you whether a right applies to your agreement. For that, contact a licensed attorney or the agencies above.

Other states

Solar rules change at the state line. See every state and the review status of each.