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 South Dakota'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 South Dakota'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

South Dakota cancellation window

3 business days after the sale

South Dakota's door-to-door sales law lets you cancel a sale of goods or services of $25 or more that a seller solicited in person, where you agreed somewhere other than the seller's place of business, until midnight of the third business day after the transaction. This applies even if you invited the seller. A solar contract signed at your kitchen table is generally covered.

Source: SDCL 37-24-5.1 to 37-24-5.6 · Checked November 1, 2026

Conditions that matter

  • Cancel by mailing, delivering, or sending electronically a signed copy of the Notice of Cancellation or other written notice to the seller's place of business. In South Dakota, Saturdays count as business days, but Sundays and listed holidays do not. The seller must tell you about your right out loud and give you two copies of a completed cancellation form.
  • Within 10 business days after receiving your notice, the seller must refund your payments, return any trade-in, return any note you signed, end any security interest, and tell you whether it will pick up delivered goods. If it does not pick them up within 20 days of your notice, you may keep or dispose of them.
  • Does not apply to sales that follow negotiations at the seller's retail store, sales where you have a federal right to rescind, emergencies with a handwritten waiver, repair or maintenance visits you requested, mail or phone-only sales, and some vehicle, farm machinery, metal building, and mobile home sales by South Dakota dealers.

South Dakota has no solar-specific cancellation law as of this check. The cancellation notice rules were last updated effective July 1, 2019, when electronic notice was added and the holiday list for business days was revised.

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.

Where to get help in South Dakota

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 licensing

South Dakota State Electrical Commission

Licenses electricians and electrical contractors, who must do solar wiring. Call to verify a license, and send complaints about unlicensed or unpermitted work in writing.

Visit the official page 605-773-3573

Consumer protection

South Dakota Attorney General, Division of Consumer Protection

Takes consumer complaints online or by email at consumerhelp@state.sd.us. Toll-free within South Dakota at 1-800-300-1986.

Visit the official page 605-773-4400

Utility billing and service

South Dakota Public Utilities Commission

Contact your utility first. The Consumer Affairs office helps resolve disputes with the investor-owned electric, gas, and phone utilities the Commission regulates.

Visit the official page 1-800-332-1782

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.

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.