Washington at a glance

Washington passed a solar consumer protection law in 2024 that took effect June 6, 2024. It spells out what a solar contract must say, requires installers to be licensed electrical contractors, bans deceptive sales pitches, and lets you cancel within three business days without paying anything first. Most Washington utilities still offer retail net metering, but the law lets them change it after mid-2029 or once they reach a capacity limit.

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 Washington'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 Washington'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.

See my options

Your right to cancel

Washington cancellation window

3 business days

Washington requires every solar installation contract over $1,000 to include a notice that you can cancel within three business days of signing. If you cancel on time, the contractor cannot enforce the contract or charge you a cancellation fee.

Source: RCW 19.95.020(4)(r) and (5) · Checked November 7, 2026

Conditions that matter

  • Cancel in writing by email or certified mail to the contacts listed in the contract. A notice sent within the three days counts even if the contractor never responds.
  • No payments of any kind can be charged before the three days are up, and the contractor does not have to start work or order equipment until then.
  • The contractor must end any security interest or release any lien within 20 days of receiving your cancellation.

This law took effect June 6, 2024. Anyone who installs solar systems over $1,000 must hold a state electrical contractor license, and violations of the solar consumer law are violations of the Consumer Protection Act (RCW 19.95.040).

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 Washington

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.

RCW 19.95

Solar Energy Consumer Protections

Your contract must be in writing, in the same language used in the sales pitch, and must list the cost per watt, any dealer fee paid to a lender, the equipment and warranties, a first-year production estimate, and a good-faith estimate of first-year bill savings. Roof work must be itemized separately. Anyone who installs solar systems over $1,000 must be a licensed electrical contractor. Deceptive statements about cost or financing are prohibited, and violations fall under the Consumer Protection Act. A company that buys your contract takes it subject to your claims and defenses.

RCW 19.95.020

Three business day right to cancel

You can cancel within three business days of signing by email or certified mail to the contacts in the contract. No payments can be collected before that window closes, and after a valid cancellation the contractor must release any lien or security interest within 20 days.

How your utility credits solar in Washington

Retail net metering, for now

Washington utilities must offer net metering until June 30, 2029, or until net-metered systems reach 4 percent of the utility's 1996 peak demand, whichever comes first. After that, a utility may adopt a different rate. Some utilities have already hit the threshold, so ask yours which rules apply before you rely on a savings estimate.

Source: RCW 80.60.020

Check your Washington solar contract

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

  • The contract is in the same language the salesperson used with you.
  • It lists the cost per watt and any dealer fee paid to the lender.
  • It includes a first-year production estimate and a good-faith bill savings estimate.
  • The installer's electrical contractor license number is on the contract.
  • Roof work is itemized separately.
  • Nobody collected a payment during your three business day cancellation window.
  • Your utility approved the connection before installation began.

Where to get help in Washington

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

Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I)

Registers contractors and licenses electrical contractors, which solar installers must be. To report contractor fraud call 1-888-811-5974.

Visit the official page 1-800-647-0982

Consumer protection

Washington Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division

Sends your complaint to the business for a response and tracks patterns for enforcement. It cannot act as your lawyer. Outside Washington call 206-464-6684.

Visit the official page 1-800-551-4636

Utility billing and service

Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC)

For investor-owned utilities only. Contact your utility first. Disputes with a PUD or municipal utility go to that utility.

Visit the official page 1-888-333-9882

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.

Washington solar questions

Can a solar company take a deposit when I sign?

No. Washington's solar law says no payments may be collected until your three business day cancellation window has passed.

My sales pitch was in Spanish but my contract is in English. Does that matter?

Yes. Washington requires the solar contract to be in the same language that was mainly used in the sales presentation. A contract that isn't may violate the law.

My lender says my complaint is with the installer. Is that right?

Not necessarily. Under Washington's solar law, a company that buys or is assigned your solar contract takes it subject to the claims and defenses you have against the seller.

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.