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Hawaii solar cancellation rights

Not less than 3 business days after signing AND before the solar energy device is installed — statutory rescission provision required in every solar energy device financing/sale/lease agreement (HRS ch. 196). FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) also applies. ⚠️ IN FLUX: HB 1644 (2026 session) would add a one-page standardized plain-language disclosure form (first page of proposal/contract, covering total price, savings assumptions, ownership structure purchase/lease/loan/PPA, warranty, and cancellation rights) — status pending; verify before relying on it.

The law

  • HRS ch. 196 (solar energy device sale or lease agreement requirements: signed/dated, ≥10-point type, 3-business-day rescission, equipment description, total cost, incentive/tax disclosures, warranty transfer disclosure)
  • HRS § 480-2 (unfair or deceptive acts or practices prohibited — applies to door-to-door sales)
  • FTC Cooling-Off Rule, 16 CFR Part 429

Contract notes

Statute covers financing, sale, AND lease. Extensive mandatory disclosures: total cost over life of agreement, tax incentive disclosures, warranty-transfer disclosure, and — if utility-savings estimates are used — a rate-sensitivity range (±5%/yr). CBRE (community solar) subscribers get a separate 3-business-day termination right under the utilities' Subscribers Bill of Rights.

Enforcement watch: Aug 26, 2026: Hawaii Dept. of Business, Economic Development & Tourism / Green Infrastructure Authority issued a public warning about misleading door-to-door solar sales (false 'out of business' claims, false claims of state 'free solar' programs); cites HRS § 480-2 and the 3-business-day cancellation right. No AG lawsuit on residential solar sales located for 2024–2026.

What to do next in Hawaii

  1. Check your deadline today. Hawaii gives you: Not less than 3 business days after signing AND before the solar energy device is installed — statutory rescission provision required in every solar energy device financing/sale/lease agreement (HRS ch. 196). FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) also applies. ⚠️ IN FLUX: HB 1644 (2026 session) would add a one-page standardized plain-language disclosure form (first page of proposal/contract, covering total price, savings assumptions, ownership structure purchase/lease/loan/PPA, warranty, and cancellation rights) — status pending; verify before relying on it.
  2. Send written notice before it expires. Certified mail, return receipt. Keep a copy of everything.
  3. Don't let them talk you out of it. "Wait and see" is how windows close. You can always re-sign later.
Get the notice written for you. The $39 SolarEscape Kit generates a cancellation letter citing HRS ch. 196 (solar energy device sale or lease agreement requirements: signed/dated, ≥10-point type, 3-business-day rescission, equipment description, total cost, incentive/tax disclosures, warranty transfer disclosure), with your dates filled in — plus the complaint kit and bankrupt-installer playbook.
Not legal advice. This tool provides general information based on state statutes and the FTC Cooling-Off Rule as of October 2026. Laws change and every contract is different. For advice about your specific situation, talk to a consumer attorney or your state attorney general's office. We can't promise you can cancel — nobody can. What we do: tell you where the cancellation windows are, and what to do when they're closed.

Sources: capitolwebsite.azurewebsites.net, data.capitol.hawaii.gov, environment.einnews.com · Verified 2026-10-10