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Texas solar cancellation rights

5 BUSINESS days to cancel without penalty or further obligation, for residential solar agreements (sale or lease) signed on or after Sept 1, 2025, under the Residential Solar Retailer Regulatory Act (SB 1036, Tex. Occ. Code ch. 1806); contracts must state the final cancellation date and an email/mailing address for notice. FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) covers all door-to-door sales ≥$25 regardless of date.

The law

  • Tex. Occ. Code ch. 1806 (SB 1036, Residential Solar Retailer Regulatory Act, eff. Sept 1, 2025)
  • Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §§ 17.41–17.63 (Deceptive Trade Practices–Consumer Protection Act)
  • FTC Cooling-Off Rule, 16 CFR Part 429

Protections for buyers 65+

Enhanced civil penalties (not extended rescission): if the court finds a person 65+ was harmed, penalties rise to $10,000/violation ($100,000 aggregate) vs. $2,500/violation ($50,000 aggregate) for ordinary violations (SB 1036 enrolled text). TDLR may also order agreement cancellation and full refund (§ 1806.207).

Contract notes

Covers sales AND leases of residential solar + battery systems. Retailers/salespeople must register with TDLR (registration applications opened Aug 2025; required since Sept 1, 2026 per industry reporting). If financing comes from a third-party lender affiliated with or referred by the retailer, the contract must require the lender to cancel the loan when the solar agreement is canceled. Retailers may not: make false/misleading statements, imply utility/government affiliation, skip required disclosures, ignore no-solicitation signs, or allow installation by anyone other than a licensed electrical contractor. Note: TDLR delayed enforcement of the disclosure-form/educational-materials rules until Nov 1, 2026.

Enforcement watch: Texas AG's office reportedly opened a broad investigation into residential solar sales practices in April 2026 after 100+ consumer complaints, and by May 2026 had filed at least one DTPA lawsuit alleging misrepresented savings, defective systems, and undisclosed fees (reported by Texas Solar Cancellation press materials; no AG press release located —).

What to do next in Texas

  1. Check your deadline today. Texas gives you: 5 BUSINESS days to cancel without penalty or further obligation, for residential solar agreements (sale or lease) signed on or after Sept 1, 2025, under the Residential Solar Retailer Regulatory Act (SB 1036, Tex. Occ. Code ch. 1806); contracts must state the final cancellation date and an email/mailing address for notice. FTC Cooling-Off Rule (16 CFR Part 429) covers all door-to-door sales ≥$25 regardless of date.
  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 Tex. Occ. Code ch. 1806 (SB 1036, Residential Solar Retailer Regulatory Act, eff. Sept 1, 2025), 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: pv-magazine-usa.com, www.ntree.org, nativesolar.com · Verified 2026-10-10