At a glance

California gives you a cooling-off period for a solar contract you sign anywhere but the company's own place of business, such as at your kitchen table. Two laws set it: Civil Code section 1689.6 for home sales and Business and Professions Code section 7159 for home improvement contracts. Both give three business days, or five for buyers 65 and older, and both let you cancel by email, mail, fax or delivering a written notice.

Your deadline

Send your written notice by midnight on Tuesday, November 10, 2026

    Counts every day except Sundays and the nine holidays in Civil Code 1689.5. Check the date printed in your contract as well.

    How the days are counted

    Day one is the first business day after the day you signed. Section 7159's notice counts from the day you received a signed and dated copy of the contract, which is usually the same day. Under Civil Code section 1689.5, a business day is every day except Sunday and these holidays:

    • New Year's Day
    • Washington's Birthday
    • Memorial Day
    • Independence Day
    • Labor Day
    • Columbus Day
    • Veterans' Day
    • Thanksgiving Day
    • Christmas Day

    So Saturdays count, unlike in many other states. Sign on a Friday and your third business day is usually Tuesday; sign on Friday, November 6, 2026, as a senior and Veterans' Day pushes your fifth day to Friday, November 13.

    Your contract has to tell you all this. Right by your signature, the law requires a bold statement of your right to cancel, plus an attached Notice of Cancellation form in duplicate, and the salesperson must tell you about the right out loud.

    How to cancel, step by step

    1. Find the address. The first page of the contract must show the seller's name, address and email for notices, and the date you signed.
    2. Write the notice. Any wording works if it says you don't want to be bound by the contract. The Notice of Cancellation form attached to your contract is the easiest choice.
    3. Send it in a way you can prove. Email, mail, fax or hand delivery all count. A mailed notice counts the day it's mailed, so certified mail with a receipt is good proof.
    4. Keep copies. Keep the notice, your proof of sending and the contract together.
    5. Don't let work start. The CSLB advises not letting construction begin while you can still cancel.

    A notice you can send

    Notice of cancellation

    Today's date

    To: company name, and the address or email from the first page of your contract

    I am canceling the contract for a solar energy system at your address, which I signed on date and received a signed copy of on date. Contract number: number.

    Please confirm the cancellation in writing and return all payments within 10 days, as California law requires. Any loan or financing arranged with this contract should be canceled too.

    Your name and signature

    A hand holding a sealed white envelope with a green certified-mail return receipt card attached, in front of a mailbox at the end of a landscaped driveway

    If more than one person signed the contract, have everyone sign the notice.

    What happens after you cancel

    • Your money comes back. The seller must return payments, trade-ins and any note you signed within 10 days of receiving your notice, and cancel any security interest from the deal.
    • Equipment already delivered. Make it available at your home in about the condition you got it, or follow the seller's instructions to send it back at the seller's cost and risk. If the seller doesn't pick it up within 20 days of your notice, you can keep or get rid of it with no further obligation.
    • If the company refuses. The CPUC says to report it to the Contractors State License Board at 800-321-2752 or cslb.ca.gov.

    If the window has passed

    • The paperwork was missing. If the seller never gave you the cancellation statement and form, or never told you about the right, Civil Code section 1689.7 says you can cancel until the seller complies.
    • A loan secured by your home. If the solar loan puts a lien or mortgage on your home, federal Truth in Lending rules can give a separate three-business-day right to rescind the loan, which runs longer if the lender didn't give the required notice.
    • Misrepresentation or a bad job. File a complaint with the CSLB. Our guide to checking a California solar company lists what the company should have given you.

    Beyond these, your contract's own terms decide, and a consumer attorney can tell you what applies.

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    Common questions

    How long do I have to cancel a solar contract in California?

    Three business days, or five if you're 65 or older, for a contract signed anywhere other than the company's place of business. The deadline is midnight of the last day, counted from the day after you signed and received a signed, dated copy.

    Do Saturdays count as business days in California?

    Yes. Civil Code section 1689.5 defines a business day as any calendar day except Sunday and nine holidays: New Year's Day, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans' Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

    How do I cancel a solar contract in California?

    Send a written notice to the seller's address or email in the contract, by email, mail, fax or delivery, before the deadline. Any wording works if it shows you don't want to be bound. A mailed notice counts when it's mailed.

    Will I get my deposit back if I cancel?

    Yes. If you cancel in time, the seller must return what you paid within 10 days of receiving your notice.

    Can I cancel a solar contract after 3 days in California?

    Only in some cases. If the seller never gave you the required cancellation statement and form or didn't tell you about the right, you can cancel until it does. A loan secured by your home may have its own federal right to rescind. Otherwise the contract's terms decide.

    This is a plain-English summary of California law, not legal advice. Your contract may give you more time than the law does. Sources: Civil Code 1689.5 · Civil Code 1689.6 · Civil Code 1689.7 · B&P Code 7159 · CSLB: Solar Smart · CPUC: Solar Consumer Protection Guide · Regulation Z, 12 CFR 1026.23. Reviewed October 2026.

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