At a glance

In California, the state does most of the checking for you if you know where to look. The Contractors State License Board licenses the companies and registers the salespeople, and the CPUC and CSLB publish the forms every solar buyer should get. A company that can't give you a license number, a registration number and those forms isn't one to sign with.

Six checks before you sign

  1. Look up the company's license on the CSLB's license check, or by phone at 800-321-2752. It should be active, and for solar the CPUC says the class should be C-46 (solar), C-10 (electrical) or B (general building).
  2. Check the salesperson too. If someone called or knocked, ask for their Home Improvement Salesperson registration number and look it up the same way. The CSLB says solar salespeople generally have to be registered.
  3. Ask who will do the install. If the company subcontracts, get that installer's license number and check it.
  4. Get the CPUC's Solar Consumer Protection Guide and take the time to read it. Companies connecting systems at PG&E, SCE and SDG&E must collect your initials and signature on it.
  5. Get the CSLB disclosure document with its supporting pages: total cost, monthly payments, financing terms and a standard bill-savings estimate with the assumptions behind it.
  6. Get every promise in the contract: total cost, timeline, the exact equipment and number of panels, any minimum production guarantee, and that the contractor pulls the permits.

Which license counts

The CSLB says several license classes can legally install solar electric systems: C-46 solar contractors, C-10 electrical contractors, B general building contractors and A general engineering contractors. The CPUC's guide tells homeowners to look for an active C-46, C-10 or B license. Classes such as C-36 plumbing and C-53 swimming pool cover only solar water or pool heating.

Installing solar takes a license because it needs a building permit: the licensing law's small-job exception covers only work under $1,000 that needs no permit. A salesperson's registration isn't a license to install.

A front porch in late afternoon with a clipboard holding a blank form and a pen resting on a wooden bench, potted plants and a screen door

The two state forms you should get

The California Solar Consumer Protection Guide. The CPUC recommends that companies hand it over at first contact. Companies connecting home systems at PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, Bear Valley, PacifiCorp and Liberty must collect your initials and signature on it, and the CPUC says you must be given time to read it first; you can ask the salesperson to come back later. Connection applications for contracts signed on or after December 15, 2026 must include Version 4 of the guide, published in 2025. You're entitled to a printed copy, and to the guide in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese or Tagalog if you prefer.

The CSLB solar energy system disclosure document. State law makes the company give it to you before a sale, loan or lease is completed, printed in bold 16-point type on the front of the contract. It shows the total cost and payments, including financing, how to complain, and your right to cancel, and its supporting pages add a standard savings estimate with the inputs behind it. If the sales pitch was in another language, the contract and disclosure must be in that language too.

Claims to walk away from

What you might hear

"Free solar. You'll never pay an electric bill again. Sign on the tablet today."

The CPUC lists each of these as a false claim to walk away from.

What the CPUC says
  • Solar is rarely free. The exceptions are a few government-funded programs for low-income homes.
  • You'll still get a utility bill every month, plus a loan, lease or PACE payment if you finance.
  • No one should rush you. You can ask for printed copies and time to read before signing.
  • Savings estimates are capped: a company may assume utility rates rise at most 10% a year.

The CPUC also warns about sizing. Its guide says a system is typically sized to about 80 to 85% of last year's electricity use, and net billing customers can go no more than 150% of the past 12 months' use, and only with a written statement that they expect to use more within a year.

Protecting your money

  • Down payment. State law caps it at $1,000 or 10% of the contract price, whichever is less.
  • Loans. The CSLB warns not to let a lender pay the contractor before the work is done.
  • Lien releases. Get signed lien releases from the contractor, subcontractors and suppliers, or you could end up paying twice if one of them isn't paid. The CSLB posts the forms.
  • The cancellation window. You have three business days to cancel, five if you're 65 or older. The CSLB advises not letting construction start during that time. See our cancellation guide.

If something goes wrong

The CSLB takes solar complaints online, by mail or on its solar complaint form. From July 2022 to June 2023 it received 2,263 of them. Of the 1,625 it had investigated by the end of August 2023, workmanship or abandoned jobs came up in 1,232 and misrepresentation or fraud in 323. Here's how those investigations ended:

One square is about 16 complaints. Investigated solar complaints, July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, as of August 30, 2023. Source: CSLB solar complaint report.

Nearly half ended for lack of evidence. The CSLB's own advice fits that: get every claim in writing, because spoken promises are hard to prove.

Next step

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Common questions

How do I check a solar company's license in California?

Use the Contractors State License Board's online license check or call 800-321-2752. The CPUC says a solar company's license should be active and in class C-46 (solar), C-10 (electrical) or B (general building).

What license does a solar installer need in California?

A contractor license from the CSLB. The CSLB says A, B, C-10 and C-46 licensees can install solar electric systems, and the CPUC tells homeowners to look for C-46, C-10 or B.

Do solar salespeople need a license in California?

Generally they must be registered with the CSLB as Home Improvement Salespeople. If a salesperson called or came to your door, ask for their registration number and check it with the CSLB.

What is the California Solar Consumer Protection Guide?

A CPUC guide on solar costs, rights and false sales claims. Companies connecting home systems at PG&E, SCE, SDG&E, Bear Valley, PacifiCorp and Liberty must collect your initials and signature on it, and you have the right to read it before you sign.

Where do I file a complaint about a California solar company?

With the Contractors State License Board, online, by mail or with its solar complaint form, or by calling 800-321-2752.

Agency rules and forms change; check the CSLB and CPUC pages for the current versions. Sources: CSLB: Solar Smart · CSLB: check a license · CSLB: filing a complaint · CPUC: Solar Consumer Protection Guide · B&P Code 7169 · B&P Code 7159 · B&P Code 7048. Reviewed October 2026.

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