Florida Solar Panel Laws and Regulations

Florida solar laws, in the order they were made

Each row shows what the law does for a homeowner today and whether it still applies. Statute text checked on the Florida Legislature’s site on October 19, 2026.

1. October 1, 1978

   Solar easements In force

   You can buy a written, recorded easement from a neighbor that keeps sunlight on your panels, with set angles and terms (s. 704.07). Without one, we found no Florida statute that keeps a neighbor’s tree or addition from shading you.

2. 1980

   Solar rights law In force

   Florida’s solar rights law starts here (s. 163.04, first enacted in chapter 80-163). Today it bars any local ordinance, deed restriction or covenant that bans solar collectors or has that effect.

3. 2008

   Condo protection added; net metering required In force

   Two laws (chapters 2008-191 and 2008-227) rewrote the HOA part of s. 163.04. They made clear that condominium declarations may not ban solar and removed a three-story height limit for condos. The 2008 energy law required the large regulated utilities to offer a standard interconnection agreement and net metering (s. 366.91). The PSC’s current net metering rule took effect April 7, 2008 (Rule 25-6.065).

4. 2013

   No property tax on the value solar adds In force

   For homes, the value a solar system adds may not be counted in the assessed value, for systems installed on or after January 1, 2013 (s. 193.624). There is nothing to file.

5. 2016 and 2017

   Tax break widened; solar contract disclosures created In force

   Voters adopted a constitutional amendment in 2016 that let the Legislature widen the solar tax breaks (Art. XII, s. 34). The 2017 law that carried it out (chapter 2017-118, effective July 1, 2017) revised the property tax rule and its list of covered equipment. It also created the written disclosure every solar sale or lease must include (s. 520.23).

6. May 2018

   Solar leases allowed; power sales still not In force

   The PSC declared that a residential solar equipment lease, as Sunrun described it, does not make the company a utility (declaratory statement listed in the rule history). The rule covers systems you own or lease, but not deals where you buy the electricity itself from a third party, called a power purchase agreement (PPA).

7. April 27, 2022

   Net metering phase-out vetoed Vetoed, not law

   HB 741 would have cut credits for new customers to 75% of a kWh from 2024, 60% in 2026 and 50% in 2027 to 2028, then moved new systems to the utility’s avoided cost from 2029. It passed both chambers. The governor vetoed it the day it reached him (bill history). Today’s rule still credits kWh for kWh.

8. July 1, 2023

   Stronger solar sales disclosure In force

   HB 1185 (chapter 2023-130) added three items to the solar disclosure: the state licensing department’s (DBPR) consumer phone number, a warning about your roof’s age, and a warning that solar may change your insurance premium. The form now has 32 items.

9. July 1, 2024

   Home PACE loans get new rules In force

   PACE is financing repaid on your property tax bill. The 2024 law (chapter 2024-273) created s. 163.081: a recorded phone call to confirm the terms, 3 business days to cancel, a term of no more than 20 years, and a cap of 20% of the home’s just value unless the mortgage holder agrees.

10. July 1, 2025

    Five-business-day clock for solar permits In force

    HB 683 (chapter 2025-140) sped up permits that use a licensed private provider for “single-trade” work, which the statute defines to include solar and battery installs. For a one- or two-family home, the building official gets 5 business days. The law also allows software plan review and virtual inspections.

11. July 1, 2026

    Permit review limited to the paperwork In force

    HB 803 (chapter 2026-63) limits the building official to checking a private provider’s permit forms for completeness. For solar on a one- or two-family home, missing items must be flagged within 5 business days, or the permit is approved by law and issued the next business day (s. 553.791(8)).

12. December 31, 2026

    New Florida Building Code edition Starts Dec 31, 2026

    The 9th edition (2026) of the Florida Building Code applies to permit applications submitted on or after this date (Miami-Dade notice). Applications submitted before then are reviewed under the 8th edition (2023).

13. December 31, 2037

    Part of the tax break ends Sunset 2037

    The 2016 amendment and the 2017 changes expire. Homes keep the older rule, which also leaves the added value of solar out of the assessment. The partial break for business property goes away (s. 193.624, note).

Your right to install: what an HOA can and cannot decide

Section 163.04 is often called the Florida Solar Rights Act. It covers ordinances, deed restrictions, covenants, declarations and anyone those documents give approval power, such as an HOA or architectural review board.

If it ends up in court, the side that wins gets its costs and reasonable attorney’s fees. The section sets no deadline for an HOA to answer. Two limits matter for condos. The protection reaches “within the boundaries of a condominium unit”, and a shared roof is often a common element, not part of your unit. And the section does not apply to patio railings in condos, co-ops and apartments, so balcony panels hung on a railing are not protected. The approval steps are in our HOA solar guide.

Net metering and grid connection rules

Rule 25-6.065 binds the four investor-owned utilities: FPL, Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric and Florida Public Utilities. City-owned utilities and electric co-ops must offer net metering too, but each writes its own terms (s. 366.91(6)). Under the rule:

• Size tiers. Tier 1 is up to 10 kW, Tier 2 over 10 kW to 100 kW, Tier 3 over 100 kW to 2 MW. For inverter-based systems such as rooftop solar, the rule counts the AC rating as panel kW × 0.85. A typical 11.09 kW Florida system rates about 9.43 kW AC, so it is Tier 1. Tier 1 ends at about 11.76 kW of panels.
• Tier 1 costs. No extra fees, including application fees, and no required liability insurance. Tier 2 may need up to $1 million of liability insurance and an approved application fee.
• Size cap. To qualify for these terms, the system’s rating may not exceed 90% of your utility service rating.
• Credits. Extra kWh carry to next month’s bill and can be used for up to 12 months. Once a year the utility pays for unused credits at a rate based on its as-available energy tariff (COG-1), which tracks what power costs it to generate, not the price you pay. You still pay the customer charge.
• Meter and certificates. The utility installs the net meter at no extra cost. You keep any renewable energy certificates your system creates.
• Safety. The inverter must shut your system off when the grid goes down. Inverter-based Tier 1 systems do not have to add an outside disconnect switch at your expense.

The connection steps and their clocks

1. Apply to your utility. Within 10 business days it must confirm your application is complete or say what is missing.
2. The utility signs the standard interconnection agreement within 30 calendar days of a complete application.
3. You sign and return it at least 30 calendar days before the system starts running in parallel with the grid.
4. Your city or county must inspect and approve the system before it runs. Any utility inspection must be done within 30 calendar days after the utility receives your signed agreement.

FPL asks you to start the application before you buy or install a system (FPL net metering FAQ). What these credits are worth on your bill, utility by utility, is on our Florida solar hub. How net metering works in general: net metering explained.

Which rules apply at your utility

The name at the top of your electric bill decides whose rules you follow.

Utility facts from the utilities’ own pages, as read for our Florida hub on October 14, 2026, and Florida incentives page.

Permits, inspections and the building code

Every grid-tied home system needs a permit from your city or county building department. The utility’s agreement requires local code officials to inspect and approve it before it runs (Rule 25-6.065(5)(a)).

• The standard route. When the building department reviews the plans itself, it must tell you within 5 business days what is missing. For a home under 7,500 square feet, it then has 30 business days to act on a complete electrical or building permit application (5 business days for an existing single-family home if the work is valued under $15,000). It must cut the permit fee 10% for each business day it runs late, with some exceptions (s. 553.792).
• The private-provider route. Your installer can hire a licensed private plans reviewer and inspector. For solar on a one- or two-family home, the 5-business-day clock in the timeline above applies (s. 553.791).
• Hurricane wind. The Florida Building Code takes its wind loads from ASCE 7, the national wind-load standard. The edition adopted in the 2020 code added methods written for rooftop solar panels (Florida Building Commission). Your permit drawings should show the racking and attachments rated for your site’s design wind speed.
• Listed equipment. The 2023 residential code (section R324.3.1) requires panels listed to UL 1703 and inverters listed to UL 1741, with utility-interactive inverters for grid-tied systems. Mounting systems listed to UL 2703 must be installed per the maker’s instructions and their listing (Lee County analysis of changes; FRSA summary).

Roof work often comes up during a solar job. Florida’s disclosure form makes the seller warn you to consider your roof’s age first, because a new roof may mean removing and reinstalling the panels (removal and reinstallation guide).

Who can legally install solar in Florida

• A certified solar contractor. Chapter 489 defines a solar contractor as one who installs, repairs or replaces photovoltaic systems and solar water and pool heating (s. 489.105(3)(o)). DBPR issues the statewide certified solar license (form CILB 5-O).
• Another licensed contractor whose license covers the work. The same section says a contractor licensed under Chapter 489 does not need a solar license for work within its own scope. That is why some installers show an electrical contractor (EC) license instead of a solar one.
• You, as owner-builder. You may act as your own contractor on your own one- or two-family home that is not for sale or lease, and you must supervise the work yourself. Selling or offering it within a year raises a presumption that you built it for sale (s. 489.103(7)).

Look up any license number on the DBPR license search. The number must be on your disclosure form. Our Florida installers page lists license status for the companies we show.

Florida solar tax laws

• Sales tax: solar energy systems and their parts are exempt. The Florida Solar Energy Center certifies the list of covered equipment (s. 212.08(7)(hh)). A quote should show no sales tax on the solar equipment.
• Property tax: for homes, the value of panels, inverters, batteries that store solar power and their wiring and supports is left out of the assessed value (s. 193.624). If you lease, ask your county property appraiser how the equipment is treated.
• Income tax: Florida has no personal income tax, so there is no state solar tax credit. The 30% federal homeowner credit does not apply to systems completed after December 31, 2025 (IRS). A 2026 quote that subtracts it for a system you buy is wrong.

What these breaks are worth in dollars, plus utility rebates, is on our Florida solar incentives page.

Consumer protection when you buy or lease solar

Florida has its own solar sales law. Every agreement to sell or lease a home system over 1 kW must come with a separate written statement in at least 12-point type, which you sign separately (s. 520.23). Among its 32 items:

• Whether you are buying or leasing, the total cost with all interest and fees, and the payment schedule.
• The installer’s state license number and the DBPR consumer phone number.
• Every tax incentive or rebate the seller used to set the price, and the assumptions behind any savings estimate.
• System size, estimated first-year production and yearly output loss, and the status of your utility’s credit for exports.
• Whether the seller will file a lien or a UCC-1 financing statement on the system, and whether a lease can transfer when you sell the home.
• Your right to cancel within at least 3 business days after signing.

Other protections apply alongside it:

• Door-to-door sales. For a home solicitation sale, you can cancel in writing until midnight of the third business day after you sign (s. 501.025).
• Big deposits. A contractor who takes more than 10% of the price up front must apply for permits within 30 days and start work within 90 days after the permits are issued, unless you agree otherwise in writing (s. 489.126).
• PACE financing. 3 business days to cancel and a recorded call before approval (s. 163.081, in the timeline above).

See the warning signs in our solar scams and red flags guide, and how to read each line in how to read a solar quote.

Florida solar law myths

• “Net metering ends in 2024 (or 2026).” That was HB 741, vetoed on April 27, 2022. No law since has changed the rule, and its text still dates from 2008 (checked on flrules.org, October 19, 2026). City utilities and co-ops can change their own terms, as OUC has.
• “Solar panels are illegal in Florida.” No. Section 163.04 bars local bans and HOA bans. The claim that powering your home with solar is illegal still circulates online and has no basis in the statutes.
• “Florida requires every system to connect to the grid.” We found no statute that says so. Connection is required to get net metering. A system that never connects still needs a permit and must meet the building code.
• “Plug-in solar is legal everywhere.” Florida has no law written for plug-in or balcony panels. At the four regulated utilities, any system that runs in parallel with the grid needs the signed agreement and a local inspection first.

Florida solar law questions