California Signs SB 868: Plug-In Solar Is Legal From January 2027

Short answer: California’s plug-in solar law, SB 868, was signed by Governor Newsom on September 30, 2026 and takes effect on January 1, 2027. It lets you connect certified plug-in solar of up to 1,200 W AC per home through a receptacle with no utility approval, interconnection agreement or fee. The exemption ends on January 1, 2030 unless the Legislature extends it.

What was signed

The bill was chaptered as Chapter 985, Statutes of 2026, and adds sections 8530 to 8532 to the Public Utilities Code (status and chaptered text). In short:

• Who qualifies: systems up to 1,200 W AC per dwelling that plug in through a receptacle, offset your own use, meet the electrical codes, are certified as a plug-in PV system by UL or an equivalent lab, and have a certified feature that stops them backfeeding the grid in an outage.
• What utilities can’t do: require approval, an interconnection agreement, any fee, or extra equipment.
• What they can do: ask you to register the device’s address, make, model and size on a simple online form.
• Sunset: those protections are repealed on January 1, 2030 unless extended.
• From 2030: plug-in kits that don’t meet the code, certification and anti-backfeed conditions can’t be sold in California.

What it means for you today

Nothing changes until January 1, 2027, and even then you’ll need a certified system. Products on the market don’t meet the law’s requirements yet, and the bill’s sponsors expect compliant models in spring 2027 (KQED). Until then, ask your utility before connecting anything. If you’re shopping, learn how to check a UL 3700 listing before you trust a “certified” label.

California is about the tenth state with a plug-in solar law, after Utah’s in 2025, according to KQED and pv magazine.

For the full breakdown, including renters, HOAs and the sunset, read our guide to the California plug-in solar law.