FREE REFERENCE — ALL 50 STATES
Solar Permit Requirements
Solar Permit Requirements
by State — 2026 Edition
NEC code adoption, P.E. stamp mandates, interconnection program, and plan check complexity for every U.S. state. Updated August 2026.
| State | P.E. Stamp | NEC Version Adopted | Interconnection Program | Plan Check Complexity | Notable Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California (CA) | REQUIRED | NEC 2022 | NEM / Net Billing Tariff | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High | Title 24 mandate, rapid shutdown NEC 2022, NFPA 855 battery limits |
| Texas (TX) | REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | ERCOT / TDSP Filing | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | P.E. stamp required for systems >10kW; no statewide solar mandate |
| Florida (FL) | REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | FPL / Duke Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | Hurricane wind zone compliance (ASCE 7 Exposure D common) |
| New York (NY) | REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | Con Edison / NYSERDA | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | NYC Dept of Buildings requires licensed PE stamp on all commercial |
| Arizona (AZ) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | APS / SRP Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Maricopa County AHJ requires PE for ground-mount; residential varies |
| Colorado (CO) | VARIES | NEC 2020 | Xcel Energy REC | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Snow load calculations critical (Pg up to 50 psf in mountain areas) |
| Nevada (NV) | REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | NV Energy Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | PE stamp required for commercial; high ambient temps affect derating |
| Oregon (OR) | VARIES | NEC 2020 | PGE / Pacific Power | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Seismic zone considerations for ground-mount in some counties |
| Washington (WA) | VARIES | NEC 2020 | PSE / PUD Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Snow load (Pg) critical for flat roofs in Eastern WA |
| New Jersey (NJ) | REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | JCP&L / PSE&G Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | NJ Board of Examiners requires PE for commercial and multi-family |
| Massachusetts (MA) | REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | Eversource / National Grid | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | 780 CMR building code; snow loads critical statewide (Pg 25-40 psf) |
| Georgia (GA) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | Georgia Power Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | Residential typically no PE; commercial >50kW requires engineer |
| North Carolina (NC) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | Duke Energy Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | Residential no PE required; expedited permit programs in many AHJs |
| Hawaii (HI) | REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | HECO Smart Export | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | Hurricane zone uplift (Exposure D); HECO interconnection very strict |
| Illinois (IL) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | ComEd / Ameren Illinois | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Chicago requires PE stamp; suburban counties vary significantly |
| Ohio (OH) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | AEP / FirstEnergy Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | Residential no PE; township-level AHJ variation common |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | PECO / PPL Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | PE required for commercial; PA DEP Act 129 energy efficiency mandates |
| Virginia (VA) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | Dominion Energy Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | Residential simplified permit in most counties; commercial PE recommended |
| Michigan (MI) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | DTE / Consumers Energy Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Detroit and major cities require PE; rural areas vary |
| Minnesota (MN) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | Xcel Energy / Great Plains | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Snow loads critical (Pg 30-50 psf statewide); cold temp derating mandatory |
| Maryland (MD) | REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | BGE / Pepco Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | COMAR regulations require PE for commercial; streamlined residential online |
| Tennessee (TN) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | TVA / Local Co-ops | ⭐⭐ Low | TVA Net Metering simplified; no statewide PE mandate for residential |
| South Carolina (SC) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Duke Energy Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | Hurricane zone in coastal areas; most residential permits standard |
| Indiana (IN) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | AES / Duke Ind. Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Indianapolis requires PE for commercial rooftop systems |
| Missouri (MO) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Ameren / Evergy Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | No statewide PE mandate; city-level requirements vary |
| Connecticut (CT) | REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | Eversource / UI Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | DEEP regulations require PE stamp; strong snow load code enforcement |
| Rhode Island (RI) | REQUIRED | NEC 2020 | National Grid Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ High | Small state with strict AHJ enforcement; PE required for all systems |
| Wisconsin (WI) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | We Energies / WPS | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Heavy snow loads; Milwaukee requires PE for commercial systems |
| Alabama (AL) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Alabama Power Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | Limited net metering policy; simplified residential permits |
| Mississippi (MS) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Entergy Mississippi | ⭐ Very Low | Limited solar incentives; basic residential permits in most counties |
| Louisiana (LA) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Entergy Louisiana | ⭐⭐ Low | Hurricane exposure critical for coastal parishes; Entergy net metering limited |
| Arkansas (AR) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Entergy / SWEPCO | ⭐⭐ Low | Growing solar market; limited AHJ enforcement of PE requirements |
| Oklahoma (OK) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | OGE / PSO Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | Tornado/wind zone calculations important for ground-mount systems |
| Kansas (KS) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Evergy Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | Wind zone calculations important; standard residential permit process |
| Nebraska (NE) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | LES / NPPD Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | Snow loads moderate; limited solar policy vs. wind energy focus |
| Iowa (IA) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | MidAmerican / Alliant | ⭐⭐ Low | Simplified permits; snow and wind loads critical for ground-mount |
| South Dakota (SD) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Northwestern Energy | ⭐⭐ Low | Heavy snow loads (Pg 30-50 psf); standard residential permit process |
| North Dakota (ND) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Otter Tail / MDU | ⭐⭐ Low | Extreme snow loads and cold temps require careful conductor derating |
| Montana (MT) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Northwestern Energy | ⭐⭐ Low | Mountain zone snow loads critical; NorthWestern Energy net metering |
| Wyoming (WY) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | Rocky Mountain Power | ⭐⭐ Low | Wind zone Exposure C/D critical at high elevations |
| Idaho (ID) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Idaho Power Net Metering | ⭐⭐ Low | Simplified residential permit; seismic zone 2-3 consideration for ground-mount |
| Utah (UT) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | Rocky Mountain Power | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Salt Lake City requires PE for commercial; residential varies by county |
| New Mexico (NM) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | PNM / TNMP Net Metering | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | High UV index and heat; Albuquerque requires PE for commercial systems |
| Alaska (AK) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | AEA / GVEAs | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Extreme cold temps require aggressive conductor derating; snow loads critical |
| Vermont (VT) | VARIES | NEC 2020 | Green Mountain Power | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Net metering popular; heavy snow loads (Pg 40-60 psf) critical |
| New Hampshire (NH) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | Eversource / Liberty | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | Snow loads critical (Pg 40-60 psf); PE often required for steep-slope roofs |
| Maine (ME) | REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Central Maine Power | ⭐⭐⭐ Medium | PE stamp required for systems >25kW; snow loads critical in northern ME |
| Delaware (DE) | NOT REQUIRED | NEC 2017 | Delmarva / DelDOT Solar | ⭐⭐ Low | Small state; simplified online permit portal for residential |
| West Virginia (WV) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | Appalachian Power | ⭐⭐ Low | Limited solar adoption; county-level AHJ variance common |
| Kentucky (KY) | VARIES | NEC 2017 | LG&E / Kentucky Utilities | ⭐⭐ Low | Louisville Metro requires PE for commercial; most counties simplified |
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